26.07.2021
1615 0 11 min.
Universal and affordable design solutions have given the Scandinavian style worldwide popularity. Scandinavian interior is a new classic and a love for life. Cozy, laconic and at the same time spacious, this style is equally good in large areas and in small apartments. And how functional it is, and how much light it contains! We can praise the Scandinavian interior for a long time, but it’s better to find out from what components it is assembled on the basis of a Russian apartment.
White-white: color in a Scandinavian interior
Let's start with the most obvious - white. Without it, the Scandinavian style in the interior is no longer Scandinavian. To prevent the apartment from turning into a hospital, the snow-whiteness is diluted with warm beige tones, cool blues, neutral gray shades and black contrasts. There are also pockets of bright color: these can be decorative elements or something from furniture. A yellow armchair, a crimson ottoman or an aquamarine sofa can easily live in a snow-white living room.
The walls in most cases remain white, like a blank sheet, serving as a backdrop for charming Scandinavian decor and visually expanding the footage.
Scandinavian style kitchen from the Mossebo project. White color blends organically with “warm” wood and neutral gray tones. A Scandinavian-style “bare” wall does not distract attention from the original accessories.
Design of different rooms in Scandinavian-style apartments: photo examples of interiors
Giving preference to the Scandinavian style in the design of a living space, it is necessary to remember the unity in the design of all rooms. Like most modern trends, Scandi is built not on a list of specific rules, but on special techniques for its implementation. A Scandinavian interior can be assembled over several years, gradually being filled with furniture and decorative items.
Helpful advice! The style is characterized by eclecticism, which consists of a combination of vintage furniture with elements of modern design and objects donated by nature. For example, a varnished tree stump with a glass top can serve as a bedside table or coffee table. Animal horns and driftwood can serve as a hanger or lamp.
A Scandinavian interior can be assembled over several years, gradually being filled with furniture and decorative items.
Posters in the Scandinavian style look colorful in interior design and will become an excellent decorative element. These are canvases with original drawings or photographs. They reflect the typical Scandi simplicity combined with sophistication. Interesting options can be made in different colors, for example, to match the surrounding furniture or other interior items.
After analyzing the photo of the Scandinavian-style apartment design, you can see that lighting is an important accent. For this purpose, various convenient devices are used, ranging from spotlights to floor lamps and multi-lamp lamps. At the same time, a Scandinavian-style chandelier differs from its counterparts in other styles:
- monochrome, textured variety;
- conciseness, lack of pretentiousness;
- natural inspiration;
- the presence of natural elements in the design in the form of driftwood, stones and fabrics.
In a bright room there are one or two bright accents - this could be a piece of furniture or textiles
Design of a hallway in a Scandinavian style
The hallway is the first room a person enters. Already here an idea of the design of the entire apartment is formed. Therefore, when you enter a Scandinavian-style house, you will be struck by the simplicity and practicality of the furnishings in harmony with beauty and laconicism. All this is expressed in clear forms, straight lines and modest furniture. Space for storing the most necessary things is presented in the form of built-in cabinets and shelves.
Scandinavian-style wall decor in a hallway or corridor, according to the rules of the genre, should be made in light colors, but exclusively from practical materials, so that there are no special hassles and problems with cleaning. In rooms with high traffic, it is allowed to paint the walls not in classic white, but in beige or light gray tones. The lower part of the walls can be decorated with wood panels.
In order for the Scandinavian style to be fully maintained, the interior of the room must have three main color options - white, black and natural wood texture. The combination of contrasts should be measured, which will allow you to create an original design of the entrance area even with minimal furniture. The floor should be darker than the walls; here it is appropriate to use tiles or stone in cold tones.
Wall decor in the Scandinavian style in the hallway or corridor should be done in light colors
The front door and all other interior doors that open into the hallway should be made of natural wood, and their colors should be close to natural tones. The furniture of the hallway should include only the most necessary items. This could be a mini chest of drawers, a floor hanger or a small door wardrobe for outerwear and a medium-sized mirror. It is better to arrange lighting in the form of a pair of pendant chandeliers with light frosted glass shades.
Living room design in Scandinavian style: photos and sketches of design options
The living room is the heart of the house, since it is in this room that the whole family most often gathers and receives guests, so its design requires special attention.
