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There’s a reason Scandinavian interior design has remained so popular – clean lines, calm spaces and a hint at nature all combine for a beautiful, restful home. Anyone who knows me, knows I am fan of this simple and cosy look. If you too love the clean, airy feel of Scandinavian interiors, here are some of my own tips to achieve this look in your own home.
1. Blonde Woods
If you’d like to go for a more homely Scandi vibe, you cannot go past some light coloured woods. Pine and birch look beautiful when paired with white, grey, pastels and a bit of greenery, helping bring the outside in. You don’t have to spend a fortune either, we just added some plywood to our old (black!) dining and coffee table, then painted the legs white for own ‘bespoke’ pieces on a budget. If a DIY project is a bit much for you, check out the lovely wooden offerings here at our online shop.
2. Pretty Pastels
These can give a softer, more feminine twist to a Scandinavian room and look great paired with light colours woods and neutral tones. Used on soft furnishings or decorative pieces, these colours create a gentle, restful atmosphere and are easy to adapt and change. Pictured above are these handmade knitted cushion beauties, or take a look at these linen cushions or these gorgeous chunky knit throws. Mix and match pink and grey, or baby blues and mints for a little colour in your Scandi palette.
3. A Touch of Nature
Speaking of bringing the outside in, a home is just not Scandi without a scattering of bright green pot plants to bring some life to what could otherwise be a stark room. I love plants because they are reasonably cheap, but make such an impact on a space. They are literally the first thing I would add to any room that needs ‘sprucing’! Hardy indoor plants are best, like peace lilies, fiddle leaf figs or snake plants. All of these will look beautiful in our Oslo planter range available in Grey, White and Black pictured above. If you’re lucky enough to have a garden, just put some nice foliage or blooms in a plain glass or white vase. Easy! If you don’t have much of a green thumb and everything dies on your watch, you can get some great fake plants and mix them in with real ones, or get succulents which are hard to kill.
4. Designer Pieces
You may not have the budget to splash out on a room full of Danish designer furniture, but one or two nods to famous Nordic design never goes astray. My personal little favourites are the lovely Alvar Aalto ‘Savoy’ vases by Finnish glass company, Iittala. I've collected quite a few from my travels to Finland!
5. Black and White
What can make white more white? White usually dominates the Scandi interior palette, but it is best when punctuated with a few black accessories or furniture. All you have to do is add in some greys or neutral tones too for a sleek, modern Scandinavian look. I’ve personally just started adding a few very small black accessories like black towel hooks or black and white patterned vases, or these great placemats from our store.
6. Lots of Light
OK, so you can’t really pay for this, but if you have any natural light in your home whatsoever – let it in! Obviously you’ll have to balance this with hot Australian summers, but I like to forgo window dressings where I have the temperature, privacy and view to do so. If I must put up a curtain, I like using sheer white ones to still let the day light filter in. You can always install a blind that can be tucked out of the way if you need more versatile coverings.
Hope this post has been useful to give your own home the Scandinavian look! As always, please do leave comment or subscribe to my blog if you’d like to stay updated.
– Elaine