Scandinavian style. Designer tips: how to properly maintain the Scandinavian style in your interior
Although character traits styles have been formed for more than one century, the term “Scandinavian design” itself appeared during a design exhibition held in the USA and Canada in 1954.
Scandinavian style in the interior is often called the most democratic design and there are two big reasons for this:
- The Scandinavians were the first to introduce the idea of serialization, thanks to which design became a mass phenomenon;
- The main idea of the style is that beautiful and functional objects were available to everyone, not just the rich.
The main ideological aspects of the style were formed at a time when new inexpensive materials and methods for mass production appeared. From a means of necessity, design has turned into a tool of unnecessary consumption. Railroads made it easy to import needed resources: cheap materials led to an oversupply of mass-produced goods, and northerners quickly grew tired of them.
Scandinavian style - prerequisites and features of its occurrence
It doesn't matter whether we're talking about interior design or attitude to life, Scandinavians have always had their own way. The love for simple aesthetics and light colors is partly due to natural conditions: during long winters one had to stay in houses for a long time, which also had to be built quickly in a short summer.
For many years, wooden furniture and simple crafts were the main decorations of Scandinavian homes due to the difficulties of importing and the huge choice of wood. But times have changed, and even to the north the luxury and aesthetics of European styles have come, albeit in a Scandinavian manner.
Development of the Gustavian style in the north
The history of the Gustavian style begins in 1771, when the future King of Sweden Gustav III fell in love on a trip abroad and brought elements of his love for Parisian Versailles to Scandinavia. So the Gustavian style is a restrained interpretation of French neoclassicism.
Features of the classics in Scandinavian style:
Neoclassicism was easily accepted by the Swedes, but in their own way - without any frills. Airy and calm, graceful and bright, over time the Gustavian style spread from palaces to rural houses. Typical colors of the style are soft yellow, cream, pale blue, green, gray tones and, of course, a lot of white, which best reflected the light from the candle.
Furniture and accessories:
Gustavian furniture is easily recognized by its classical proportions and carved legs and scallops, and the furniture is almost always painted. The most famous accessory is the Swedish Mora watch, tall and curvaceous, named after the city where it was produced. The clock is made of wood, has a softly rounded shape and a characteristic crown of petals. In addition to watches, gilded accessories are important in the Gustavian style - large mirrors that increase light, wall candlesticks, furniture elements.
The most necessary accessory in the north is chandeliers, lamps, lamps, candelabra. In Gustavian design, decorative chic chandeliers and candlesticks contrast perfectly with the clean white background. Just imagine how impressive crystal looks with many candlesticks above simple tables and chairs.
Bauhaus and Scandinavian design
Modern Scandinavian design is also influenced by the ideas of the Bauhaus, an artistic association based on the German higher school of civil engineering of the early 20th century. Representatives of this style put the functionality of design and architecture at the head of the table, denied the elegance and luxury of classical styles, leaving the premises almost naked.
Scandinavian interior design - distinctive features
Open plan
Along with simple color schemes, Scandinavian interior design doesn't involve cluttering the space with too much furniture or accessories. At the same time, the layout common rooms often open - the living room smoothly flows into the dining room, then into the kitchen. This layout allows you to leave more windows and bring in as much light as possible into the space.
Wood Accents
In Scandinavian decor they love to use natural ecological wood. It can be found everywhere: on the floor, ceiling, furniture, in toys. The floors and ceilings are usually white or very light, the furniture can be warmer if it is, for example, oak or teak. The most popular wood is pine, and it is most often painted.
Cool colors
The main color is white, it underlies everything, the walls are painted with it. In addition to white, northerners love cool blues, cyan and gray tones. In some houses you can find bright spots of color - for example, yellow, orange, green. Often meets black and white design. For example, in the photo above there is a calm black and white palette, diluted with wooden furniture and brown accessories.
Accessories
The exception is paintings on the walls, of which there can be quite a lot, as in the photo above, and accessories that increase the amount of light - mirrors, lamps, glass vases.
Living vegetation
Perhaps because of the climate, northerners lack greenery, but almost every Scandinavian home has houseplants. There may be only a few of them, or there may be quite a lot - northern minimalism does not always apply to flowers.