Helpful advice! Cushions on the sofa and numerous lamps that provide bright light but have a simple shape can serve as an effective accent in the living room. These are floor lamps, table lamps and chandeliers.
Upholstery of upholstered furniture should be made of natural fabrics such as linen or cotton
If everything is done correctly, then with a minimum of decor and furniture, the room will be distinguished by that special comfort and coziness that gives happiness, which the inhabitants of the Scandinavian Peninsula called hygge. Using Scandinavian style in the interior of the living room will help you achieve what you want by getting a practical and modern design that will not go out of style for a long time.
To achieve the goal, the owners will have to spend a lot of money on purchasing natural materials, which will soon pay off not only with their unique appearance, but also with their durability. A Scandinavian-style living room design that becomes boring after a couple of years can be easily updated using new accessories and decorative items. To do this, just replace the picture with an original poster or make colorful pillows for the sofa.
The window openings in the spacious living room can be left without drapery, which will allow the maximum amount of sunlight to enter the room. The attributes of a Scandi-style room are snow-white walls and ceiling. The floor is covered with boards or parquet. Upholstery of upholstered furniture should be made of natural fabrics such as linen or cotton. Light coffee tables with glass tops and voluminous indoor plants on stands are also welcome.
Design of rooms in Scandinavian style: photos of bedrooms and children's rooms
The bedroom is a place that should give maximum comfort and tranquility, where it is easy to relax and gain strength. To create special comfort, it is advisable to decorate the wall at the head of the bed with natural wood; in other places, cover it with one of the types of decorative plaster in pastel colors. The ceiling should be white - in accordance with the style. The floor is covered with parquet or laminate. A long-pile carpet or animal skin would be appropriate near the bed.
When decorating a children's bedroom, it is important to pay special attention to textiles.
A rectangular double bed can be without a headboard. Two light bedside tables of a simple shape with small lamps with frosted white glass shades will complete the main composition. To store things, it is better to equip a separate dressing room or use a built-in wardrobe, which will be practically invisible against the general background.
Scandinavian room design for children involves the use of even a small room, but the window should be large, providing the room with maximum natural light.
Helpful advice! When decorating a bedroom, it is important to pay special attention to textiles. Linen or cotton bedspreads in pastel colors are welcome here; bright decorative pillows can become a color accent in the interior. A crystal chandelier on the ceiling will help create additional coziness in the room.
The main advantage of the northern style is the possibility of gradual transformation of the interior depending on the growing up of the child. The decor of snow-white walls can be changed according to age. This also applies to textiles, lamps and furniture. A wardrobe, table and bed made of solid wood are an ideal option in a nursery setting. Bright accents will help create toys, bookshelves and posters.
A Scandinavian-style bedroom is a spacious room with a light finish and a minimal set of furniture and decor
Bright present: light in a Scandinavian interior
The Scandinavian style was formed under the influence of the climate of northern Europe, where winters are long, days are short, and the sun is a rare guest. Rare but desirable. The main task of the Scandinavian interior is to lure the sun into the apartment, ensure maximum access to natural light and its best distribution in the room.
Imagine a frosty sunny morning: the snow has been falling all night and now the pristine white glitters in the rays of the sun. Also, light surfaces in a Scandinavian interior reflect sunlight. To reflect even better, surfaces can be not only light, but also glossy.
And so that the light has somewhere to come from, the windows in Scandinavian apartments are always large. Curtains are either absent or made of translucent fabrics.
If windows are the eyes of a house, then typical Russian apartments have a squinted look. It is possible to expand the window opening, but it is difficult. It’s easier to take care of proper artificial lighting. Scandinavian interiors love complex lighting schemes that combine various spots, lamps, floor lamps and LED lighting, which can appear in any room of the apartment and illuminate everything in its path.
Style Features
The room, in a cozy snow-white design, is characterized by reliability, naturalness and simplicity, all that is so lacking in the modern world.
The main design features are:
- use of natural materials;
- light finish with predominantly white colors;
- simplicity and functionality of all elements;
- minimalism and ergonomics of each item used;
- soft comfort.
The style is perfect for calm and balanced people who prefer comfort that is invisible at first glance to bright flashiness.
