Scandinavian Interior Design: How The Happiest People on Earth Decorate

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According to the 2019 World Happiness Report, Scandinavian countries Denmark, Sweden and Norway are among the top ten happiest countries in the world.

Is it a coincidence that basically the whole world also is obsessed with their interiors? It is an interesting nugget to ponder!

Watch the video instead!

My first love affair with Scandinavian interior design was through the discovery of IKEA – but don’t worry, this isn’t going to be an article about IKEA!

Funnily enough, at the time, I didn’t even know where Scandinavia was, let alone which countries were a part of it!

(Hint – they are Sweden, Norway and Denmark. Finland and Iceland are generally included, too. All 5 countries together are the Nordic Countries.)

Even if you had offered me money, I STILL probably couldn’t have found Sweden on a map (yet today I am married to a Swede 😂).

All I knew was that the IKEA showrooms felt magical, and I wanted to buy everything because it was so beautiful and so cheap!

Whatever they were doing over at IKEA? It was working.

The Swedish furniture giant brought the world of Scandinavian interior design to the masses, and more importantly, its philosophy.

Little did sixteen year old me know that beautiful yet affordable decor was a deeply ingrained Scandinavian interior design principle, and it had been for a very long time!

Without delving too deep into it, suffice to say that the Scandinavians have a very socially inclusive culture.

In the Scandinavian decor and design world, this means that everyone should be able to afford beautiful, functional items in their home.

What Is Scandinavian Interior Design?

If you want to know how to achieve the Scandinavian look in your own home, this article is going to lay everything out for you. Get comfy! 😊

Let’s take a look at what Scandinavian interior design is.

• WARMTH
• SIMPLICITY
• INSPIRATION FROM NATURE

Scandinavian interior design is generally associated with its bright, clean, minimalistic, yet cozy look.

Pick up any IKEA catalogue and you’ll instantly see what I mean.

White walls and wood floors, clean rooms flooded with sunlight that are free of clutter, and large unobstructed windows, are all core elements that make up the typical (and ideal) Scandinavian interior. And we mustn’t forget that all-important impossible-to-put-your-finger-on-but-always-there element of coziness!

While you might not have huge windows, high ceilings and expensive hardwood floors, there are many other ways you can introduce a Scandinavian touch into your own home. We will look at all of them in this post!

Warmth

Having a warm and cheerful home has been a vital part of Scandinavian’s lives for hundreds of years.

The home provided safe haven from an extremely hostile climate for 9 months of the year – it’s easy to forget that central heating hasn’t been around forever!

Fireplaces and woodburning stoves are extremely popular and are a fantastic way to add coziness and warmth to a Scandinavian style space.

When I refer to warmth in Scandinavian homes, it’s not just warmth in temperature, but also “psychological” warmth (aka wellbeing).

We can also achieve warmth by using the correct lighting. For starters, don’t use cold, neon lightbulbs – more on that here!

Lighting candles, wearing cozy woolen socks, placing out rugs and having lots of extra pillows and blankets on hand are all other things you can do to increase the warmth of a space.

Simplicity

Nordic design roots come from the need to design items that performed the required tasks with the limited raw resources that were available.

Historically, many Scandinavians lived in isolated, rural communities. During the long winters, often it wasn’t possible to travel far from one’s tiny village. They learned to make do with what they had.

This is one of the reasons why today, we can recognize and appreciate Scandinavian design for its simplicity.

Inspiration from nature

Scandi style most definitely draws inspiration from nature and natural materials.

Scandinavian designers have been long inspired by their beautiful surroundings, and have always preferred to use materials that were readily available to them.

Mixing Old And New

Scandinavians don’t typically add objects to their homes as status symbols.

Regardless of the price or the way the item was made, any product that enters the Scandinavian home is meant to provide emotional comfort and enrich one’s life.

Because Scandinavians tend to acquire objects based on pleasure rather than on status, it is not unusual for Scandinavian interiors to contain a mix of old and new items.

In addition, vintage items are often nostalgic; the result of mixing new + old are interiors that are cozy and understated, infused with what the Danes call “hygge” (more on that below).

The most used vintage pieces you will find in Scandinavian interiors are going to be mid-century modern. Mid-century chairs are a big favorite in Scandinavian decor, which is not surprising considering how many talented Scandinavian furniture designers there were in the middle of the 20th century!

Hygge Explained

I have already touched briefly on Hygge in another post about Scandinavian Christmas DIYs (including a phenomenal sample clip of Jaime Lannister pronouncing the word “hygge” correctly in danish – yeah, you should see that!).

Hygge is one of those Scandinavian interior design characteristics that you can feel when it’s there but you also know immediately when it’s not.

Essentially, Hygge is the Danish philosophy of comfort, togetherness and wellbeing. And there is no better place to experience this than in your own home!