Bright spaces
Well, probably the most important item on the list. Thanks to minimalism and functionality, most of the space in a Scandinavian interior remains unoccupied - this creates a feeling of spaciousness and airiness. All furniture, all decorations are designed to maximize natural light - look, for example, at these windows - they are created so that every drop of light reaches its owners.
Design examples
Wooden floors, white walls, functional decor... we think you already understand - all rooms should adhere to the same design style. Let's talk about the other features of our favorite rooms in more detail:
Living room in Scandinavian style
A rug on the living room floor like the one in the photo is a rarity, as stained or distressed parquet flooring is a big part of the Scandinavian aesthetic. Every room should be airy, so even the sofas are slightly raised on thin legs. Chairs work well unusual shapes, less often flowers. Geometry and simple lines are valued in rooms; you can place them on paintings or pillows.
Bedroom in Scandinavian design
One of the key (and few) style accessories in the bedroom is textiles. Lots and lots of textiles - rugs, blankets, pillows. As a rule, you should stick to a three-color scheme - black, gray, white, less often pastel shades, but you can have as many textures and shades as you like - the more, the better. And yet, the room must breathe, so choose a bed frame from either light wood or metal.
Children's room in Scandinavian style
In the nursery, you should start with the same white walls and large windows, but add different ones to the room color accents to the taste of the parents or child. It is very important here not to turn the nursery into a sterile, clean room, but to fill it with little things that are important to the child - drawings, old toys, leaves or fingerprints found in the forest.
Kitchen and dining room
In the kitchen, as in the dining room, there is little furniture and accessories, and the few dishes are hidden in large and comfortable closed sets. In an open plan where the kitchen, dining room and living room are combined, the kitchen corner takes up very little space. A dining table with thin legs is often white or very light. If your choice is darker, make sure the other items in the room are subtle and subtle enough for contrast, like in the picture above.
Office in Scandinavian style
The same rules apply in the office as in the dining room. The table should be light with thin, or even better, tapering legs. Such a simple, streamlined table will look good against the backdrop of a heavy, large chair. The storage theme is well played out in the office; Scandinavians especially love large wicker or steel baskets. The accessories are standard - black and white paintings, metal lamps, a green plant in a beautiful pot.
Scandinavian style bathroom
Most bathrooms are also white, although you can find pastel and gray colors on the walls, and part of the space can even be black. The accents can be very bright; the presence of a large window is very important. You can approach the storage system with great imagination - for Scandinavians this is one of the important decorative elements, which also allows you to free up space as much as possible.
The Scandinavian style in the interior of a country house or apartment is completely special, unlike anything else: it is equally far from the pomp of the West and the exoticism of the East. This minimalist design movement has had a major influence on modern styles with the coziness and warmth of a half-empty home, where it always turns out that less is actually more.
Do you want to know the features and main secrets of creating the most popular interior design style on the planet?
Then welcome to Scandinavia!
After all, it was here that the Scandinavian style in the interior of the same name originated, which millions of families around the world have become admirers of.
But we’ll tell you how and why right now.
Everything you need to know about Scandinavian style
The Scandinavian design style is one of the most sought after and popular in the world. Yes, yes, it is more popular even than the high-tech, classic and Provence styles.
And all thanks to... Ikea!
But first things first.
The history of the origin of the Scandinavian style
Firstly, only three states belong to the Scandinavian countries: Sweden, Norway and Denmark. Neither Iceland, nor Finland, nor any other neighbors are the progenitors, carriers and standards of the Scandinavian style. Even despite the superficial similarity of the interiors, the homes of the Scandinavian neighbors have their own special authentic features.
Secondly, the inhabitants of Northern Europe (like any other inhabitants of any other country in the world) have been building their houses since time immemorial. And, naturally, they built them in accordance with their needs and needs.
Do you want to understand what?
Then imagine: it’s cold, a very harsh climate, all around there is snow, forests and mountains, the sun peeks out from behind the clouds on a limited number of days a year, you have a huge amount of bulky warm clothes... What kind of house would you like to live in?
Obviously, warm, light, bright and with a spacious storage system.
Here These are exactly the kind of houses that the Scandinavians built.
But before the twentieth century, there was no mass production of anything, so the interiors were more of an artisanal nature than the modern Scandinavian style that is now familiar to the entire planet. The traditional Scandinavian style still exists today in the world of interior design, but it, like any ethnic trend, is more of a local flavor and a unique twist than a mass trend.