All natural: Scandinavian style materials
Scandinavian interior is like a girl who uses cosmetics very sparingly and can boast of natural beauty. The northern style is far from pretentious and palatial; its main means of expression are the textures of natural materials. First of all, it is wood. How much Scandinavians love wood! In Scandinavian houses and apartments, it takes on a variety of furniture forms, covers the floor, decorates the walls, and even makes its way onto the ceiling in the form of stylish wooden beams. Minimal processing is encouraged.
In addition to wood, the Scandinavian space contains natural textiles, ceramics, metal, glass, fur, leather, plaster and paper wallpaper. By the way, you will also need a bare brick wall, but it must be white.
Plastic can also make its way into Scandinavian spaces, for example in the form of trendy chairs made from clear acrylic. You can prefer budget laminate to expensive parquet, and their artificial counterparts to natural fur and leather.
Scandinavian style in the interior of the apartment
We have already discussed the main features of Nordic design. What is the best way to implement them in each room of the apartment?
Hallway
For the hallway it is best to choose a dark finish, it is more practical. There should be little furniture, leave only the essentials: a hanger, coat hooks, a shoe cabinet, a mirror, a key holder. A built-in wardrobe with folding doors will look good in the hallway.
Kitchen
The kitchen, like other rooms, is simple and functional. For finishing, it is better to take stone, tile, laminate or decorative plaster for the dining area. Try to keep all kitchen furniture and decoration in 1-2 tones.
Choose a dining table and chairs made of natural wood, with thin legs and without decorative elements.
Bathroom
The bathroom in a Scandinavian home is a place that embodies the freshness and purity of northern nature. Therefore, for decoration it is worth taking light, cool colors - white, ice blue, blue, gray. Make the walls lighter than the floor, and use a large frameless mirror and a geometric print shower curtain for decoration. Designer ones will look beautiful
Bedroom
Everything in the bedroom should set you at ease and help you unwind after a long day. The colors in the design are only calm, without sharp accents. Choose a simple rectangular bed with a low headboard. As decoration, lay a fluffy wool blanket on it and place a beautiful clock or a couple of figurines on the bedside table.
Living room
The living room should be the most comfortable place in the house. It would be ideal to install a fireplace or at least put a few candlesticks with candles - Scandinavians generally love live fire.
Place open bookshelves, generously decorate the sofa with textiles and lay a soft carpet in pastel shades on the floor. Don't forget about decoration - nice little things like laconic photo frames or decorative pillows on the floor. All this will help create a friendly atmosphere in which you will want to be constantly.
In the Lavender Decor online store you can purchase decorations, dishes and home textiles in the Scandinavian style. Here you will find more than a hundred items at prices starting from 80 rubles. The decor will fit perfectly into Scandinavian design and will give you a feeling of warmth and homeliness. Delivery throughout Russia is available, and in Moscow and other large cities the courier will deliver the order to your door.
Go to the SCANDINAVIAN DECOR section
Simple geometry: Scandinavian furniture
No bulky granny-style cabinets, no baroque curls or complex futuristic shapes. Scandinavian-style furniture is simple and charming, like open Scandinavian faces. Sometimes with a retro accent.
It is extremely functional and ergonomic. These are laconic transformable sofas, stylish open shelving, minimalist coffee tables, modular designs with shelves and drawers. The shapes are simple, the dimensions are moderate.
The ensemble will be complemented by wicker furniture and rattan accessories. Eco-friendly wicker harmoniously combines with an abundance of wood and white plaster, adding ease to the interior and not cluttering up the space.
It's alive: plants in a Scandinavian interior
The northerners' longing for summer expressed itself in an abundance of ornamental plants. Scandinavian style in the interior of an apartment loves living and green things. Often it is with the help of indoor plants that color is introduced into the northern interior.
Flower pots are lined up on the floor and occupy window sills in the old-fashioned way, flowerpots hang from the ceiling and walls, vases with “greenery” take up space on dining tables and coffee tables. A worthy company for ornamental plants are their “portraits” - posters and prints on floral themes.
No time to take care of the botanical garden? Limit yourself to a brood of unassuming cacti.
Prerequisites and features of occurrence
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: in long winters one had to spend a long time in houses, which also had to be built quickly in a short summer. For many years, wooden furniture and products of simple crafts have been the main decorations of the interior of Scandinavian homes. But times are changing, and now the luxury and aesthetics of European styles have come to the north, 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 Gustavian is a restrained interpretation of French neoclassicism.
