How to Create a Scandinavian Inspired Home
For uncomplicated, easy living.
Refresh your home with Scandi furnishings to create a space that’s grounded in simple comforts, refreshing openness, and warm natural materials. Learn more about Scandinavian furniture designs below and what to look for so you can transform your home into a Scandi oasis.
Scandinavian Furniture Basics
Scandinavian Furniture Features and Details
Our Top 5 Scandinavian Furniture Pieces
Scandinavian Furniture Basics
Scandinavian furniture encapsulates the design principles commonly used in Nordic countries. Scandi furniture aims to be simplistic, functional, well-crafted and composed of natural materials to create a streamlined, yet comfortable space to live and enjoy each day. Scandinavian furniture is heavily influenced by the modern contemporary and minimalistic design movements which favour clean-lines, clever storage and neutral colourscapes.
Learn more by reading our guide Ask the Experts: What Is Scandinavian Design? for an in-depth look at the foundations of Scandinavian interior design.
Scandinavian Furniture Features & Details
Review these characteristics of Scandinavian style design furniture so you know what to look for when creating your own Scandinavian interior.
Solid Wood Designs
Solid wood is an important element of Scandinavian furniture as it’s considered a pure form of wood that comes straight from the tree with limited treatments applied. This creates a clean, natural look. Scandi furnishings embrace native woods from Nordic countries like ash, birch or pine, but you can also replicate the Scandinavian look with any blond-toned wood material.
Look for furniture designs that blend carved wood frames with upholstered seating made from natural materials. Scandinavian furniture designs mix comforting natural materials with streamlined wood legs and frames for a look that’s both relaxed and airy. This helps more light filter through the room while still providing a space to sit back and relax. Choose natural upholstery like linen, cotton, leather or wool paired with blond wood for the best results.
Pay attention to the details when looking for furniture designs to include in Scandinavian interiors. Scandinavian designers place an emphasis on transforming natural elements like stone, metal, leather, and wood to create unique, quality furniture pieces. Handcrafted wood frames and woven leather like the chair design pictured above draw inspiration from Børge Mogensen’s Spanish Chair design.
Another example of Scandinavian craftsmanship includes the iconic wishbone chair design introduced by Hans Wegner that features a curved wood back, similar to the Washington lounge chair or Vista lounge chair.
Multifunctional Pieces
Scandinavian design furniture adheres to the principles of functionality and simplicity by providing pieces with multiple functions or configurations. Multifunctional items are essential in small-scale Nordic homes. An hallway bench with built-in drawers, shelves and coat hooks helps simplify hallway storage and organisation while also helping you limit the amount of furniture pieces in your hallway space.
Other multifunctional Scandi pieces to look out for include nesting tables (so you can consolidate space and create a larger table when necessary) and storage ottomans (extra storage space, seating options and table settings).
Scandinavian style design draws on principles of minimalist design to create comfort with simple silhouettes. This includes furniture pieces with clean lines and rounded silhouettes. An egg-shaped coffee table with a thin, smooth table top and subtly-crafted legs creates the illusion of more space, while a curved sofa with boucle upholstery provides just enough texture to exude comfort.
Scandi furniture with clean, simple silhouettes can create an even more refreshing look when paired with bright neutral upholstery. Nordic countries have long, dark winters, so Scandinavian interiors typically feature light-coloured furnishings that capture natural light and contrast dark winter days. Fill your living space with furniture that's crafted from blond woods, rich caramel tones and shades of white, cream or grey to create a bright and airy, yet relaxed look.
Modern Scandinavian interior design is all about mixing modern design styles, so it’s no wonder that Scandinavian design homes include pieces with nods to mid-century modern design. Geometric shapes, functional furnishings and clean designs are just a few mid-century ideas that translate over to Scandi design.
If you want to find Scandinavian furniture designs with mid-century modern traits, look for pieces that emphasize function with subtle design elements. A cabinet in rich carmel wood creates a comforting atmosphere. Its vertical slatted detailing adds visual dimension to the room, while storage drawers make for a clutter-free living space.
Tip: Get design inspiration for your Scandi-style home by checking out our guide 5 Steps Towards a Scandi Style Dining Room
Our Top 5 Scandinavian Furniture Pieces
Discover our five furniture pieces that blend Scandinavian design principles with modern and minimalist notes for streamlined, functional and well-crafted pieces.
1. Kylie 3-Seater Velvet Sofa
The Kylie velvet sofa combines Scandinavian furniture characteristics with its tapered, solid wood legs and plush velvet upholstery. Its clean-lined silhouette makes it a must for your Scandi-inspired living room, while the velvet upholstery makes it a comfortable space to relax. Available in five colours, you’re sure to find one that suits your home’s aesthetic.
The Vitya armchair is the pinnacle of craftsmanship with its solid wood frame and woven genuine leather detailing. Not to mention this Scandi-inspired design mirrors that of Børge Mogensen’s Spanish chair. First introduced in 1958, the Spanish chair design combined solid wood and genuine leather for a long-lasting piece in your home. The Vitya armchair takes on a modern approach to this iconic Scandi piece and comes in five colours and finish options.
Promote relaxation in your bedroom with a wooden platform bed in a simplistic design. The Graham platform bed comes in light, blond wood in sizes single, double and kingsize so you can choose a size that works best for your bedroom aesthetic. Thanks to its raised design, the Graham bed is easy to clean underneath and gives you the possibility of some more much-needed storage space.
The Rylee bamboo coffee table has a mid-century modern look that lends itself well to Scandinavian interiors. The light wooden finish brightens any room and its raised shelf offers enough space for storage and display. What’s more, the Rylee coffee table replicates a classic, modern structure, staying true to craftsmanship.
As its name implies, the Aves reversible modular sofa has the ability to separate in half to create a multitude of living room configurations that meet your needs. The tapered legs made from wood stick to the black, minimal theme, while the thick upholstered cushions add to the cosiness of the look.
Tip: Look under the Style filter on the left-hand side of product pages to filter for Scandinavian style furniture.