The history of the classic modern Scandinavian style began in the twentieth century along with the development of mass industry. Moreover, the Scandinavian style has become a kind of quintessence of the Nordic countries’ orientation towards sociality and democracy.
Swedish social policy is considered the most thoughtful and focused on ordinary people. According to its postulates, all benefits should be equally available to both rich and poor. And this is more than noticeably reflected in the interior design of the Nordic countries. After all, with the creation of technologies for mass processing of natural wood, reducing the cost technological processes, the invention of plywood and plastic and, as a consequence, the development of mass furniture production, the interior has ceased to be an indicator of status and financial capabilities.
It has become concise, functional, comfortable, high quality and carefully checked by the control service, but most importantly - affordable.
The emergence of modern Scandinavian style culminated in the opening of the first Ikea store in Sweden in the 1950s. The concept of the store resonated with the masses so much that it confidently began its journey around the planet, and the brand became the most recognizable furniture brand.
Scandinavian apartment: features, colors, materials
In a modern Scandinavian apartment, light powdery shades predominate and black and white contrasting monochrome decorative elements are very common.
The most commonly used colors are white, light gray, light blue, beige, yellow.
Bright textile accents are welcome.
Most of the materials used to decorate a Scandinavian interior are: natural wood and especially teak ( for a long time Denmark was the main supplier of teak on the world market).
However, today one can observe a general trend towards rising prices. natural materials, therefore, synthetic ones that imitate natural ones are increasingly being used in classic Scandinavian interiors.
Who is Scandinavian style suitable for?
Scandinavian style in the interior of different rooms
Living room in Scandinavian style
Such living rooms are distinguished by their simplicity and conciseness. The main colors used in the interior of a Scandinavian living room are white, light gray, light blue, beige and black as accents.
Scandinavian style kitchen
In 1952, the term “Swedish cuisine” arose, implying such an organization of space that is as compact and as functional as possible. In fact, this is exactly how they arose kitchen sets(not only IKEA ones), which are used today by housewives all over the world.
Perhaps this is why the term has somewhat lost its relevance today, because what was previously exclusively the invention and property of the Swedes is now produced and used on a planetary scale.
Dining room in Scandinavian style
For Scandinavians, family ties are of particular value, which is clearly noticeable in their principle of organizing the dining and dining area in the kitchen.
There must be a large one here dinner table and comfortable armchairs. They can be wooden or with a textile covering of simple texture.
One or two pendant lamps can be placed above the table.
Sometimes, to create a dining room in a Khrushchev-era building, it makes sense to combine the kitchen and living room, but remember - any demolition of walls must be agreed upon with the control service!
Scandinavian style bedroom
The interior of such a bedroom is rarely done in cold shades. As a rule, the base color is white. It is combined with beige flooring and light gray or light blue furniture. However, other options are also possible.
So, in particular in Ikea, all facades are made in several colors and always as a wooden “blank” without coating. Not only can you leave it in its original texture, but you can also experiment with color yourself using paint.
One of the walls in a Scandinavian bedroom can be made an accent wall.
Indoor plants will not be superfluous in the interior.
Children's room in Scandinavian style
This style is very popular in decorating children’s rooms because:
- natural and safe materials are used that have necessarily passed quality control
- the interior is very light and gentle
- bright accents and interesting patterns contribute to the full psycho-emotional development of children
And in such a bedroom a wigwam will always look appropriate! Children of any age simply adore them.
Scandinavian style bathroom
The peculiarity of a bathroom in this style is the presence of wooden functional or decorative elements.
Wall panel, shower tray or hanging cabinet - it's up to you.
For budget option decorating a bathroom in a Khrushchev-era building instead of natural wood is quite suitable tile, imitating wood slabs.
Office in Scandinavian style
The Scandinavian office and workspaces are distinguished by their visual lightness.
Instead of bulky classic tables with cabinets and antique massive secretaries, everything here is as simple as possible: a small table on thin legs, a cozy streamlined chair, several open shelves and a very light palette of shades (white, beige, light blue, yellow, light gray).
Bright accents are not used here (or are used in limited quantities), but black accent details can often be found.
Scandinavian style house
A house or cottage will look good in a traditional, rather than modern, northern style.
