Scandinavian style in the interior of a small apartment

Scandinavia is the unofficial name of a northern European territory located on the Scandinavian Peninsula. It includes Sweden, Norway and Denmark. But in a broad sense, Scandinavia also refers to Finland, Iceland and the islands of the North Atlantic. These are northern countries, deprived of heat and sunlight, the land of harsh climate and harsh people.

No wonder that the inhabitants of these countries are trying in every way to make their homes warmer and more comfortable with the help of a special decoration. But cold winters without a warm sun are well known to Russians. Therefore, the ideas of interior design in the Scandinavian style are very close to us. These ideas are especially relevant for owners of small apartments. After all, knowing the features of this style, you can on the usual 40 square meters.m to make a bright cozy home, where you want to return and hot summer and cold winter.

Famous Finnish architect Alvar Aalto once said that the task of the architect is to make life more convenient. And the Scandinavian style copes with it best of all.

Designers offer a large number of projects that, at first glance, are radically different from each other and can not belong to the same style. But looking closer, it becomes clear that:

• Scandinavian style is a mix of minimalism and loft, Provence and ethno; the main thing is to have a lot of light shades;
• Scandinavians love to surround themselves with convenient things: unlike minimalists, they use a large number of accessories and simply useful drawers and cabinets;
• regardless of the size of housing, the style will be appropriate everywhere: in a small room, and in a country cottage, and all because it is simple and clear;
• simplicity begins with a commitment to nature: natural materials for the walls, floor, ceiling and furniture in the priority;
• short light day of the northern latitudes is compensated by large windows with light and simple curtains that let in a lot of light;
• pastel colors in the design of rooms often become the backdrop for a bright accent that makes life brighter;
• artificial lighting - the ability to extend the northern daylight hours and gather the whole family from the family hearth;
• the Scandinavian style was divided into two directions: the first is a tribute to the tradition, combining reliability, confidence, and weight, as in a Swedish or Norwegian classical house; the second is space, freedom and light, an open layout and the absence of heavy decorative elements.

The lack of sun in the northern latitudes led to the fact that the main color of this style has become white. Two color schemes are most popular:

• white on white;
• white on wooden (natural).

In the first case, different types of textured materials help to avoid hospital sterility: a wooden floor covered with white paint (possibly with a patina), fur, wool, textiles. Bright spots of pillows, furniture, panels will make the house warm and cozy.

If, nevertheless, such sterility is not to your liking, you can use the colors of natural wooden shades in the floor covering.

But many modern designers adhere to the idea that white is dull and can lead to depression. therefore offer design bright, saturated, capable, in their opinion, to give vitality to the inhabitants of such rooms. This is especially true of children's rooms.

Most choose the middle ground: not a hospital-white, but not a color riot. Pastel colors come to the rescue: from cream to ivory. And here the main thing is to find a decent combination of these colors: add warm blue to pearl white, and cold gray or ocher to ivory. In addition, Scandinavians have great respect for most shades of green in design: not only paint, but also textiles, as well as plants.

In addition to monochrome variants, the design often uses color prints from bright large colors or repeating medium-sized patterns. But geometry and abstraction are also in demand.

Recently, Falun red has become popular again. This color is widely used by modern builders, designers. For Scandinavians, the red house is a symbol of reliable family life.The use of capes, rugs, puffs of this deep color gives the house a sense of stability and reliability. If there is a desire to make the room even warmer and friendlier, then use shades of yellow and orange.

Eternal classic - a combination of white and black. Black color can be used both in the kitchen and in the living room. The main thing is to choose proportions for different rooms and not to forget that the use of black in rooms where there is little sun, will make the room gloomy.

Depending on the chosen direction (classical or modern) use different materials. Still, historically Scandinavian style has natural materials: wood, stone, ceramics, cotton, leather, fur, flax.

The best design projects demonstrate various combinations of materials. This allows you to delimit the space of a small apartment without installing additional partitions. Different floor covering allows you to separate the kitchen from the living room.Using wallpaper on a fragment of plastered wall will add coziness to the bedroom. The red brick wall will become a color accent in the white room and remind you of the connection of the Scandinavian style with the loft.

Thinking about repairs in an apartment, you can be sure that with careful study of the issue, proper color combination, proper material selection, the Scandinavian style will help decorate an apartment of any size.

The classic ceiling of the Scandinavians in a wooden house was left unpainted. And today such ceilings are in fashion. In the apartments facing south, if desired, trim the ceiling with natural or artificial slats under light wood. For dark rooms in small apartments you need to choose the lightest shades with a reflective effect. so that when natural or artificial light hits them, visually enlarge the space.

The modern Scandinavian ceiling is plaster and whitewash. And do not add pink or beige color to the whitewash. To give a lightness and naturalness sometimes add a little blue or green hue. And no contrasting trim using bright colors.

Scandinavian style does not involve fancy multi-level ceilings. But if in a small apartment the ceilings are too high, then this makes it visually even smaller. In this case, it is better to make a suspended ceiling of acceptable height or a multi-level rectangular structure.

