How to Create a Scandinavian Style Living Room
by Alex Cordier on Oct 13, 2016
When it comes to contemporary home design trends, few can match the popularity of the Scandinavian interior design. With the right lounge furniture, a tasteful coffee table, and the careful consideration of a few design points, you can create a Scandinavian style living room in almost any home. While this style of interior design goes beyond selecting the right lounge furniture and coordinating certain colors, there are some basic points that you can follow.
Colors
Scandinavian interior design is noted for its simplicity and a lean toward minimalism. Consequently, these designs typically use basic, simple tones like shades of white, grey, and black. You may also find some browns or natural tones mixed in, along with lighter pastels.
To achieve a Scandinavian-inspired design, avoid the conspicuous use of bright colors. That said, you could add some accent colors to the overall scheme to give the room some of your personality.
Furniture
For furniture, Scandinavian design tends to favor clean lines and a more functional, practical look. Additionally, the style of lounge furniture is often very straight-lined and neutral in color. The colors of pieces like chairs and sofas should match the overall color scheme of the room, with the use of overt statement pieces, kept to a minimum.
Any shelving or storage should follow the same design rules to ensure a harmonious interaction with space overall aesthetic. Accordingly, a popular choice is often to employ shelving that sits low and runs along a wall.
Furniture like tables and shelves can offer some interesting options. You can go with tables, shelves, and chairs that match the white, black, or gray theme of the room, but wooden furniture and furniture that has a stainless steel finish or accents can work. Due to its popularity in both home and commercial café furniture applications, most large furniture stores should stock entire Scandinavian collections, so it’s worth researching extensively before committing to a purchase.
Lighting
Lighting in a Scandinavian interior can vary depending on the taste of the individual. The main point is to ensure that you have enough light and to take advantage of any available natural light. Inthe designs, you will often find light fixtures that follow a sort of industrial style of design and newer, more modern lighting design styles. Another popular feature in Scandinavian interior design is the use of pendant lights.
Flooring
Wall to wall carpeting never became a major fixture in Scandinavia, so it is not a feature that you would typically utilize in this style of interior design. For a true Scandinavian living room, most designers would go with wooden floors that have a natural finish or wood flooring painted white.
Area rugs can be incorporated to add to the style of the room. If the space is big enough, you could even use a few rugs with varying textiles and designs.
Don’t Clutter
Aiming for simplicity and minimalism, Scandinavian interiors should remain largely uncluttered. If you go with too much decoration or excess furniture, it often distracts from the clean, simple design of the room. While some accent pieces can be employed to help fill out the room, care should be taken to avoid overdoing it. Some throw pillows can work well on the couches, and you could look for something like a simple vase or some potted plants.
Fireplace
The cold Nordic temperatures have made fireplaces an essential part of the Scandinavian home, so they are a popular part of Scandinavian design. While it is not an absolute necessity for a living room with Scandinavian design, a fireplace or a wood-burning stove can be a nice touch and it adds a bit of warmth and comfort to the space.
Popular Articles
Three Places to Spend Money on the Exterior of Your Home
When you have the exterior of your home remodeled, you are investing, time, energy and convenience into the project and you want to make sure that...
92327 Views
Homemade Headboards-Make an Upholstered or Wooden Headboard
Homemade headboards can add a lot of personality to any bedroom. They can be coordinated with existing furniture and room decor or they can be the...
73155 Views
When to Use a Brush, Roller or Sponge Brush
Brushes are a good choice for painting trim and woodwork. They are also useful for cutting in the edges around the top and bottom edges and corners...
71262 Views
Creating a Cottage Kitchen with Bead Board
Kitchen decor can range from modern and bold to elegant and elaborate by using strategic kitchen pieces. One of the most popular decorating trends...
51714 Views
Gas Fireplace Diagnostics and Troubleshooting
Follow these steps for diagnosing and troubleshooting Gas Fireplaces repairs. For the average DIYer, this may seem intimidating, depending on the...
30171 Views
Latest Articles
Real Estate Investment Trusts (REITs): A Beginner's Guide
By combining the advantages of stock market and real estate investing, Real Estate Investment Trusts, or REITs, offer an alluring investment...
on Dec 19, 2024
Global Real Estate Trends: What’s Driving Property Investments This Year?
For investors hoping to optimise returns in the ever-changing world of real estate, knowing current trends is not merely a matter of staying...
on Dec 19, 2024
5 Reasons to Use Gutter Cleaning Services
Gutters protect your home from water damage by directing rainwater away from your roof, walls, and foundation. However, they often required regular...
on Nov 14, 2024
Before You Sign: How Home Inspections Identify Hidden Hazards in Your Future Home
Buying a home is exciting, but hidden dangers can turn that dream into a nightmare if not addressed early on. Beyond what is visible during a...
on Oct 18, 2024
The Appeal and Longevity of Natural Oil Finishes for Hardwood Floors
Hardwood floors exude warmth, character, and timeless appeal in any home. To preserve and enhance these qualities, choosing the right finish is...
on May 17, 2024
Featured Articles
What Type of Licensed Contractor Should You Hire?
on Feb 28, 2017
Hire Contractors / Estimates
Looking for a specialty project? There are many types of contractors available for your home improvement needs. Finding the right type of...
Sponsored Articles
Real Estate Investment Trusts (REITs): A Beginner's Guide
on Dec 19, 2024
Real Estate / Finance
By combining the advantages of stock market and real estate investing, Real Estate Investment Trusts, or REITs, offer an alluring investment...
Global Real Estate Trends: What’s Driving Property Investments This Year?
on Dec 19, 2024
Real Estate / Finance
For investors hoping to optimise returns in the ever-changing world of real estate, knowing current trends is not merely a matter of staying...
Actions
Top Categories
- Garden / Landscaping / Patio — 263
- Kitchen / Bathrooms — 240
- Real Estate / Finance — 200
- Appliance / Repair — 186
- Interior Design / Decor — 184
- HVAC / Air Conditioning — 147
- Cleaning / Maintenance — 144
- Improvements / Remodeling — 131
- Plumbing / Basements — 118
- Floors / Tile / Hardwood — 116
- Doors / Garages — 113
- Safety / Security — 113
Articles Archive
More DIY Articles
Which Is Better for You? Polished vs. Stained Concrete
Have you decided to give your floor a new look but cannot seem to determine if you should settle for polished or stained concrete? After all,...
Structural Designing: Creative Art of Building Structures
Structural engineering is a field of civil engineering that involves the study of building safe and stable structures. The property of a structure...
Advantages of Using an Electric Range
Among cooking enthusiasts, the debate can become very heated when discussing whether a gas or electric range is better. Gas stoves have...
How to Properly Maintain your Kitchen Appliances
Bad habits die hard, but badly maintained kitchen appliances die rather easily. In other words, bad habits can cost you a lot of money and hassle...
Top 10 Things to Consider When Relocating
Australia is the world’s 13th largest economy. Highly developed, having a very diverse culture and an enjoyable lifestyle, Australia has become a...