10 Ways to Incorporate Scandinavian Design Into Your Home
The sleek, uncomplicated look of Scandinavian design is one of the most popular looks for homes today. The modernistic look uses basic, neutral color palettes, mostly white, simple designs and graphic patterns, natural materials, and the ultimate look of the theme is a well-organized, uncluttered, simple living space. It’s hard not to recognize this classic look, and hard not to fall in love with it. Anyone who is looking for a more natural and simplistic design idea for a simplistic lifestyle, you may want to consider the Scandinavian design theme for their home and we have 10 ways to incorporate Scandinavian design into your home.
1. Make use of a light and white color palette
The most common color used in a Scandinavian design is white. White makes things light and airy and it will help to open up the space to give it a more visually larger look and feel. This is especially helpful in a small home or apartment. White also helps keep things looking and feeling clean and fresh, something the Scandinavians love. White-painted walls is a good place to start, then pair the walls with light colored wood flooring, such as Birch or Oak, says Mocha Casa, however, if you already have a darker wood flooring, you may prefer to simply paint the planks to give the room a more congruent look.
2. Keep textiles simple and neutral
In-line with the, all-white, theme, when adding textiles to the mix, keep them in the same ‘neutral’ theme in mind. Black and white, browns, grays, even beige added to the white, is a great way to add some depth to the white themed room.
3. Use nature scenes to add depth to any room
Just because the overall look of a Scandinavian theme is neutral and simple, it doesn’t mean that you can’t use a nature scene to help complete a room’s decor, for instance, a mountain scene as a backdrop for a headboard, or as a piece of wall hanging art, or maybe a small mural on a negative space wall, to help tie it into the room. Scandinavia is full of beautiful scenery and you can bring a little of that scenery into your decor theme.
4. Remove window treatments
One thing you’ll find in a Scandinavian home is the lack of window treatments. Allowing the outside to merge into the inside by way of keeping the views open and unobstructed, is at the top of the list for keeping the look authentic. Not only do the Nordic love, light, bright and airy, but they love all things, natural. Keeping windows free of coverings not only helps to meld the outside with the in, but it also helps to visually increase the depth of your space.
5. Dot your home with beautiful candles
Candles are a must for Scandinavian homes, according to Decorilla, and they can be a variety of candles set on an array of beautiful stands, candelabras, or in votives. They not only create a beautiful ambiance day or night, but they are used for functional lighting at many different times. The glow of lit candles is one way to create the look and feel of a simplistic lifestyle.
6. Choose simple styled furniture
When choosing furniture pieces, look for simple lines; clean, smooth, and mid-century style pieces. Neutral tones, especially white or black, are very Scandinavian, and furniture is always bought for function. All pieces serve a purpose and are not for decorative like you would find in most other decorative themes.
7. Add plants for natural touches
Set a few small plants around your house to bring a little nature into your space. And not only just plants, but fresh flowers. In Scandinavia, it’s a common thing to pick up fresh flowers from a sidewalk florist and set them around the house. They are not only beautiful, but they add little bits of pops of color to the neutral color scheme.
8. Use warm textiles throughout the home
When talking about textiles, we’ve discussed keeping the colors neutral in tone, but when it comes to the type of textiles you choose, remember where that the Scandinavians live in a cold climate, which means that the textiles they purchase are warm and fuzzy, from area rugs to the throws on their sofas. Faux furs, wool and other soft and natural, warm textiles can be decorative and functional in a Scandinavian design theme.
9. Get rid of the clutter
First and foremost, clutter is far from fitting into a Scandinavian design theme. Overdoing it with knicknacks, too many decor pieces set about, clutters of furniture stuffed in rooms, and just general clutter laying around your home is not inline with the Scandinavian lifestyle. The simpler, the better, with rooms open and spacious. Scandinavian design keeps with the mindset of everything has a purpose and a place, so if your regular household items aren’t aesthetically pleasing to look at daily, they are stored away till used.
Everyone loves a fireplace to cozy up to, and the Scandinavian design is like most, there are often fireplaces in Scandinavian designed homes, but if you plan to keep things authentic, these fireplaces aren’t the typical, big, brick or stone fireplaces with large hearths and mantles. According to Homedit, they are often quaint, column style fireplaces in white, and many times, set off in a corner somewhere, where they aren’t the focus of the room.