Among my favorite Styles I can’t forget the Scandinavian Style, or Scandi Style which is a real Lifestyle and part of the Scandinavian culture even before becoming a great trend of Style, primarily just in Northern Europe, right now also in our environments.
Soft and bright, it offers the right combination of functionality and aesthetics, but always precious and cozy.
In our imagination we all want a refined and comfortable home, and Scandinavian design is an increasingly popular trend in interior design thanks to its ability to create the desired atmosphere with extreme simplicity and naturalness, while remaining very chic.
I want to give you some more details on the origins of this Style.
Scandinavian Design was born in the 1920’s in Denmark, Iceland, Finland, Norway, Sweden, Countries that share their roots, culture and economy, but affirm their individuality in the development of interior, thanks to the peculiarities of each nation and their deep connection with nature.
There is a strong balance between man and nature, in fact Scandinavian furniture has been designed according to many values related to ethics and morality.
It also finds its origin in relation to the importance of the family home, which for them is also a refuge from the hostile climate and a place where each member can develop his skills and potential for a great inspiration and for this reason he has a design based on the functionality and practicality of every piece of furniture and detail without ever neglecting beauty.
Let’s see now the 10 Must of this design, essential to furnish our houses and our interior in perfect Scandinavian Style.
SCANDINAVIAN PHILOSOPHY:
The Scandinavian is a real philosophy of life.
The sober and bright furniture offers the right combination of functionality and aesthetics while remaining welcoming and refined as a basic element of the culture of this nation.
It is first and foremost a lifestyle, it is to feel things before welcoming them into our home.
I really like this authentic simplicity that comes from physical and mental contact with nature, it’s all connected and as you know, I’m very much in synergy with natural elements and with the energy they release.
The design object is an open work, ready to adapt to the needs of the individual, not the other way around.
2) FANTASY:
Go ahead to the imagination!
The Scandinavian style loves to associate different elements, so it will be easy to find around a dining table chairs different from one another or paintings and prints of different styles on the same wall.
You can inspire Normann Copenhagen for furnishing accessories, it will give you different ideas that you can make yours.
Fantasy yes..but integrated in style, nothing is left to chance.
Despite the various types of materials, prints with contrasting styles and furnishings of different kinds mixed together, the Scandinavian design is made of order and harmony, therefore never superficial or not careful in the choices, always evaluated well before the various combinations.
Always remember..less is more than creating a redundant environment and general confusion.
In this way you guarantee a personalized, essential and impressive result.
3) LUMINOUS COLORS:
When we think of the Nordic countries, the feeling is one: cold!
The Scandinavians have developed a way of combating it, the light that penetrates the walls of the house, for example, is the first rule, along with the continuous search for brightness in countries characterized by very harsh winters and a few hours of light during the day.
Hence the need to create the brightest environments possible by increasing the brightness of the rooms, painting the walls predominantly white that is the color that better reflects the light or at least prefer light and neutral shades for furniture and fixtures, while avoiding heavy curtains from dark colors.
I suggest you choose a palette and follow it meticulously, on a chromatic basis such as green, pink, turquoise, so as to create a personalized style with attention to detail.
In any case, the green light in all the nuances and environments, from the bathroom tiles to those of the kitchen and the walls, instead of the wood is preferred wood.
Be careful not to abuse it: it is a contrast to be dosed for small adjustments and to bring out even more the brightness of the whole, so use it on chairs, on a vase, for the frames of photos and paintings.
4) DESIGNER and STYLE ICONS:
To quote some style icons, we go from the Danish Arne Jacobsen to Hans Wegner, Verner Panton, to the Finnish Alvar Aalto, emblem of this style, who has interpreted this philosophy of life as a continuous tension towards equilibrium.
He more than anyone felt the need for harmony between man and nature, to counter the imbalance towards standardization and technology, considering the primary needs of the individual to rebalance those of mass society.
He conceived the concept of “human scale”, ie the correct dimension in everything we do by seeing the design object as an open work that adapts to the needs of the individual for timeless art.
