Scandinavian Style Decorating: 11 Ways to Achieve the Look
For warm, inviting interiors.
Transform your home aesthetic into a warm, comforting space with Scandinavian style decorating. This design aesthetic fuses natural elements with comforting textures and minimalistic design techniques to create a space for relaxation and mindful living. Keep reading to learn more about the origins of Scandinavian-inspired interiors and all the ways you can adopt Scandinavian interior design principles in your home.
What Is Scandinavian Style Decorating?
Scandinavian style decorating is a part of the Scandinavian (also called Scandi) interior design movement that parallels modern design. It takes influences from the modern era, particularly the mid-century modern style that arose in the 1950s, paired with nordic design principles (think: simple, well-made, and functional) and the Danish concept of hygge (cozy = happy). The goal of Scandi interior design is to evoke a sense of comfort, warmth, and relaxation through clean-lined furnishings, functional pieces, warm textures, and minimal decor.
Want to learn more? Check out our guide What Is Scandinavian Design? for more information.
Scandinavian Style Decorating Tips + Ideas
Use these Scandinavian interior design ideas to get inspired on ways to adopt Scandi living through small updates or aesthetic transformations.
1. Introduce Earthy Colors
Be inspired by Scandi interiors by filling your home with earthy neutrals that you'd find outdoors. Complement blond wood paneling with white bedding to resemble fresh fallen snow. Opt for gray and black upholstery to mimic smooth stone, brown leather similar to sand or wood, and earthy greens in shades of sage or olive for a likeness to towering evergreens and forest foliage. Ease the balance of neutrals with colors like taupe, as it has undertones of both gray and brown.
Blue is another color commonly found in Scandi interiors, because it resembles water and reminds one of blue skies cast over winter landscapes. It is also seen as a symbol of hope for warmer, sun-filled days ahead.
Infuse natural materials into your home for a look that’s all Scandi. Scandinavian interiors gravitate toward comforting textures like wool, boucle, fur, and animal hides or leather to bring comfort to otherwise minimal spaces. Opt for wood furnishings with blond or caramel notes to add warmth to the room and balance it out with a concrete end table that brings an earthy coolness to the space. Bring in a few houseplants for the earthy texture of leaves or cut a few sprigs of fresh evergreens to cascade out of a glass table vase. Add softness to cement floors with a cowhide area rug.
Elevate your living space with Scandinavian style decorating which focuses on high contrast color schemes. There’s something about sleek black paired with light wood (or white and cream) that just makes sense, and it’s a staple design element in Scandinavian interiors. Add depth to warm wood tones in your dining room with sleek black dining chairs with wishbone curves for an added hint of Scandi.
For a simple yet impactful contrast, choose dinnerware in matte black finishes like the tea kettle and teacup set pictured above and hang artwork in black frames to rest against light wood paneling. This helps create visual dimension and the clear distinction between light and dark makes for a clean, refreshing atmosphere. Get more helpful tips for transforming your dining room into a Scandi-inspired space by reading our guide 5 Steps to a Scandinavian Dining Room.
Pro Tip:
Search for tea kettles using the search bar located in the top left of the homepage.
4. Center the Living Room
Rethink your living room design with this Scandi-inspired idea. Scandinavian interior design in living rooms focuses on a central point; typically the fireplace. Replicate this idea by repositioning your furniture. Lay out a large area rug as a base. Angle your sofa so that it sits adjacent to your fireplace with either two or all four legs resting on the area rug.
Bring in a couple of accent chairs made of handcrafted mahogany and woven leather to incorporate Scandi principles of craftsmanship and quality. Complete the fireside conversation pit with a carved wood coffee table.
Adopt Scandinavian minimalist interior design with a clutter-free kitchen refresh. Add black metallic pendant lights above your kitchen island and a sleek black faucet for high contrast in your Scandinavian kitchen design. Clear off your kitchen island and countertops to create open space. Slowly reintroduce your must-haves to create a well-balanced, clutter-free atmosphere. Place a decorative bowl made of carved wood in the center of your kitchen island to store fruits and blend in with wood paneled walls.
Prep for a good night's rest with some help from Nordic interior design. Nordic countries undergo long, cold winters, with very little light, so it’s no wonder why Scandinavian living places an emphasis on a well-made bed. Emulate this idea by bringing in warm cotton sheets, quality pillows, and a thick comforter for extra warmth on cool nights. Make your bed look as comfortable as it feels with one or two throw blankets draped overtop (think: chunky wool throws, woven knits, and faux furs) paired with as many throw pillows as you deem necessary.
Scandinavian decorating includes minimal wall art for a refreshing, clutter-free vibe. Elevate your Scandi interiors with a large scale nature print or abstract landscape to carry the nature theme a step further while keeping things minimal. Or opt for monochrome artwork – another art style commonly found in Scandi interiors. Choose white, black, or light-toned wood frames to keep things simple.
Remove heavy shades or drapes and let the light in. Scandinavian design characteristics place an emphasis on large open windows to draw in natural light during long, cold winter months. Replace curtains with sheer options or opt out all together. Pair blond wood floors or walls with white furnishings and decor to open up the space and make it appear brighter. Hang a wall mirror near the window to reflect more light into your home.
Scandinavian style decorating takes after interior design principles from Nordic countries, where short days and long nights are a reality for the majority of the year. Choose light fixtures with frosted glass shades (like the wall sconce above) to cast a warm yellow glow throughout your room, even after the sun goes down.
Juxtapose clean lines with comforting forms and textures to bring comfort to otherwise minimalist spaces. Furnishings in curved forms like the chairs pictured above help ease the sharp angles of the desk and bookcase while the boucle material adds texture to cozy the room up. Make your space even more soothing with Scandinavian decor like white table vases in curved silhouettes. These decorative items mirror the curved shapes of the chairs while also softening the edges of bookcase shelves. Use one to display a sprig of winter greenery for fresh vibes and earthy comforts to encapsulate the space.
The great thing about modern Scandinavian design is that it takes influence from so many aesthetics, making it easy to blend and incorporate into your own. Refine a Scandi-inspired home with sleek industrial metals. Mix bohemian elements with Scandi design to offer a more relaxed, free interpretation of the style. With heavy influence from minimalism and the mid-century modern movement, Scandi works especially well in minimalist spaces. Transform your minimalist apartment into a Scandi style home with a few textured throws, decor upgrades, and mid-century modern furnishings.
Pro Tip:
Click the style tab on the left hand side of product pages to filter furniture and decor for specific results for mid-century modern, Scandinavian, bohemian, industrial, and minimalistic designs.
Ready to go Scandi?