Flooring allows for a considerable variety. This is especially important for studio apartments, as it helps to zone the room. The most commonly used wood or laminate of natural colors: pine, birch, beech. Scandinavians are very fond of a bleached board and not very much - a tree with a reddish sheen. To keep white floors longer, you can cover them with skin or fur (including artificial) with a high pile. Knitted bright rugs will look beautiful.

For the kitchen and hallway often choose tile. And if here it can be laconic colors or contrasting black and white, then in the bathroom very often the floor is covered with blue, blue tiles with a stylized Scandinavian pattern.

Special attention should be paid to the floor in the nursery. It makes no sense to lay expensive parquet., because of childish pranks, he may soon swell or warp. And at the same time, the floor must be warm. Perhaps, wooden painted rake - the best option. But do not forget about carpets and rugs on a thick basis.

If you want to avoid the hospital whiteness, then you can pick up beige plaster on the walls to the white ceiling. Often one of the walls is painted in a different color, combined with furniture or textiles.

The second option - light wooden vertical or horizontal panels. In this case, the contrast can be a dark tree on a fragment of the wall and the same tree on the floor.

Another option - tile in the kitchen and bathroom. Here Scandinavians use as usual white tile without frills, and with drawings, bright and textured. Unfinished red brick is a frequent occurrence in such apartments. This may be an external bearing wall or a specially made partition in the studio apartment. But more often the brick is whitened with acrylic paint (water-emulsion).

Wallpapers are not the main element on the walls. Most often it is a fragmentary decor, allowing you to focus on the bed or workplace.Very popular wallpaper, created in the Scandinavian countries, since they have typical Scandinavian pattern

In small apartments the issue of space is the main one. Therefore, when choosing furniture for the Scandinavian interior use the following recommendations:

• the furniture should be functional: the sofa turns into a bed, under the bed there are retractable storage spaces, a kitchen table is an extendable one, a child’s room is a bunk (the workplace is at the bottom, the bedroom is upstairs);
• a sofa and a bed, a table and chairs - everything should be simple, comfortable, compact and ergonomic; if possible, it is better to purchase folding chairs and a table; instead of closed wardrobes, use hanging shelves and brackets for clothes;
• baskets, chests, wicker containers are perfect for this design, they are easy to move, they can turn into modular furniture or extra chairs;
• It is necessary to give preference to natural materials: wood, rattan, metal.But if modern Scandinavian style is used, then plastic chairs and a glass table top are appropriate.

The interior of Scandinavian houses has a small number of decorative elements, but they are of great importance. It is pleasant to press a soft pillow bag in a knitted case into a cold winter evening.

Transparent glass vases will allow you to see a ray of light through the glass and play with the sun hare. And if the vase is filled with small colored stones, beads, sawdust, then it will attract attention with its uniqueness. At all, Hand made things are welcome in this style.. It can be either a wall panel or a self-woven rug.

For visual enlargement of space often use not only color, but also mirrors. This may be a floor mirror in the bathroom, a mirror on the facade of the wardrobe, small mirrors pasted on the wall.

Having a wealth of experience in using the Scandinavian style, the authors of the interiors offer many ideas for decorating a small dwelling. The main ones are reduced to the description of the following:

• Zoning with the help of open shelves will help to organize the sleeping and work space in a 1-room apartment.
• Furniture-transformer will save space not only in the room, but also in the kitchen.
• The device cloakroom instead of the pantry will save space in the living room.
• Balcony - the continuation of the house. In cold climates, it can be warmed and make a real winter Scandinavian corner.
• A minimum of things with great functionality will help rationally, but with comfort, to use the space.

One-bedroom apartment will allow children to allocate a separate room. It is important to remember that for the organization of the nursery, additional factors must be taken into account: safety, availability of a workplace and a place for games, psycho-emotional comfort due to the correct selection of colors and furniture. Bunk furniture will save space for entertainment. The presence of a large number of boxes and baskets inherent in the Scandinavian style, is the best fit for children's toys.

In the children's room must be provided a place to rest. It can be a bed or a sofa, a large soft pouf or a fluffy carpet, or maybe a hammock or a wigwam.

Three-room apartment in 75 sq. M. m is standard for most residents of the former Soviet Union. As a rule, functional rooms in it are divided into the living room, nursery and bedroom. And if the device of the child was discussed above, now it is worth talking about the bedroom.

In addition to white, Scandinavians love to use blue or blue in the interior. The proximity to the sea makes this color natural not only in the bathroom, but also in the bedroom. At the same time, you rarely find patterns on the marine theme. There is rather a stylized national patterns.

Designers offer the following solutions:

• Unusual wallpaper will help to attract the attention of a naughty child and protect the wall from unwanted splashes.Kitchen draws attention to the lack of curtains and blinds. This is a frequent phenomenon in the Scandinavian style, but is unlikely to suit the residents of the first floors.
• This kitchen is more practical: a colored apron over the countertop, wooden floor, dark table top. This option is the most functional and close to our mentality.

• Trying to imagine what a Scandinavian style hallway might look like, fears arise: the white color in the hallway is not rational. There will have to include fantasy. At least you can use not white, but beige or light shades of natural wood.
• And this black and gray hallway will perfectly cope with its purpose: the style is sustained, the colors are well chosen and even the obligatory horns are present.

Tips for decorating a Scandinavian-style apartment can be found in the video below.