5 Essential Elements of Scandinavian Style Home to Design like a Pro

Updated : August 2024

Trying to create Scandinavian Style Home can be really overwhelming. Here’s what you need to know when designing a Scandinavian Style Home.

In this post you are going to learn when designing Scandinavian Style home, what are the five essential elements and how to use them to design the right way.

Important: On this website, I feature a select number of partners and companies that have products that could help my audience. As an Amazon associate, When you purchase something through my partner links, I might get paid for the referral at no extra cost to you. Read the full disclosure here.

The elements are : Color scheme, Lighting, Materials, Furniture and Decor elements.

In This Scandinavian design blog post You will find design inspiration for all the following rooms to create a cohesive Scandinavian style home.

Scandinavian Style Living room
Scandinavian Style Kitchen
Scandinavian Style Bathroom
Scandinavian Style Dinning room
Scandinavian Style Furniture
Scandinavian Style Bedroom
Scandinavian Style Decor

This post is about Scandinavian style home.

5 Essential elements for designing a Scandinavian Style Home

ESSENTIAL ELEMENT 1 – COLOR SCHEME

The color scheme for Scandinavian style homes is neutral colors which is typically white, black, and gray. In the Scandinavian style keeping the main focus on neutral colors, there are pops of color introduced through accents like pillows, throws, and artwork.

In color theory, neutral colors are those that do not belong to any particular hue or color family.

Neutral colors have a sense of energy and vibrancy, making them perfect for creating a cozy and inviting atmosphere in a room. They include shades of beige, ivory, taupe, and brown. Warm neutral colors work well with warm colors like red, orange, and yellow, as well as earthy greens and blues.

Scandinavian Style Living room

Image 1 – The sofa is a neutral beige and the throw is a crisp bright creme to give the layering contrast. The coffee table is minimal with clean lines.

Rattan Pendant – BUY ON AMAZON

Neutral FRAMED Canvas ART 24″x36″ (set of 3) – BUY ON AMAZON

Image 2 – The second living room on the right has a grey sofa with the warn brown rug under the coffee table adding the pop of color. The rattan pendant light above the dining table is co-ordinating with the rug is a very good example of layering with similar colors.

The use of neutral colors creates a clean and calming atmosphere while the pops of color add warmth and interest to the space.

Similar Finds: CLICK THE IMAGE TO SHOP

Dried Pampass Grass Decor : BUY ON AMAZON

Set of 2 Candle stands : BUY ON AMAZON

JUTE RUG : BUY ON AMAZON

For any room in a Scandinavian style home, the spaces are bright and airy, with large windows. The windows let in plenty of natural light.

The walls are painted mostly crisp white, which helps to amplify the brightness of the room. When the walls are painted a bright white, it reflects the natural light streaming in through the windows.

That gives the room a bright, airy feeling. The neutral color palette of whites, grays, and beiges creates a sense of calm and tranquility that makes it easy to relax and unwind.

Scandinavian Style Bathroom

Image 1 : The walls are crisp white and the vanity is a bold dark brown to create the contrast.

Image 2 : The bathroom has all white walls with white free standing tub. The only contrast pop of colors are coming from the plant green leaves and the wooden tray.

ESSENTIAL ELEMENT 2 – LIGHTING

Lighting is crucial in Scandinavian design. This is why Scandinavian homes typically have large windows that allow as much natural light in as possible.

When it comes to lighting fixtures, Scandinavian style home typically incorporates simple and clean lines with a focus on functionality. Here are some examples of lighting fixtures that are commonly used in Scandinavian design:

Pendant lights: Pendant lights are often used in Scandinavian style bedroom or Scandinavian Style dinning room.

Scandinavian Style Dinning room

The pendant lights provide a clean and simple way to add both task and ambient lighting to a room. They are typically made of natural materials such as wood, glass, or metal and have a minimalist design.

Image 1 (Left) : The Scandinavian style dinning room above shows a rectangle wood table table with warm wooden and white minimal chairs. The room only has minimal decor, the neutral art and the hanging pendant.

Floor lamps: Floor lamps are another popular lighting fixture when designing Scandinavian style living room. They provide a soft and warm glow and are perfect for creating a cozy atmosphere in a room.

Table lamps: Table lamps are also used in Scandinavian style home, especially on bedside tables and desks. They are often small in size and have a simple and clean design with a natural material such as wood or metal.

Wall sconces: Wall sconces are a great option for adding both task and ambient lighting to any room in a Scandinavian style home. It also helps with saving space.

If you like this, Pin it on Pinterest to find it later

ESSENTIAL ELEMENT 3 – MATERIALS

Scandinavian design is all about natural materials, such as wood, stone, and leather. These materials create a warm and inviting atmosphere that is both stylish and functional. Textiles such as wool, linen, and cotton are also popular in Scandinavian style homes, adding texture and comfort to the space.

Scandinavian Style Kitchen

The first kitchen above used white as the main color and added blue cabinets to add the pop of color. The rug also adds the right amount of color to the floor.

The second kitchen above to the right also has white as the main color. The warmth is added with wooden countertop.

When you compare both the kitchens, the decor accessories are minimal and are of a neutral color pallet. Both the kitchens have open shelves that help in creating the open concept.

The shelves are mostly styled using everyday kitchen essentials that help save space inside the cabinets. One of the key design detail of Scandinavian design is the lack of clutter. The spaces are designed so that everything has a place where it could be stored.

ESSENTIAL ELEMENT 4 – FURNITURE

Furniture in Scandinavian style home is typically minimalistic and functional. It features clean lines and simple shapes, with a focus on comfort and practicality.

Scandinavian Style Furniture

Materials like wood and leather are used for chairs, tables, and sofas, while fabrics like wool and cotton are used for soft furnishings like cushions and rugs.

When designing a Scandinavian style living room, mostly the sofa and armchair are upholstered in soft gray, white or beige fabrics that are comfortable and inviting.

The coffee table and other furnishings are made of natural wood, adding warmth and texture to the space.

Image 1 Above : The first image above shows the use of neutral wood and white bar stools. The pop of color is added by adding green leaves to the white textured vase.

Scandinavian Style Bedroom

Scandinavian Style Decor

For Scandinavian home Decor, Artwork is typically limited to a few carefully chosen pieces, Plants are a popular way to add life and interest to the space, and they also provide the added benefit of purifying the air.

The home decor incorporates a lot of items that can be used to design a Scandinavian style home.

Different items used as home decor are sofas, chairs, coffee table, curtains, lighting fixtures, office desk, vases, rug, candles, faux or real plants, books, mirrors, throws, pillows, accent tables, baskets, Art and photo frames.

Once you follow and incorporate the essential elements, in designing all the rooms, you should be able to create the perfect Scandinavian style home like a Pro.

Don’t be afraid to try a few pieces together. Trying out and seeing all the different items together will give you a better idea of what you prefer in your home.