What Scandinavian Minimalism Is (and How to Achieve It In Your Home)

Inside: Learn what Scandinavian minimalism is and you can achieve the look in your home.

A guest post by Cora Gold

Your living space is part of your self-expression. It should be the place where you feel most like yourself.

If your interior decor no longer aligns with your preferences, it could be a great time to do some select updates in your house.

Read on to learn more about Scandinavian minimalism to see if it’s a good fit for you. You can make quick adjustments to your current decorating to ease into a minimalist design that speaks to your personality.

What Is Scandinavian Minimalism?

Scandinavian minimalism is an interior design approach that creates cozy, comfortable living spaces without relying on excessive decor.

It simplifies any home into a welcoming environment that invites people to relax, take a deep breath, and live without distracting clutter.

Principles of Scandinavian Minimalism

Most interior design themes have core principles. Discover what sets Scandinavian minimalism apart to better understand how to implement it in your home.

Functionality Is Key

Functionality means everything in your home serves a purpose. Everything you own becomes both practical and beloved. It maximizes the use of your space while keeping the things that have the most sentimental value.

Simplicity and Organization Are Important

Clutter is anything that makes a space feel cramped or messy. Homes decorated with Scandinavian minimalism in mind always prioritize simple organization solutions.

You should have an organized place for everything you own, whether that’s out of sight in a cabinet or on a shelf.

Nature Is Essential

Natural elements are another foundational ideal of Scandinavian minimalist design. When adding any decor, you don’t want to overdo it, so incorporate the select natural pieces that speak to you most.

Your room upgrades should include some element of the natural world to balance your organization and functionality while creating a cozy earthy feel.

How to Achieve Scandinavian Minimalism at Home

Browse potential strategies to get inspired to decorate your home with Scandinavian minimalist ideas.

Whether you’re changing the look of your entire house or just one room, you’ll have an easy experience with some inspiration in mind.

1. Declutter Your Living Space

Start your adventure into Scandinavian minimalism by cleaning your living space. Place things into two categories — keeping or not keeping.

You should hold onto things that serve a purpose or have sentimental value while being functional. Anything else can go to thrift stores.

You might also host a yard sale to sell your clutter. Use the proceeds to support your interior design upgrades. You’ll have more funds for whatever you need to transform your home into a place of equal functionality and beauty.

2. Utilize Natural Lighting

You don’t need an open-air California room or even a back porch to utilize the outdoor world at home.

Consider curtains with thin materials, like lace or sheer gauze. You’ll let more sunshine into your home, which is an easy way to work the environment into your decorating.

The right lighting can make your home feel more cozy. Pay attention to the lightbulbs you use in your home. Ones with a yellow tone will make your home feel much warmer than those with a blue undertone, which tends to feel more sterile and cold.

3. Create a Neutral Color Palette 

Neutral, earthy tones are the heart of Scandinavian minimalism. Instead of going for a black, white and gray color scheme, consider warmer neutrals when choosing paint colors and furniture.

Natural hues like taupe and ochre keep your home simple while creating a warm and cozy feeling. 

With warm beige tones as your base, you can bring in pops of green through plants. Soft blues, oranges and reds also pair well with an earthy palette without overwhelming your space.

Bring in natural materials like terracotta, wood, bamboo or stone when selecting furniture and housewares.

4. Find Multi-Use Furniture

You’re likely used to looking at bed frames for sleeping or chairs for reclining. However, the world of multi-use furniture holds so much more potential when you’re prioritizing functionality in every aspect of your home.

Try adding one piece of multi-use furniture to the rooms you’re redecorating. You could upgrade to a couch with storage inside of it or a Murphy bed if you live in a small space.

A desk that folds into your wall could even optimize your home office. Consider how you spend time in your house to start where you’ll use your new furniture the most.

5. Get Previously Loved Goods

It’s nice when you can balance your interior design with eco-friendly choices. If you want to bring something new into your home see if you can buy it secondhand from a thrift store, yard sale or estate sale.

Previously loved goods are upcycled treasures with tons of interior design potential. They’re also a more sustainable option. It has less of an impact on the environment and helps keep items out of a landfill.

Your design choices will make your interior decorating journey more eco-friendly, prioritizing nature just as Scandinavian minimalism practices advise. You’ll likely even save money, as secondhand things like multi-use furniture are resold at significantly lower prices than the original owners previously spent on them.

6. Soften With Natural Textures

Cooler, natural tones and an emptier space can make a home feel cold. Prevent that problem during your interior design adventure by adding earthy textures.

A woven rug will prevent echoing on hardwood floors and soften any room’s appearance. Add a small house plant to your living room and a chunky knit blanket. Both provide joy and comfort while providing visual texture.

Create the Scandinavian Minimalist Home of Your Dreams  

Anyone can decorate their home with Scandinavian minimalism in mind. Get inspired by simple decorating ideas to start your journey to a decluttered, purposeful home.

Whatever furniture upgrades or paint hues catch your eye, your home will have a vibe that matches your personality. You can choose your own version of minimalism while retaining your unique style.

Have you heard of Scandinavian Minimalism? Do you like the style? Let us know in the comments section below.

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