Apartment in Scandinavian style
This style is ideal for an apartment due to its brevity and simplicity. The light range of cool shades allows you to visually expand even the smallest space, and spacious storage systems are ideal for city apartments without storage rooms and utility rooms.
Hallway in Scandinavian style
The Scandinavians borrowed many motifs from nature, so a tree-shaped hanger or a wooden pendant lamp would look appropriate in the hallway.
How to create Scandinavian style at home?
Furniture
The Scandinavian interior is famous for its thoughtful storage system with a large number of spacious drawers and cabinets.
Scandinavian furniture has a restrained, laconic form, no frills, light gray, light blue or light beige, less often dark, made of natural wood.
Wooden sets are modular, with the ability to independently assemble furniture of a suitable size and content.
However, there is furniture that is must have for a classic Scandinavian interior and its distinctive decorative elements.
For example, furniture by designer Arne Jacobson, known all over the world and widely used in interior design to this day.
The Ant chair, which became the first Danish mass-produced chair.
Chair “Egg”.
Chair “Swan”.
Chair “Drop”.
Textile
Textiles are important decorative element in a Scandinavian interior. The texture is not important in it and multi-layering is completely excluded, but a mandatory component is a rich and rich palette.
To create a Scandinavian style using fabric products you will need several sofa cushions in bright covers, a carpet with a bright geometric pattern, simple curtains to the floor with print.
Important condition! The Scandinavian style is not characterized by synthetic colors, so even the brightest shades used in the interior should be as natural and natural as possible.
Lighting
In Scandinavian countries, sunlight is quite a luxury. Most gloomy weather prevails there during the year, so when registering Scandinavian apartment very in demand different types lighting and all kinds of lighting scenarios. In addition to classic pendant lamps, table and floor lamps are used. Sometimes even a single-color garland can play the role of decorative lighting.
Accessories
Despite all the modernity of the Scandinavian style, the artisan roots make themselves felt. Therefore, frequent decorative elements in a Scandinavian apartment are antique chests and stools.
Another feature of the Scandinavians is their passion for family photographs. As a rule, in a Scandinavian apartment you can see separate shelves or even entire walls hung with family photos. In modern interiors they are often replaced by laconic posters or watercolors.
Often the main table decorations are Finnish Aalto vases, also known as Savoy vases.
Trees and plants
Nature has deprived the Scandinavian countries of rich and picturesque flora, so their residents decided to compensate for this right in their homes.
Plants can be everywhere!
However, which ones exactly depend on the type of room.
In the living room or dining room can there be more plants and even full-fledged trees.
In smaller rooms it is better to give preference to potted plants.
And in the bathroom or hallway a baby can even live in a miniature glass or glass jar.
As for plant types, these can be succulents, monstera, ficus, ferns, etc.
Functionality
This is the most main feature Scandinavian interior!
First of all, it must be FUNCTIONAL.
Therefore, a spacious storage system, laconic wooden furniture, wall coverings that are as easy to clean as possible, and textiles that do not require special effort in care.
Finishing materials for Scandinavian style
For floor
In a classic Scandinavian interior, the flooring is wooden.
Today, given pricing policy on natural wood, a more budget laminate is quite acceptable, which, when modern technologies processing is practically indistinguishable from its progenitor.
Parquet boards or lamellas are laid in a herringbone pattern or in a staggered pattern.
For floor coverings, medium beige shades of coating are used, less often light gray.
For windows
Curtains on the windows in a Scandinavian apartment are not used at all or are used in minimal quantities. Here you will never see the “curtain + tulle” duo traditional for the post-Soviet space, because the main task of Scandinavian-style windows is to transmit light.
It is better to make frames natural, wooden. It is not just beautiful, but also functional in terms of heat retention.
For walls
In the Scandinavian style, the walls are always plain and very light:
- white
- light gray
- light blue
- light yellow
Cool shades are used quite rarely.
The coating is usually paint, although wallpaper can be used.
Sometimes Scandinavians highlight one accent wall.
Scandinavian style- one of the few that can hardly be called ethnic or exotic; it looks very modern, but it is still possible to highlight bright national features that can be read not in ornaments and patterns, but in the general atmosphere of a Scandinavian apartment or house.
