How to furnish your home in Nordic style

Inspirations from Northern Europe

Harmony, comfort, naturalness: three concepts that relate to a lifestyle, as well as furniture. When you think of a Nordic style environment (also called Scandinavian style) you feel naturally well. Very trending during the last five years, the Scandinavian style is one of the most appreciated, not only in Denmark, Sweden and Norway, where it was born. Thanks to the climatic conditions, the crystalline light and a socio-cultural context influenced by the hygge and lagom philosophy, these regions of northern Europe have given rise to an aesthetic taste with unmistakable characteristics. Let's see together the main ones, and some suggestions on how to furnish your home in Scandinavian style.

ShapeMinimal shapes

Nordic style furniture and design is largely inspired by a "softened" minimalism. Furniture and accessories are essential, inspired by geometry: circles, ellipses, rectangles. Each element is designed to be simple, but extremely functional for those who use it. Refined details and warm material soften the aesthetics, preventing the rooms from feeling too severe.
Furnishing in Scandinavian style means also seeking a balance between fullness and emptiness. Furniture never completely fills the available space; instead, it leaves room for free walls and spacious walkways. Even decorations are kept to a minimum: a few large paintings and ornaments are enough to enhance without overwhelming. The result is neat and calming.

Material Refined sensations

From the natural wood or stoneware floor, to the smallest tea towel hanging in the kitchen, the Scandinavian style is also expressed in the search for materials capable of evoking positive moods. The visual element is only one of the aspects of Nordic furnishings: tactile senstations are equally important. As you step into a dining room, kitchen, or bedroom, your palm instinctively glides over the grain of oak wood, the cosiness of wool, cotton, or linen textiles, the delicacy of natural fibre curtains, and the tactile allure of a sofa draped in fabric or leather. The common denominator lies in the preference for natural or eco-sustainable materials alongside plastics and fabric made of recycled materials.

Color Bright palettes

Materials intertwine with colour and lighting, other essential elements of this furnishing style. Short and bright summers in Nordic countries pair with long and dark winters, so you need to catch every ray of light with large windows and light-coloured furnishings, able to spread everywhere inside your house.
But even in regions without these climatic features, the Scandinavian style embraces bright palettes, with light or dusty hues. To avoid the risk of a humble environment, you can choose natural or stained wood, lacquered furnishings in light blue, beige, and grey, and accessories or elements in pink, burnt orange and sage green (about which we focused in the Outdoor trends issue). Those who want to add dark elements can choose midnight blue, dark stained wood, or forest green. But always keep your palette simple, with just a few colours.