If “minimalism” is the keyword for your HDB renovation, you are sure to fall in love with Scandinavian interior designs.
Simple yet stunning, this home interior style made its debut around the 20th century. It is an amalgamation of the traditional and modern furniture trends and colours found in the homes of Denmark, Sweden and Norway.
Scandinavian interior designs are best known for their clean lines, muted tones, natural elements, and most important of all, functionality.
The Decluttered Look
Scandinavian interior designs prioritize functionality. The style does away with knickknacks, trinkets, and other unnecessary ornamentation. An object will be included only if it has utility; nothing superfluous. So look around your house; ditch the extra furniture and decor.
Emphasize Natural Light
Bright. Light. Open. These three words define the Scandinavian interior design principles. As a result, they emphasize keeping the windows unobstructed, to let the natural light flow in. Avoid using thick drapes and blinds. Instead, choose sheer textiles.
Layer lighting throughout your home; there should be alternatives for both ambient and functional lighting. You can experiment with the material textures for the lighting fixtures. Copper and brass fixtures look stunning with their metallic finishes.
Wooden Flooring
Wooden flooring is a time-honored Scandinavian interior design trend.
It is generally used wall-to-wall, across the entire home, except the bathroom. The wood grains used are light. They are not painted, but instead used in the raw, natural form.
The wooden flooring opens up the space, making it look brighter and airy. You will rarely find carpeting in Scandinavian homes.
Scandinavian Furniture
Furniture is fashioned out of wood. The wooden components give the room a cosy feeling. They also offer the necessary colour contrast to the space. Mid-century modern themes are the main inspiration for most furniture designs.
Soft and rounded edges are a common feature. The furniture units are designed to be practical, often doubling up as storage units. That is a great option in a space-restricted HDB. Where wood is not used, metal steps in as the alternative build material. However, the hardness of the metal is always softened with softness of the upholstery.
The combination of wood and metal is one of the upcoming Scandinavian interior design trends. They can be added as table trims and legs or simply as lamp bases.
Scandinavian Interior Design Colours
Back home, natives battle bleak and dark winters. The all-white walls of their homes absorb and reflect the natural light, brightening them.
Pick any of the shades from a neutral colour palette – whites, cool greys, browns, tans and creams. These colours are cool and calming.
Use colour, but only if needed – sparingly. You could also consider using shades of the same colour – pairing a lighter and darker shade of the same colour.
Modern Interiors
Scandinavian decor borrows a lot from modern interior designs. This includes sleek constructions, simple patterns, and no elaborate ornamentation.
Ecological Scandinavian designs
Nature occupies an central place in home decor in the Nordic countries. This is given the lack of resources back in the time of war.
Nature finds an expression in the modern interior designs of Scandi decor, in its muted earthy tones and the choice of wood as the primary build material. Use house plants to decorate your home; the greens marry well with the neutral palette. Place your plants in strategic positions in your room.
Think of creative ways to include natural textiles too. There’s burlap, wool, linen and jute to choose from. Natural textiles allow to incorporate different textures from the coarseness of jute to the soft textures of wool and sheepskin.
Don’t forget the fireplace
The neutral colour palette may make the Scandinavian interior design come across as very cold and sterile. However, that isn’t so. The contrasts in colours, shapes and textures do add dimension to the otherwise monochromatic look.
The fireplace is the focal point in most Scandinavian homes and you can add one to your HDB home too. To add, candles are a staple in this nature-inspired interior style.
Think accents
While Scandinavian interior designs have never been in favour of decorative articles, there is a scope to alter in slightly. Throw pillows in solid colours and geometric patterns break the monotony of the neutral palette.
Cosy corners littered with blankets and furry pillows create a sense of coziness. Ceramic vases also make the perfect accent in a Scandinavian-inspired household.
Check our more design tips for Scandinavian kitchen.