How to furnish a Scandinavian style house

Scandinavian furniture is not just a style. It is a philosophy of life.

Brightness, simplicity, lightness, warmth… These are the pleasant feelings that a house furnished in Scandinavian style gives us. What could be better than feeling like this in your own home?

Let's learn how to furnish your home with Scandinavian design.

What are the characteristics of Scandinavian furniture?

Scandinavian furniture is easily distinguished by some very distinctive features: the prevalence of white, clean and minimal lines, simple and very functional design.

Scandinavian style homes have no color tones other than black, contrasting with natural and earthy tones such as white, beige and green.

White dominates almost unchallenged: on the walls, on the furniture, on the floor. In this way, the environment becomes as bright as possible in an area where natural light is almost completely lacking for most of the year.

It is a way for Scandinavian countries to protect themselves from the harsh weather conditions inside their homes. Their homes are very warm and welcoming thanks to the use of certain materials such as wood, rough stone, wool, linen, leather.

The philosophy behind Scandinavian design is that functionality is more important than shape and aesthetics, so furniture elements are minimal, basic and without frills.

Scandinavian countries also place great importance on natural materials. This has to do with their strong connection to nature and the pleasure they get from spending time outdoors despite the harsh climate.

For this reason, wood is always found in houses in northern countries and always has a natural appearance.

Scandinavians also pay close attention to ecology: They attach great importance to recycling and the use of materials that are not harmful to the environment, and this also applies to furniture, where they prefer materials and furniture produced in a green way.

7 rules for decorating your home in Scandinavian style

If the above are the characteristics of the Scandinavian style, how can we translate them into the furnishing of our home?

Easy to say!

We follow these basic rules and the game – or rather the Scandinavian decor – is over.

Rule 1: Prevalence of white

Scandinavian style homes are furnished with very few colours, all light and natural, with the absolute dominance of white.

White is everywhere: walls, fixtures, furniture, fabrics, and even the floor.

Rule n° 2: Minimal style

Scandinavian style furniture is all about simplicity. Choose furniture accessories with clean shapes and basic lines. Avoid frills and ruffles altogether. Opt for soft colors and a few strict geometric patterns.

Give breath to objects, the Scandinavian style does not like accumulation. Carefully select several decorative design objects and place them so that there is a certain space between one and the other.

Rule 3: Adaptation

The minimal print of the Scandinavian style can deceive the most naive eye, making it look aesthetically successful, almost naturally, with very little effort. In reality, it is quite the opposite. The Scandinavian style is studied to perfection, down to the smallest detail.

Carefully select individual elements, from furniture to accessories, and combine them perfectly in colors, textures and style. Each element should contribute to the overall harmony of the room.

Rule 4: Love of wood

Scandinavian style homes love wood, it is definitely natural. Choose tables, cabinets, chairs, even wooden beds and you won’t go wrong.

Choose woods typical of Northern Europe: Oak, Walnut, Larch, White Ash and Birch.

Rule 5: Heat

The feeling of warmth that is specific to Scandinavian style homes comes not only from the wood but also from the textiles used. In every area dedicated to rest, such as beds, sofas, chairs, we find a warm blanket made of fur, wool, cotton and felt.

In this way, we feel more protected from the cold outside, within the walls of our home.

Rule 6: Functionality reigns

Remember that every piece of furniture should be functional first of all. In the minimal style there is no place for purely decorative elements.

In Scandinavian style, aesthetics do not exist as an end in itself, there is no piece of furniture or piece of furniture that is beautiful first and then functional. Everything has to serve a purpose and do it in the best possible way.

Rule 7: Contrast of black

The Scandinavian style loves linear and geometric shapes, which are also reduced in color contrasts. Therefore, the best counterpart to white is black, which is placed in Scandinavian furniture to contrast with white.

But be careful not to overdo it: black should be used only in small doses, the brightness of white should be the main one. Use it for some pieces of furniture, such as bedside tables, stools, vases, paintings.

Scandinavian design in various rooms of the house: how to furnish room by room

Are you wondering how to put the rules listed above into practice? Let's see some concrete suggestions for furnishing the various rooms of the house.

Entrance

Let's start from the entrance. You definitely can't do without a coat hanger, made of light wood and with minimal lines.

The same goes for the console table, which is not missing in the entrance of any home.

The idea that makes the difference is to place a rustic-style hardwood bench at the entrance. It will be useful for you to take off your shoes and place all kinds of bags and handbags.

Sitting room

The Scandinavian living room is equipped with parquet flooring, preferably white.

Choose a wooden table with modern chairs.

The sofa in a soft shade, such as light gray or beige, should be upholstered in cotton or other natural fibers. Next to the sofa, a small table of light and minimal shape and an armchair covered with white fur. On the floor you can place a beautiful carpet with a geometric pattern.

Kitchen

The Scandinavian furnished kitchen is light wood or completely white, to be combined with a table and chairs in the same color. Accessories such as appliances and dishes should also be chosen in earthy colors such as terracotta and green.

Bedroom

There's nothing cozier than the embrace of a super-warm bed with a faux fur bedspread. The pampering continues even when we get out of bed and place our feet on a super-soft rug.

Also for a Scandinavian bedroom it is good to choose light colors with white dominating. It is a good idea to go for a pastel color like pink and baby blue.

There is no doubt that Scandinavian design has many positive aspects and is not subject to fashion due to the essence of the forms. Have we convinced you to furnish your home in Scandinavian style? Let us know what you think in the comments.

How to furnish a Scandinavian style house
The topic was first published on mobeltrend.com.