In fact, home is certainly the hygge headquarters (according to this book, 71% of Danes say they experience the most hygge at home), but you don’t have to be at home to feel hygge. Just to give a few examples: it can also be felt in a hotel, in a restaurant, in a coffee shop or in a book store. It all depends on the atmosphere.

It’s important to mention that Hygge is a big part of getting the feeling right in Scandinavian interior design. It’s definitely a topic that deserves a post of its own. I am going to write all about Hygge in the home very soon. In the meantime, if you’re fascinated by this topic, then I highly, highly recommend reading this book!

BOOK RECOMMENDATION!

The quickest way to achieve hygge at home?

• stack and push any clutter aside, you can always deal with it later!
• turn off the overhead lights and light some candles
• play some soft music or have your favorite movie running on the TV in the background
• bake some cookies or light a scented candle/incense
• fluff your pillows
• prepare a hot drink (tea, mulled wine, coffee)

Natural Light

In Scandinavia, they truly go from one extreme to another on the sunlight spectrum: they live with a huge abundance of light in the summer, to having only a few hours of sunlight in the winter.

So naturally, house designs try to maximize the amount of sunlight that enters the home.

Large windows are absolutely essential in order to let in as much light as possible during the winter months. Bright white walls help reflect the light even more.

The windows may be large, but they are also usually triple glazed, so the frigid cold is kept under control at all times.

Skylights are frequently used, these are especially useful in the winter.

Scandinavians love their drapes, but they’re careful to hang their curtains correctly so that they don’t block out any precious sunlight during the daytime!

Color Palette

The most popular color palette in Scandinavian interiors is primarily black and white with neutral accents.

99% of the time, the walls are bright white.

White is an elegant backdrop, but it’s also practical because it reflects natural light.

White is also the perfect canvas to blend in the other natural materials that are so often found in nordic homes, like woods, leathers and stone.

The colors you will most often see in Scandinavian homes are:

• white
• black
• gray
• off white
• pale wood tones
• soft pinks
• sage green
• taupes
• tan
• mustard
• hunter green
• navy blue
• metallic accents

White and gray are among the favorite colors for Scandinavian kitchen cabinets. Contrasting square tile backsplashes are popular.

Bathrooms are usually just tiled with square tiles, and, unless you are looking at very high-end properties, generally feel quite utilitarian.

Artwork

Artwork tends to be fairly subdued in Scandinavian interior design. This also allows them to go fairly large scale with the artwork to make an impact that doesn’t become overwhelming.

The wall art normally consists of abstract paintings with restrained palettes, drawings, moody landscape photography and black and white photography. Classical oil portraits and muted textural paintings are sometimes seen as well.

If you want to use bright artwork in a Scandinavian setting, consider framing and hanging a series of colorful graphic prints. This is a clever way of injecting color; you still get color, but it’s presented in a clean and orderly way.

Wall art is almost always framed with clean, simple frames, usually in either black, white or blonde wood. The frames themselves are usually on the thinner side.

Ornate antique gold frames are used from time to time, but they are used sparingly. Heavier frames are usually paired against very clean, minimal backdrops.

Sculptural art is also usually more on the minimalist side and is always very carefully placed within the space. A well-decorated Scandinavian home will not have many (if any) knick-knacks lying around.

Ceramics and glass vessels are always favorite decor pieces in Scandinavian interiors. Not only are they beautiful, but they are also functional.

Light and Airy

There are a few factors that contribute to the feeling of airiness in Scandinavian interior design.

• Furniture is often elevated off the ground in Scandinavian homes – this enhances the circulation of light through the room
• Scandinavian furniture often features lightweight frames and designs
• There is lots of breathing space in between furniture
• The walls are almost always white, which reflects the light around a space
• Use of paper lampshades helps add to the sensation of airiness

Textiles

One of the primary ways Scandinavians introduce warmth and texture into their spaces is through the use of textiles. Textiles instantly soften any hard edges or materials that may have been used in the room.

Natural fabrics are always preferred. Wool, cotton and linen are all go-to fabrics in the Scandinavian home. Shiny silks and satins are not used very often. Velvet is incorporated often.

Scandinavians don’t shy away from using animal hides in their decor.

Sheepskins and animal pelts abound, whether they are thrown over the back of chair or laid out beside a bed as a soft place for feet on a cold morning.

For a really fabulous Scandinavian bedding arrangement, the Scandis look to show-stopping velvet bedspreads and duvet covers, as well as creased linen.

Check out all my favorite places to buy AMAZING linen bedding here!!

And check out my 5 favorite velvet quilts here!

Scandinavian bed textiles are always so simple yet so very inviting! 😴

Textiles are not only used on the furniture: items like quilts and woven wall hangings can also be found hanging on walls as art.

Curtains typically tend to be solid neutral colors and are hung ceiling to floor.

