Scandinavian interior design is very much sought after due to its functionality and comfort. It is Denmark where the famous word hygge was born, meaning feeling warm, comfort, and safe and then spread into our lifestyle and interior design. Following the hype of hygge design, it’s certainly an interior trend that shows no signs of going out of style anytime soon. If you’re looking to create a Scandinavian - inspired interior in your bedroom or living room, then here are some helpful design tips and recommended curtain poles in minimalistic scandi style. We asked Ingrid Opstad, a Norwegian journalist and author of That Scandinavian Feeling Blog, to share insights into how to create modern Scandinavian style bedroom or living room at your home.
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7 Ideas How to Create Scandinavian Interior Design?
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1. Incorporate Plenty Of Soft Furnishings
Image by MinimalistDesign (@minimalistics.designs)
One of the biggest Scandinavian trends is hygge. Hygge is all about promoting comfort through home interiors but also everyday life. Soft furnishings add comfort to the home, and they can warm up any type of home, whether it’s an industrial warehouse converted apartment to a modern, new home construction. When bringing in soft furnishings, incorporate more rugs, layering them where possible. You could decorate your sofa with an abundance of cushions that are different shapes and sizes. Throws can make for a great winter warmer and so having a basket full of throws can be great for adding an extra bit of comfort to your living room or bedroom. Try to keep it simple where you can and to not go too overboard with different colours and textures. You want to create a somewhat consistent style.
"Cozy elements such as blankets, pillows, and candles add to the calmness and warm feeling in your home. A hyggelig (from Norwegian - nice) home equals a calm and happy home in my mind."
Ingrid Opstad
2. Combine Metal & Wood
Image by Johanna Wiemann (@scandinavian.interior)
Metal and wood go together very well, and they create a rustic look to anything that you want to make out of these materials. If you’re looking to make it feel more Scandinavian, then it’s worth incorporating more wood and metal in both the furniture pieces but also around the home. An oak slab on metal frames can make for a unique dining table. Mix a metal side cabinet with wooden picture frames on top. There are many different ways to style these two materials together, and it does help to create a more rustic feel within your home. There are lots of companies out there that are embracing different finishes to traditional styles of furniture. It gives the piece of furniture more interest if it has different materials incorporated into one another.
3. Bring Nature Indoors
Image by Johanna Wiemann (@scandinavian.interior)
Nature is a beautiful thing, and we’re surrounded by so much of it outside. However, there’s been a rise in indoor plants being a feature in many homes. It not only provides a burst of colour to the space, but it also gives the home a lived-in feeling. When it comes to Scandi interior design, featuring a variety of indoor plants is always a staple, even if you’re not someone who finds it easy to remember watering them. It’s a contribution to the eco-friendly design that all Scandinavian interiors feature. There are lots of varieties of plants and flowers that you can incorporate around your home and according to room type. Some plants can handle excessive moisture and so thrive when in a bathroom. You’ve got those that can handle hardly any water at all, even during the height of summer.
4. Focus On Neutral Colours
Image by Johanna Wiemann (@scandinavian.interior)
Keeping things neutral when it comes to the colour palette is important. So when thinking about what colours to choose from, it’s worth looking at beige, brown, black, white, grey and dark tones of blue. These neutral-type colours are going to help bring that Scandanavian aesthetic to life in your home, and as mentioned above, consistency is key. Try to not go to outside of the box when it comes to colour, otherwise, you’ll start losing the feeling that you want when it comes to Scandi design. Keep it simple and minimalistic regarding colours because you can certainly overdo it if you’re not careful.
"By choosing a calming palette you will set the perfect mood for cozy, relaxing moments. Since the winters are very dark and long in Scandinavia, we often pick light colours in the home to create an open and airy space, especially in a smaller house or apartment. White, grey or lighter accent colours throughout the home like pastels will make it feel inviting and harmonious. But when talking about a neutral, calm colour scheme, make sure you pick shades that makes YOU feel calm. For me, for instance, blue is very soothing, so I have it in different variations throughout my home".
Ingrid Opstad
5. Declutter Your Home
Image by Ida Thun (@bythun)
Decluttering your home is essential in helping you feel more comfortable and less cluttered within the space. Try to find some time to go through your home, room by room, to declutter and get rid of anything that’s taking up space. There’s a lot of things around your home that you just don’t need. We tend to hang onto items because might have a personal attachment to them. Others might be that we need them ‘just in case’ and that in reality, we never need them. Decluttering can be very therapeutic on its own so try to be more ruthless when it comes to clearing your home of clutter.
Creating a functional living room or bedroom requires you to get rid of clutter or anything that is lying around on the floor or on top of something and that hasn’t got a home.
"Remember that 'less is more'. My tip is to take a step back and have a look at your space before minimising it and decluttering. There is no need to have everything you love on display at once, so store some items and rotate with the seasons or to complement your mood."
Ingrid Opstad
Related: Interior Design Trends 2021
6.Keep As Much Light As Possible
Image by That Scandinavian Feeling (@thatscandinavianfeeling)
When it comes to light, leave the windows uncovered for most of the day . If you prefer blinds, try to keep them neutral and even if they’re thermal, try to get ones that filter in the natural daylight where possible. It’s the same for curtains too, but keep them light in the material you buy instead of something that’s quite heavy and bulky-looking.
"The correct lighting in the home is just as important as the furniture you choose. In Scandinavian homes every source of light is important, during the day we thrive on having lots of natural light coming in though windows but the lamp is always a big design feature in any room. Another key part of lighting is candles; set the mood in your home during the evening with soft candle lights in a dimly lit room and snuggle up during the dark and colder months for the ultimate hygge feeling."
Ingrid Opstad
7. Choose minimalistic curtain hardware for the Scandinavian style
We recommend these poles, but for more designs, please visit our Poles and Blinds website.
Cameron Fuller curtain pole, £93
Speedy Nikola Stud curtain pole, £26
Rolls Neo Oak Stud 28mm wooden eyelet curtain pole, £54
And of course, the most minimalistic window covering can be achieved with curtain tracks. Tracks are fully invisible behind the curtains, which is perfect if you want to create a simple and uncluttered look. More importantly, tracks can fit almost any window, from straight to awkwardly shaped bay, and can be fitted to either wall or ceiling.
Image by TANYA (@home.style.interior)
Conclusion
The Scandi home interior design is all about creating a relaxing and comforting space, so we hope you use these tips to create your own aesthetic cozy home space.
Did you find this article helpful? Let us know about Scandinavian trends you know in the comment section below! And please share this post with friends on social media!