People first started talking about the Scandinavian style in 1950, when, after the annual International Exhibition in the USA and Canada, positive reviews of the works exhibited by Scandinavian designers appeared in specialized literature.
Scandinavian style - naturalness, simplicity and naturalness. This is one of the lightest and most natural styles in the interior of apartments and houses. This is a simple interior style: light wood plank floors, light walls, simple wooden furniture.
General characteristics of the Scandinavian style
Laconicism and beauty of forms, the use of natural materials, comfort and functionality - these are the main components of the Scandinavian style, which is becoming increasingly popular. It is characterized by light, thin and graceful details of structures made from multi-layered trees.
The Scandinavian style has incorporated such features as restraint and some severity. Therefore, interiors in the Scandinavian style contain a minimum of decor and are made in light natural colors from simple and natural materials, but at the same time you cannot deny the originality of this style. In the Scandinavian style we find calm and orderliness. The general coloring of the interiors is light, as if watercolor, with a lot of warm tones: yellow, milky white, light terracotta.
All furniture of this style is made of natural wood. Usually these are light deciduous species, less often - spruce or pine. The naturalness of the material is also transmitted to the shape of the interior items.
Key Features:
- White (or light-colored) walls.
- Furniture made from pale wood, such as birch, painted white or pale paint
- Wood, laminate or white glossy batten
- Simplified window design and flowing muslin curtains that let in maximum light
- Limited color palette - white, shades of it, plus an equally limited number of red cherry shades as an accent
- Bright lighting and many light sources
- Open plan living spaces
Ordinary scandinavian house today it looks simple and tasteful. Residents of the North do not tend to strive for luxury and wealth. But long dark winters, sometimes lasting more than six months, practically force Scandinavians to build warm and extremely light houses. So it's no surprise that white is the primary color for every room. Numerous glass and crystal things will also come in handy.
Today, cheap, light and practical furniture, aged in light colors. The favorite materials for making tables, chairs, beds and sofas in Scandinavian countries are pine and birch. Floors and finishing panels are also made from them.
There are two directions of Scandinavian style:
- One of them, traditional, drawing its inspiration from the interiors of Sweden three hundred years ago, is ideal for owners who want to give their home a spirit of austerity and confident prosperity, but without pretentiousness and monumental forms.
- Modern style more inclined towards softness and grace, simplicity and functionality. In such a house you will not find either heavy antique furniture or huge mirrors in massive gilded frames; but there is more than enough space, warmth and comfort. Plus an unlimited amount of light, both solar and artificial, at any time of the year.
By the way, the contribution to the overall design treasury of the Scandinavian countries is very different: the Norwegians are not famous for anything at all, the Finns are famous for glass and plywood furniture, the Swedes are much more famous - here design was put on a broad government footing, and the main interior masterpieces of the 40s-50s x were made... in Denmark, which, by the will of fate, ended up on the “Scandinavian” list.
Features of Scandinavian style:
The main features of the Scandinavian style are naturalness, simplicity and naturalness. The Scandinavian style has incorporated such features as restraint and some severity, coldness and silence, as well as love and respect for nature.
Therefore, interiors in the Scandinavian style contain a minimum of decor and are made in light natural colors from simple and natural materials, but at the same time you cannot deny the originality of this style.
Typically Scandinavian interiors are distinguished by several characteristic features. First of all, these are painted with light paint or finished wood panels walls (it is also possible to use discreet wallpaper for painting).
In Swedish or Finnish house You rarely see a suspended or suspended ceiling of rich color or complex design - as well as any non-traditional ceiling in general.
Any “work for the public” is alien to the Scandinavians, and the house is furnished in such a way that the owners feel pleasant and comfortable, and not the guests. The floor made of light boards, covered with transparent varnish, is designed to add lightness to the interior of even a modest room.
When decorating a bathroom, the Swedes and Danes display a good-natured and at the same time absolutely appropriate sense of humor. Both small details—a shower curtain decorated with inflatable hearts, or a toothpaste holder in the shape of a pink frog on a suction cup—and fundamental elements can add life to the style of the room.
The textiles used in the Scandinavian interior are distinguished by the harmony of colors and patterns. If the dining room has chairs inherited from parents with charming pot-bellied legs and low rounded seats in color sea wave, then the windows will be decorated with retro-styled bluish curtains “to match” with birds of paradise.