Floors

Hardwood is hands down the number one flooring choice in Scandinavian homes.

Pale hardwood floors are extremely popular – mainly because light-colored floors can help make a room feel brighter and more spacious (especially when you pair them with white walls!).

Sometimes the floor planks are left raw, sometimes they’re painted white. Sometimes a combination of both methods are used, like in the photo below!

Herringbone parquet is a favorite and seen all the time in older Nordic apartment buildings.

More often than not, the same flooring is continued throughout the whole home. This creates a beautifully cohesive look. The exception is the bathroom, which typically hosts tile and occasionally vinyl, which is cheaper.

Carpet is never, ever used. This doesn’t mean that you can’t decorate Scandinavian style if you have carpet, of course you can! However, carpet is not a decor element that is used in Scandinavia.

Rather than carpet, the scandis prefer to use cozy area rugs, often in neutral colors.

Laminate is used when hardwood is not possible.

Underfloor heating is very popular and widely used.

Decluttered Space

There are many valid reasons that justify having a clean and decluttered space.

But in Scandinavian interiors, the most important aspect of having a clutter-free space is that more light will be able to flow freely through your rooms.

Whereas too much stuff in a room will block and swallow up the light.

Another small detail to pay attention to in Scandinavian interiors is the lack of cables. They are very careful about hiding ALL of their unsightly wires and cables.

This small but vital detail adds to the overall sense of tidiness.

If you’re having a hard time with clutter in your home, take a look at this list of things you likely have in your home but don’t need.

The Use Of Wood

To say wood is used frequently in Scandinavian interiors would be an understatement!

Take one look at all those gorgeous nordic forests and it becomes apparent why wood is among one of Scandinavia’s favorite materials.

The preferred Scandinavian look for wood is light-toned wood, usually birch, spruce or pine. Wood painted white is also popular.

Below, you can see an example where pale wood, darker-toned wood *and* wood painted a creamy white were all used in the same room. (And it looks wonderful)

Solid wood is preferred, but if for whatever reason you’re unable to obtain a piece in solid wood, wood effect MDF will do in a pinch. (IKEA has a plethora of wood effect items made out of fiberboard.)

Plants

Scandis love nature. They will bring nature indoors however they can.

And while they absolutely do always add plants and fresh flowers to their homes, they never overdo it.

If you want to go full-on indoor jungle then go for it – I, for one, don’t blame you! – but this is not a look that Scandinavians go for.

Up to three or four plants per room is usually enough – remember, there is always a balance! (too many plants = clutter)

Pampas grass is a decor favorite – it is often seen displayed in sleek modern vessels or delicate, airy glass vases.

Architectural Details

Those that are lucky enough to live in central areas of the major cities like Stockholm and Copenhagen, often live in historic buildings. They’re usually at least a couple of hundred years old.

These buildings are amazing!

They all feature high ceilings, huge windows with old fashioned radiators underneath, and stunning, often very ornate architectural details.

Elaborate moldings, paneling, and traditional Scandinavian stoves are features that are seen all the time in older buildings.

The pairing of intricate architectural details with all-white backdrops, modern furniture and cozy textiles, creates an incredibly striking contrast.

When ornate moldings are present, they are *always* painted white. The wall and ceiling color is usually painted an ever so slightly darker shade of white.

How Can You Add The Scandinavian Vibe To Your Home?

It’s easy to see why so many people have fallen in love with the look of Scandinavian interior design. It’s got a whole lot to admire!

The pared-back simplicity of Scandinavian design creates a sense of relaxation and well being, while still appearing to be on the cutting edge of design, without being sterile.

After reading all the different parts of this post, hopefully you will be able to start forming your own idea of how you can “scandify” your personal space 🙂

But … if you still feel lost, then start by trying to bring light and warmth into your space. This is a priority for Scandinavians when they decorate, so it can be a good starting point for you, too.

Here are a few basic tips to get started. Even if you are attempting Scandinavian decor on a budget, you can still apply these tips:

• Paint your walls white. This is the first step to a Scandi look. If your walls are not white, then, to quote my Swedish husband, “you are fighting against the wind” 🙂
• Declutter, strip back everything and be very selective about what you reintroduce
• Remove any highly saturated, bright colors. You can keep a few splashes, but start by removing them all and reintroduce them one by one. Use restraint with color!
• Use your own photos to create your own unique black and white photo gallery wall
• See if there are any spots where you can layer in an extra throw blanket, pillows or fur pelts
• Assess your curtains, could they be improved?
• Assess your lighting, is it cozy? Introduce candles!

Now go forth and Scandify your house, my friend!

UP NEXT:

→ HOW TO MAKE YOUR HOME COZY

→ 10 ICONIC SCANDINAVIAN CHAIRS (& WHERE TO BUY AFFORDABLE REPLICAS)