Decorating “the Scandinavian way”
Calm rooms. Clear light. Things that last. That is the promise many people hear when they say Scandinavian interior style. In everyday English, “Scandinavia” usually refers to Denmark, Norway, and Sweden, while “the Nordics” is a wider term that also includes Finland and Iceland. Source: Britannica
Scandinavian design became internationally famous in the mid-20th century for combining beauty with function, often shared with the world through exhibitions, trade, and iconic furniture and lighting. Source: Design Museum Danmark
See a few Scandinavian wall art examples here
But “the Scandinavian way” is not a strict recipe. It is a set of priorities you can apply in any home and then tune to the different flavors of Danish, Norwegian, and Swedish design.
Below you’ll find a practical guide (with cultural context) and country-by-country ideas you can actually use.
The shared Scandinavian foundation
1) Start with light (and treat it like a material)
In much of Scandinavia, daylight changes dramatically across the year. Interiors often respond with light walls, reflective surfaces, and multiple light sources, not one harsh ceiling lamp.
Think in layers:
- Ambient light (soft ceiling or wall fixtures)
- Task light (reading lamps, kitchen work zones)
- Accent light (a small lamp on a shelf, a candle, a window lamp)
A simple rule: several gentle lights beat one strong light.
2) Keep the plan clear: function first, then beauty
Scandinavian design is widely associated with clean lines, practical living, and uncluttered spaces. Not emptiness, but intentional rooms. Source: Swedish design
Before buying anything, ask:
- What do we do here (read, eat, talk, work, rest)?
- What needs storage (and what can be removed)?
- Where do we walk?
If the flow works, the room already feels “Scandinavian.”
3) Choose honest materials (and let them show)
A strong Scandinavian look often comes from natural materials that age well: wood, wool, linen, leather, stone, ceramic. The goal is not luxury. It is warmth + durability.
Easy wins:
- One wood tone you repeat (oak, ash, pine, walnut)
- Textiles that add softness (wool throw, linen curtains, woven rug)
- A few tactile objects (ceramic bowls, a wooden tray)
4) Use calm color—but don’t fear contrast
Many Scandinavian rooms use quiet bases: off-white, warm gray, sand, soft beige. Then they add contrast with black accents, darker woods, or one deeper color.
The key is restraint: a limited palette makes a room feel settled.
5) Bring nature indoors (without turning it into a theme park)
Instead of “decorating with nature,” Scandinavian spaces often echo nature through:
- wood grain
- plant shapes
- stone textures
- seasonal elements (branches, dried stems, simple greenery)
Denmark: Hygge, craft, and “design for living”
Danish interiors are often linked to hygge: the idea of creating a warm atmosphere and enjoying simple, good moments with other people. Source: Danish 'hygge'
That mindset tends to show up in the home as softness, warmth, and human scale.
What Danish design adds to “Scandinavian style”
Denmark is strongly tied to Danish Modern and the design culture that grew around craftsmanship, proportion, and everyday use, often taught and collected through major Danish institutions. Source: Danish Design Museum
Look for:
- furniture that feels light but solid
- curved edges and friendly proportions
- wood + textile combinations
- lighting treated as a “comfort tool,” not just brightness
Danish styling moves you can copy
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Make one “hygge corner.”
A chair, a small table, a reading lamp, a throw. That corner becomes the emotional center of the room.
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Go warm with light.
Multiple lamps at eye level often feel more Danish than a single overhead light.
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Mix clean lines with softness.
A simple sofa becomes Danish-fast with a wool blanket, a linen cushion, and a wooden coffee table.
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Choose fewer items, but better ones.
Even small upgrades—like replacing plastic storage with a wood or metal tray—push the room toward Danish calm.
Danish-inspired wall prints that match this mood
Norway: Nature-first comfort and quiet strength
Norwegian culture is closely tied to outdoor life. The word friluftsliv is often translated as “open-air life,” describing a strong tradition of spending time outside year-round. Source: Norwegian open-air life
In interiors, that often becomes: rugged textures, practical warmth, and a strong connection to landscape.
