Scandinavian design emphasizes a minimalist style with simple, clean lines and maximum functionality. It promotes a lifestyle that makes everyday tasks easier and everyday pleasures more enjoyable. Scandinavian design gets rid of clutter and creates an unencumbered lifestyle that focuses on living your best life.
Scandinavian design is a style that began in the 1930s in the Nordic region. It promoted simple design principles of rising Nordic designers in Sweden, Denmark, Norway, Finland and Iceland. Design principles were inspired by simple things found in nature that emphasized shape, texture and color. Nordic designers focused on the cold, year-round climate to create furniture and decorative accessories that were functional, sustainable, easily accessible, and affordable for the average person’s budget. People became intrigued with the simplicity and clean lines of Scandinavian design, because it was such a stark contrast to old-world European styles that were ornate, heavy and dark. Between the 1930s and the 1970s, Scandinavian designers like Hans Wegner, Alvar Aalto and Borge Morgensen started a design trend that is still very popular today. In major cities around the world, you’ll find Scandinavian furniture stores and décor from resources like www.mygiftstop.com that showcase a variety of beautiful items.
Within the world of home furnishings and interior design, Scandinavian design is recognized by emphasis on specific details. Whether it’s building materials or decorative accessories, creating a simple lifestyle is always the main goal.
* Building Materials – The use of sustainable, eco-friendly building materials are always emphasized in Scandinavian design. The intent is to promote a lifestyle that puts man in touch with the organic beauty of nature and creates less waste for the planet.
* Flooring – Homes typically have simple, wooden plank floors, rather than wall-to-wall carpeting. Woods are usually light in color to give an open, airy feeling to interior spaces. If area rugs are used, they are kept to a minimum and focus on soft, comfortable textures, rather than bold patterns.
* Surface Materials – Woods in warm tones are often used for furniture, cabinetry, walls, ceilings, and doors. The warm hues found in teak, oak, and redwood create a feeling of interior warmth that provides a comfortable contrast to the cold Nordic climate.
* Colors and Textures – Scandinavian design emphasizes white walls for simplicity and inspiring colors and textures that are found in nature. Cool blues, relaxing greens, and vibrant shades of reds, oranges and yellows are commonly found in Scandinavian homes on furnishings and decorative accessories.