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: soft shades of yellow, cream, pale blue, green, gray tones and, of course, a lot of white, which best reflects the light from candles.
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 clocks, gilded accessories are important in the Gustavian interior: 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 glass looks with many candlesticks above simple tables and chairs.
Bauhaus and Scandinavian interior design
The modern Scandinavian style in the interior was also influenced by the ideas of the Bauhaus, an artistic association based on the German higher building school 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.
Expressive arsenal: Scandinavian accessories
In addition to decorative plants, ceramic and porcelain dishes, including grandmother’s old set, will take root in a Scandinavian apartment. Instead of hiding kitchen utensils in closed cabinets, they can be effectively placed on open shelves.
By the way, mirrors, fur accessories, candles and designer lamps, simple geometric prints and national patterns with deer and snowflakes will come in handy. Paintings and posters can be dedicated to plant, animal and marine themes. The interior will be warmed by cozy textiles: coarse mats, patchwork runners, shaggy long-pile carpets, assorted decorative pillows and blankets.
Last life hack: one of the Scandinavian style techniques is to place decorative elements directly on the floor, ridding the walls of shelves. This allows you to visually stretch the room, increasing the height of the ceiling.
Office in Scandinavian interior design
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 interesting 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.
A sober look: functionality and ergonomics
There is nothing superfluous in the Scandinavian interior; it is rational, minimalist and adapted to the lifestyle of its inhabitants.
A well-organized space makes the most of the footage without wasting square meters. Storage systems do not take up much space and are often hidden in other furniture forms. Modular furniture allows you to assemble a configuration that meets your ideas of convenience.
If “partitions” appear in a Scandinavian interior, they will be functional. This could be an open shelving unit or a bar counter that divides the space into a kitchen and living room area.
Most of the decorative elements in the Scandinavian space also have a functional purpose. You can wrap yourself in a blanket, lie down on a pillow, or put flowers in a vase.
Do it for me in Scandinavian style
Russians’ love for the Scandinavian style in the interior is quite understandable - it offers affordable solutions, allows you to properly organize space and visually increase the square footage. In addition, a neutral Scandinavian interior can be an excellent basis for embodying individual ideas about beauty.
Today, designers receive many orders for Scandinavian-style interiors, and not a single new project is similar to the previous one. In fact, any interior style is a set of conceptual decorative techniques; some of the set can be removed, something can be added, only carefully and thoughtfully, like seasonings in a dish. When an experienced designer gets down to business, adapting the interior to the customer’s personality always turns out “tasty” and harmonious.
Minimalism
However, the 18th century was, of course, still very, very far from minimalism. It originated, as we all know, at the beginning of the twentieth century somewhat south of the Scandinavian countries. Its founders were such celebrities as the Swiss Frenchman Le Corbusier and the German modernist architects Ludwig Mies van der Rohe and the founder of the famous Bauhaus school - Walter Adolf Georg Gropius. The latter’s life credo was: “Each item must fully meet its purpose, that is, fulfill its practical functions, be convenient, cheap and beautiful.” The lush and patterned Art Nouveau style was replaced by their modernism - clear, clear, transparent and functional.
Left: Le Corbusier's famous furniture in an interior designed by him, right: Mies van der Rohe chair.
These trends have also spread to Scandinavia. Finnish architect Alvar Aalto wrote around the same time: “The task of the architect is to make life more convenient.” “You can and should soar, but at the same time still have at least one foot or big toe on the ground.” He saw the goal of his creativity as “the creation of simple, good-quality, unadorned things that would be in harmony with man and organically serve him.” By the way, the Ikea Frost stool, with which we carried out painting experiments, is the heir of Alvar Aalto’s three-legged stool. The Finnish designer and architect generally very actively exploited the opportunity to bend plywood.
Reconstruction of the interior of a small apartment that was presented by Alvar Aalto at the 1939 Housing Fair.
However, the specificity of the Scandinavian style is not limited to just a tendency towards minimalism. Its originality is due to its geographical location and even some socio-political phenomena that took place in these countries. This is what we propose to talk about in order to get to the bottom of the truth and roots of the most popular style.