What Norwegian design adds to “Scandinavian style”
Norwegian design history is sometimes described as less globally famous than Denmark’s, but Norway has its own clear design identity and a growing contemporary design scene. Source: Norwegian design today
Look for:
- cozy materials that feel made for weather (wool, felt, sheepskin)
- deeper, earthier tones (not always, but often)
- wood that feels sturdy and natural
- simple forms with a slightly “outdoor” honesty
Norwegian styling moves you can copy
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Add “warmth you can touch.”
One thick wool textile (blanket or rug) changes the whole room.
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Let nature be the art direction.
Choose materials and colors that match what you love outside: fjord blues, forest greens, stone grays, winter whites.
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Use practical storage that doesn’t look fussy.
Baskets, hooks, benches—items that feel calm and useful.
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Bring in Norwegian design details (subtle, not museum-like).
If you enjoy design history, Norway has notable mid-century pieces and designers; even one well-chosen object in that spirit can anchor a room. Source: Norwegian icons
Norwegian landscape prints for a nature-first feel
Sweden: Lagom balance, functional living, and a touch of pattern
Swedish style is often connected to lagom, commonly explained as “just the right amount.” Not too much. Not too little. Source: Balanced living 'lagom'
In interiors, lagom is about balance: enough comfort, enough storage, enough personalit, without overload.
Sweden also played a major role in the spread of functionalist thinking in design and housing in the early 1900s, often associated with the Stockholm Exhibition of 1930 and the broader push toward modern, functional living.
What Swedish design adds to “Scandinavian style”
Sweden has long-running design institutions, including Svensk Form (founded in 1845), which promotes Swedish design and craft. Source: Swedish design
Look for:
- light woods and bright surfaces
- smart storage and everyday practicality
- gentle color and calm order
- room for pattern, often more than people expect
A good reminder: Swedish interiors can be minimal, but they can also be playful. Classic Swedish interior culture includes examples where pattern and color sit comfortably inside an otherwise tidy room.
Swedish styling moves you can copy
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Build in storage before you decorate.
Closed storage (or calm shelving) is a Swedish superpower. When clutter has a home, the room feels peaceful.
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Keep the palette light, then add one “lagom” highlight.
A single color in a cushion, a vase, or a small rug—repeated once or twice—feels balanced.
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Use pattern like seasoning.
One patterned textile or one patterned chair can be “enough,” especially when the rest is calm.
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Aim for “easy to live with.”
Swedish style shines when everything is practical: washable textiles, movable lighting, furniture that fits real life.
Swedish-style prints with calm color and balance
Scandinavian design as one story (and why it still feels modern)
Even though Denmark, Norway, and Sweden each have distinct habits, they share a design story that helped shape global taste, especially in the 1950s. A famous example is the traveling exhibition “Design in Scandinavia” (1954–1957), which toured North America and drew hundreds of thousands of visitors, helping introduce Scandinavian furniture and applied arts to a wide public. Source: Exhibitions of danish design
That legacy matters because it reinforces a core idea:
Design is not decoration. It is a better way to live at home.
Where posters and prints fit in (secondary, but powerful)
Plakater/prints are not the main ingredient of Scandinavian interiors but they can quietly lock in the mood.
A Scandinavian approach to wall art is usually:
- simple frames (wood or black)
- space to breathe (not too many pieces)
- motifs that match the room’s calm (nature, architecture, clean shapes, quiet color)
Two easy options:
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One strong piece above a sofa or dining table to act as a calm focal point.
- A small, balanced gallery (4–9 pieces) with consistent spacing and a limited palette.
Think of wall art as the final “tone setting” - not the starting point.
If you want to see prints that work well with Scandinavian interiors, you can browse them here
A simple checklist: “the Scandinavian way” in 10 minutes
Remove one surface of clutter (coffee table, sideboard, kitchen counter)
- Add one soft textile (wool or linen)
- Turn on two smaller lamps instead of one bright light
- Introduce one natural material you can repeat (wood, ceramic, woven basket)
- Keep colors calm, then add one controlled contrast
- Add one meaningful object (not five)
Your home, your Scandinavia
The most Scandinavian thing you can do is not to copy a showroom. It is to make a home that feels light, calm, and practical, with warmth and personality in the details, whether you lean Danish (hygge), Norwegian (nature-first comfort), Swedish (lagom balance), or a blend of all three.
If you had to choose just one focus for your space right now - light, storage, or warmth -what would it be?