I want to share with you some of his thoughts that contain a simple authority:
“It is an old dream that man can be the master of machines and not their slave … great ideas are made of small details of life, they arise from the earth. The senses transmit to us the raw material from which our thoughts are born “.
Words spoken more than half a century ago, but still represent the spirit that underlies the thought in terms of design, intended in all areas.
5) DESIGN PIECES:
The Scandinavian design brings together different and typical styles of furniture from the countries of Northern Europe, from Swedish Minimalism to Danish Romanticism to the contrasts of black and white typical of the Finnish style with simple, stylized lines, which aim at pure functionality.
There are no frills, nor parts of furniture without practical function.
This does not mean, however, that you do not care about design … anything but. The lines are carefully designed to never leave out the beauty because … Scandinavia is home to some of the greatest designers in history, so never forget the attention to design!
The tribute to the great Masters is a must.
It is not necessary to furnish the whole house with design pieces. A single element is enough … the chairs, a lamp or a vase carefully chosen to make the difference.
Some examples from which to take inspiration? The unforgettable ‘Savoy’ vase by Alvar Aalto, the scenic ‘Egg Chair’ designed by Arne Jacobsen or the timeless ‘Madamoiselle Lounge Chair’ by Limari Tapiovaara.
A tip of Style instead is to combine vintage chairs with design chairs, alternating them around the kitchen table.
Another typical feature is the presence of a living nature inside the rooms. So yes to potted plants and flowers.
6) MATERIALS:
Clear and natural, it creates a warm and welcoming atmosphere, wood has always been the most common and recognizable element in Nordic homes and a prevalent and versatile material, because it is ecological and at the same time insulating, luminous.
To be used immeasurably! So much so that we find it almost always in the floors, but also in furniture, tables, chairs, parquet floors, even for table lamps, where it can be left in its natural color, or sometimes dyed also in black or with bright colors to use, however, very sparingly.
You can choose among the woods of Pine, Maple, Birch, Walnut, Oak, Ash … any kind of wood is magical and releases energy.
Here too the design remains essential, therefore maximum attention to the combinations … it is interesting to combine natural wood, rattan or some eco-friendly fur accessory with an irresistibly cozy look!
Yes also to natural materials such as stone, leather and soft wool and linen fabrics with essential, decidedly adequate and quality textures.
7) GEOMETRIC SHAPES:
The Scandinavians have a real passion for geometry, perfect union with these environments, simple only in appearance.
It’s a bit like discovering that an artist, a painter for example, is also a great mathematician … they are two sides of the same surprisingly complementary medal.
This style combines essentiality and linearity with geometric shapes and color blocks, integrating squared lines with rounded corners.
And it’s beautiful that we can do it too!
8) VINTAGE … WITH STYLE:
Choosing to furnish in Scandinavian style does not exclude the vintage effect.
A precise and clean tear to the rule with a piece that comes from the past or from some unknown location is absolutely allowed, to give that touch of experience and history that is likely to get lost with all that white and design.
You can range from vintage wooden tables, leather armchairs or small table lamps, all to make your home truly unique.
9) INDOOR AND OUTDOOR:
The Scandi Style is also versatile for our gardens!
Did you know that in the first rays of sun Swedes and Danes they plunge through the streets and parks?
Because they also love being outdoors, so they reproduce nature at home with their Style and it is no coincidence that the leading brands of modern Scandinavian design such as Hay, Trimm or Muuto devote to the outdoor the same attention that they give to the interior.
And all these rules also apply to outdoor spaces, garden, terrace etc …
10) CARE OF THE DETAILS:
As we have seen, albeit in its naturalness, the Scandinavian style is curated in detail and studied to perfection.
Everything is thought out and adapted with the utmost care, because you know … the details make the difference … and to make them even more details of style, take inspiration from your small objects, from vases to pillowcases, from paintings to covers of your books or any decorative object, even a candle or a magazine rack … but always keeping the focus on the order and the concept of “less is more”, then avoid accumulations.
Few, but precious!
Good inspiration in Scandinavian style … yours!
Viviana Grunert
