In recent years, the Nordic style has invaded our homes: its simple and effective side, always very elegant, is declined in all its inspirations, from design to vintage, from the family home to the city apartment. It is a style that is easy to adopt and pleasant to live in.
If some items (furniture, decorative accessories, lighting) can quickly become expensive, because they are designed or made by big names in Scandinavian design, many brands offer you very affordable and equally well-kept items.
In this first part of our Scandinavian decorating ideas, we bring a little bit of Scandinavia into your home!
1. The Art of Purifying
Nordic interiors are characterized by the purity of their decoration: each object or piece of furniture has a very precise function, and the worlds are Zen or even stripped down.
The first thing to do when you want to give your home a Scandinavian look is to sort out and go to the essentials. Sorting doesn’t mean “without personality”, you can, of course, keep a few objects that will personalize the place. However, limiting accumulation is an essential principle for decor inspired by the countries of the North.
Good to know: to avoid the effect of a cold world, choosing warm textiles is an excellent solution. Plaids, cushions, and carpets will warm the atmosphere and encourage cocooning.
Don’t throw away what you want to get rid of, think about donations to associations, and don’t forget the selective sorting!
2. Nordic Decoration: A Natural and Easy to Maintain Floor
Scandinavians are nature-lovers and you can see it inside their homes.
They choose floors made of light wood from the surrounding forests. If you are considering changing your floor and giving it a northern look, maple, light oak will be your first choice. To make their maintenance easier, an oil treatment or a matte varnish is indicated.
When they don’t choose wood, lovers of northern décor opt for a white floor. If you have a parquet floor that looks a little sad, it is quite possible to seal it in white to obtain a Nordic look.
3. White walls for more light
In northern countries, light is a rare commodity: in winter, daylight is limited or even non-existent, and the slightest patch of light is exploited. In Kiruna, a town in Swedish Lapland, it is night 24 hours a day in January! The walls of the houses are, therefore, most of the time, white, in order to capture and reflect precious light.
So you can choose pure white for your walls. However, as in Sweden, Norway or Denmark, you will also opt for a unique wall highlighted by wallpaper with a strong personality, or a bright color to avoid monotony.
Good to know: painting walls, ceilings, and floors in white allow you to erase boundaries and “push the walls”. A wise (and very Scandinavian) choice when you live in a small area.
4. Graphic Design in Scandinavian Decoration
Cushions, frames, carpets with graphic designs are one of the characteristics of the Nordic decoration:
Geometric shapes will give personality to your interior. Dare to combine the graphics with each other, while not forgetting to let the room breathe: no graphic sofa on a graphic carpet with graphic cushions… Make wise choices.
Don’t hesitate to multiply objects and textiles in black and white colors.
Good to know: some design cushions can be very expensive, why not start making covers from pretty, economical fabrics? You will have unique designs!
5. From Color to Nordic
No, the Nordic countries don’t just like white, they also like color, without excess! The ones they prefer are on the one hand:
The pastels: pink, blue, yellow, mint green are the lion’s share. If you are not sure, choose one of these colors, or marry them tastefully. They go very well with light wood furniture, as well as grey, white and black.
Bright colors: choose a primary color (yellow, red or blue). You will use them in small quantities so that a single element of a strong color reinforces the black or white on which it stands out.
Good to know: if you have only one color to choose for Scandinavian-looking decor, Blue is the one to choose. It is very often present in Scandinavian interiors, from its pastel tones to the darkest.
6. The Scandinavian Luminaire: Design and Simplicity
The Scandinavians are the ones who put the light bulb at the end of a wire. What once looked like a temporary solution before finding the right lampshade has become a must-have in interior decoration.
Above a table or kitchen worktop, you will choose to install one or more bulbs, either filament or LED. They will hang elegantly at the end of a black, white or colored wire.
If you prefer a surface-mounted luminaire, opt for a wall washer, a revisited model to enter our homes.
If you’ve liked reading this post, follow us for part 2. And, don’t forget to write your comments below.
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