HOW TO GET SCANDINAVIAN STYLE

By Kate Watson-Smyth
HOW TO GET SCANDINAVIAN
STYLE
INTRO
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The so-called Scandinavian trend has been going strong for some
years now and shows no sign of abating. But while we tend to stick the
term Scandi in front of everything that is pale floorboards and minimal
colours, each country has its own distinctive take on the style and if
you really are planning on going Scandi, it pays to know your Alvar
Aalto from your Arne Jacobsen, your String from your Series 7 and
your Hennigsen from your Hansen.
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DENMARK
When we speak of Scandinavian style, it is often the Danish look that we are
striving for. The most pared back and architectural of all the Nordic countries,
Danish style revolves around pale floorboards, white walls, simple blinds or no
window dressings at all (curtains are for the Swedes) and clean modern lines on the
furniture. The winters are long and dark so the walls are kept pale to maximise the
natural light.
The roll call of Danish designers is long: Jacobsen, Panton, Wegner, Poulsen and
Hennigsen and their furniture is utilitarian and starkly beautiful. The colour palette is
muted with the odd splash of colour. The textiles are natural and changed with the
seasons – wool, cashmere and velvet in winter, cotton and linen in summer.
Every home burns candles to create hygge – the untranslatable Danish word that
sort of means cosy and having a good time with friends and family.
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SWEDEN
Perhaps best known for the
Gustavian style, Swedish homes
are slightly more cosy and
welcoming than their Danish
neighbours. Wooden floorboards
and white walls abound (for the
same reasons as in Denmark)
but painted furniture – think pale
grey – is also popular and textiles
in warm navy, soft red and gold
are colours that are often found.
The Gustavian style came out
of the Royal Palaces where it
began as a simplified version of
French neoclassicism. It moved
out of the palaces to the Swedish
stuga (country cottages) where
it became more rustic but still
recognisable. This furniture is
more ornate than the Danish
style –there are more curves
and carvings which may be
highlighted in gold. Think country
style but cool chic not shabby
chic. This look is also perfect with
a glass chandelier thrown in to
contrast with the rustic style.
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FINLAND
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he most sparsely populated country in the EU has nearly 200,000 lakes and, it is
estimated, one sauna per household. Many Finns have access to a weekend cottage even if
they don’t own one and they often feel instinctively more comfortable out of the city.
Finnish homes are colourful: bright homemade rag rugs cover the floors and curtains are
changed seasonally. This is the land of Marimekko and those distinctive bright designs are
found in most homes, along with coloured glass by Ittala. It is said that while the winter is
long and dark, the quality of the light in summer means that bright colours really pop and
coloured glassware stands out. Again, these colours are usually kept within a framework of
white walls and wooden floorboards to maximise the light.
As the Finns are so close to nature, much of their design features plants and animals.
Patterns tend to be created in black and white and filled in with bright primary colours and
even contemporary designers will return to traditional Finnish folk art for inspiration.
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5
ICELAND
Interior design came late to Iceland, indeed the word honnun (design)
was only invented in the 1950s. Many homes are built from wood, clad in
corrugated iron and then painted in bright colours making Reykjavik one of
the most colourful cities seen from the air and in contrast to the somewhat
bleak, yet beautiful, landscape.
As the winters are so long and hard, Icelanders need their homes to be cosy
and, as the nonconformists of the Nordic lands, they aren’t afraid to splash
some boldly coloured paint on the wall if they feel like it.
The folklore tradition is also strong here and is often incorporated into textile
designs.
Norway
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ike Denmark, Norwegian
homes tend to be full of clean
lines, minimal colours and a
utilitarian feel. Their designers
have often been overshadowed
by the Danes but they have
their own style. Lots of wood
– well there are lots of trees.
Norwegian homes are often a
mix of the architecturalism of
Denmark, the rustic Swedish
feel and the bright colours of
Finland.
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Traditionally the rooms are small
to conserve the heat and the
windows as well. Brick houses
are rare – so there is lots of
tongue and groove inside.
So now you know
the element of
Scandinavian style
which one are
you?
Kate Watson-Smyth is a journalist who writes about interiors. She has
written for many prestigious publications including The Financial Times,
The Independent and The Daily Mail. As well as running her award
winning blog Mad About the House she also runs an interior styling
consultancy; Mad About Your House, discover more at her website here
http://www.madaboutthehouse.com.
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