The basics
- Light wood: oak, ash or birch for tables, shelves and chair frames.
- Soft, natural textiles: wool, linen and cotton in white, grey, beige and muted colours.
- One warmer accent, like ochre, rust or deep green, on a sofa or a rug.
- Simple shapes with rounded edges.
- Warm light from several lamps rather than one bright ceiling light.
In the example
The living room above was furnished by the redsgn chat with IKEA pieces: an ochre STOCKHOLM sofa, a POÄNG rocking chair, an oval VALNÄS coffee table, a checked BLÅLJUS rug and a MOSSPLYM floor lamp. The walls, windows and the rest of the room stayed as they were.
Keep it calm
Scandinavian rooms look effortless because there’s little out on surfaces. Give everything a closed place to go, and keep a few things you like in sight: a plant, some books, one piece of art.