Scandinavian decor and style is all about making a home feel calm, relaxed, inviting and cost. The majority of Scandi schemes start with fresh, clean white walls and simple light wooden flooring in order to create a fresh backdrop for homeware additions.
When it comes to the kitchen, clean lines, lighting and a soothing, clean colour palette are key for recreating Scandinavian decor. Scandinavian design is often characterised by its minimalism and simplicity. Many traditional kitchen colour schemes and decor choices are very bold, so it is a different take. But, it’s important to remember that minimal doesn’t have to mean cold. With the use of clever lighting, wood and natural materials, you can ensure that the kitchen is still filled with warmth. With that in mind, here are some Scandinavian kitchen decor ideas you can use to transform your kitchen space.
Traditionally, Scandinavian interior design is characterised by clean lines, functionality and minimalism. In order to create a Scandinavian inspired kitchen, you need to ensure that you are creating a space that is practical. However, this shouldn’t be at the expense of aesthetics and style. The layout is a hugely important part of any Scandi kitchen. You should aim for an open plan kitchen feel, even if you don’t have an open plan kitchen space, with plenty of space for friends and family to gather.
If you only have a small kitchen space, then you can still replicate the Scandi style by introducing other elements of typical Scandi design. This could include a muted or paired back colour scheme or utilising clever storage solutions to make your space feel organised.
Scandinavian inspired kitchens tend to be minimalistic, with focus on colour schemes and muted tones, such as white, grey, pale blue and pastel pinks. In the kitchen, working with muted and monochrome colours works well for kitchen cabinets, with matte finishes in particular lending itself to the Scandi style.
How To Style A Scandi Kitchen
With any kitchen, less is often more, but this is especially true with Scandi design and decor. Try to keep worktops clutter-free and accessorise with different textures and textiles. Try to style your kitchen with natural and simple objects, such as fresh flowers and plants, woven and textured fabrics such as towels and placemats and quirky pottery. With Scandi design, it’s important not to go overboard. The beauty of Scandi design is that it is minimalistic – you don’t want to overwhelm your kitchen with clutter.
Use Jars To Make A Feature With Glass Jars
One of the easiest ways to implement the Scandi decor in your kitchen is to use everyday essentials to create a feature. Add some interest to your kitchen by adding some open shelving and then adding feature jars and canisters. Use natural wood to create your shelves and leave them with the natural wood finish, or paint over with a light grey or white paint if it is more in keeping with your kitchen.
Then, decant your everyday food essentials, such as flour, pasta, rice and cereals, into the jars and line or arrange on a shelf. You can also store fruit and vegetables in natural wicker or hessian baskets or add some colour to your shelves by adding herbs and growing them in rustic tin pots.
White Colour Palette
When it comes to creating Scandi kitchen decor, you can’t go wrong with white walls and cabinets. Typical Scandi kitchen decor and interior design includes a cool and light colour palette to create a sense of calmness and purity. With small kitchens, this colour scheme is perfect as it opens up the space and, if you have a large kitchen window, it can really help to lighten and brighten the room. You can add warmth into the space by combining white with natural wood tones and gold or copper accents.
Use Pendant Lighting
With Nordic and Scandi design, light is hugely important. In the countries where the decor originated, there are very long and dark winter days, so light is vital. Typical Scandinavian design tends to feature low hanging pendant lights over kitchen worktops to create a central focus of light in the room. It works to be playful with your choice of lighting when it comes to Scandi design, so you can use colours such as pale turquoise or mint green, which are colours typically found in Scandi design.
Add Warmth To The Room With Oak
Scandinavian kitchen design can instantly be warmed up with the addition of natural surfaces. Oak is the main wood featured in Scandi design, whether it be in the form of worktops, furniture or shelving. When it comes to adding oak to your kitchen decor, one of the easiest and most effective ways to do so is in the form of open shelving.
Not only is open shelving on trend, but it is a quick and easy way to add Scandi decor to your kitchen and create some practical storage space. With open shelving, you can design and decorate them in a way to add splashes of texture and colour. Use coloured glassware, cookbooks and houseplants to add both colour and texture to the room. You could also use the shelving to arrange your jars and wicker baskets.
Make Space For Dining
Getting together for meals is a huge part of Scandinavian living and is very important. If you want to truly add Scandi decor to your kitchen, then it’s important to try and incorporate a space for dining. This could be in the form of a breakfast bar or a dining table, but it should be the heart of the home.
A dining area is the perfect space to add warmth and texture, as you can add soft furnishings, flowers, table runners or placemats. If you do want to add a dining space in the form of a dining table, then look for a wooden table and bench style seating.
Make It A Family Space
Scandinavian culture is focused around coming together with friends and family, so look to create a kitchen space that welcomes guests. One thing many people have learnt from Hygge is to surround yourself with things that make you happy and the same goes for your friends and family. Fill the space with treasured photos of you and your family and friends to create a social space within the kitchen. Then, when friends and family come round, you can reminisce about memories and happy times.
If you choose to fit open shelving, then be sure to have a jar or two nicely stacked with different bakery products or a biscuit selection that you can get out to offer with a coffee when people come round. You want your guests to feel welcomed and relaxed when they get to your home and the kitchen is often the heart of the home and natural congregation space, so focusing on this area with that in mind is important.
Openly Display Items That You Use Everyday
Nordic countries are famed for their streamlined style and minimalist design. But, this couldn’t be achieved without the use of a few clever storage solutions. You can keep your worktops clear with the use of shelves, racks and hooks. Open shelving is a great way to store items that you use everyday in a stylish and unique way.
Items such as mugs, crockery, tea and coffee work really well on open shelves, whereas hung up mugs or leaning chopping boards on a shelf can be easily accessed and grabbed when needed. Not only does this way of storage free up important and much needed cupboard space, but you can also use items around your home and kitchen to create an aesthetically pleasing display.
Try Two-Tone Colour Schemes For A Designer Look
Whilst most Scandinavian design relies on a muted and neutral colour palette, you shouldn’t be afraid to add some personality in with a splash of colour here and there. If colour is a must around your home, then pale greys and light pink, blue and green work well when used sparingly. Try to stick to a simple colour scheme in your kitchen which highlights the design of your kitchen. White is a good base colour and can be paired with black lower kitchen cupboards to create a striking look, especially with natural wood shelving or higher kitchen cupboards. Two tone works well in a kitchen, especially a Scandinavian kitchen style, as it emphasises clean lines, rather than detracting from them.
Use Metallic Accents To Add Warmth
Metallic accents and accessories work well when combined with a paired back and minimal white colour scheme that is synonymous with Scandi design. Copper perhaps works the best, as it goes with a variety of tones and additional colour schemes. When you’re working with a simple colour scheme, look to play around with shapes and textures, as well as different finishes. For example, brushed copper light fittings look totally different to shiny metal light fittings and give a different overall look, so see what different things work together.
Use Subtle Pastel Accent Colours
If you want to add colour to an all-white Scandi colour scheme, then diluted and subtle pastel colours will feel soft alongside the bright, neutral base of white. Pastels make the perfect pairing and work without overpowering the simple and effortless style of Scandi interior design. Soft baby blues, powder pink and mint green work really well in terms of styling.