If nautical accessories are used in the decoration of the apartment, which, given the proximity northern countries to the sea, a completely natural thing, then the blue “sea” curtains will show off lifebuoys and anchors.
The elegant creamy olive stripe on the furniture covers goes perfectly with the beige shade natural wood, from which low and wide coffee tables, popular in Scandinavia (the same size as a couch), are made.
Another element often used in Scandinavian interiors is wicker furniture. Baskets, boxes and chair seats woven from light wicker improve the feeling of comfort. A good option There will also be the use of built-in wicker drawers with a small pine cabinet, shelf or chest of drawers in white, blue or golden colors.
The dark, cold streets of northern countries are conducive to depression. Scandinavians escape from this gloom and despondency in very bright houses. Light woods, light stone, light pastel colors...
And glass! Lots of glass! Icy transparent and milky matte, refractive and scattering Sun rays, - the entire Scandinavian interior is based on the play of light and shadow. Rare and weak rays of the sun should be used to the maximum!
It is advisable that window frames blended in with the walls. If the walls are white, then the frames can be the same color - either painted wood or plastic. If wood is used to decorate the walls (borders or beams), then it would be nice if the frames were made of wood of the same shade.
We do not forget about the main role of light in the Scandinavian interior and deliberately refuse heavy dark curtains in favor of light linen or cotton curtains. We select the color of the curtains based on the overall color range interior (in particular, you need to take into account the color of the carpet and the upholstery of the sofa). In any case, these will be winter shades - blue, white, gray.
Curtains, furniture covers, rugs, bed linen and towels are decorated with very common checkered patterns and stripes, as well as traditional Scandinavian patterns and ornaments - Christmas trees, deer, snowflakes, zigzags.
"Scandinavian" furniture simple, light, convenient, assembled and disassembled in no time. Various combinations of wooden and glass surfaces, closed and open shelves vary. Graceful, laconic forms of sofas with light upholstery, smoothly curved backs of chairs, simple bed frames...
The most impressive element of the Scandinavian style is the ceramic column stove. It can be installed both in bedrooms and in the living room. Such a wood-burning stove is always placed in the corner of the room for reasons of neatness, which, however, does not prevent it from being the central element of the entire interior.
Perhaps, The main feature of “Scandinavian” furniture is its functionality. Northerners are constantly fighting for light and space - therefore they “load” each piece of furniture with the maximum number of “responsibilities”.
Beds are certainly equipped with drawers for linen or a pull-out bed for guests, tables, sofas and armchairs must be folded and unfolded, tables are equipped with all kinds of shelves, drawers, etc.
All furniture is made of light wood. Often it is sold without any finishing. It is up to the buyer to paint tables and chairs, cover them with varnish or stain, in accordance with his tastes and goals. But materials such as metal and plastic are also acceptable. Sliding wardrobes with plastic doors are a great example of this.
There are practically no unnecessary things or useless accessories. Even all kinds of glass vases are present only because glass transmits the rays of the sun, refracts them and reflects them, in other words, fills the room with light. You can pour fresh wood shavings into one of these clear vases to create a warm, cozy aroma throughout your home.
Family photographs and yellowed papers from a century ago, related to the history of the family, find their place on the walls next to oil paintings.
Opposite can be placed photographs of family members or a self-made art object, for example, the work of a beloved child in a beautiful mat. In general, the cult of things made by hand is fueled in Finland and Norway by manufacturers of specialty goods.
In stores, entire departments are dedicated to white clay in small packages, fluffy chicken feathers painted in bright colors, beads, paper with an interesting texture and transparent leaves from an unknown material.
You can bring your Scandinavian interior to life with a few wooden photo frames, a wicker dish with bright green apples, ceramic fish on the walls and pots of live plants. Chaotically scattered sea pebbles (reminiscent of the northern seas) will look cute on a glass coffee table.
Fresh, cute, no pretentiousness - Scandinavian style suits both modern and traditional tastes. Its airy colors provide a wonderful opportunity to add light and space to your home. The style is especially good for northern countries where houses lack daylight.
To decorate your home, you can use the main components of the Scandinavian style, skillfully combining them and introducing more avant-garde or traditional features into it to suit your taste.
Based on materials from the blog http://homy.com.ua