From the birthplace of IKEA, Alexander Skarsgard and Absolut Vodka, we have a lot to thank Sweden for. More so, when the Scandi style invaded the world of interior design. Sleek furnishing, minimalistic design, and easy cleaning, it has all the ingredients of a well functioning yet stylish home. Scandi-fever has swept through Singapore and for those of you wondering why, here are reasons for hopping onto that bandwagon.
No colour stress
Photo credit: Dan’s Workshop
The Scandinavian concept is fairly monochrome and when it does vary, it does so in subtle shades of slate grey and dusky blue. Furniture normally follows suit with pine, grey or white. So simple.
Low maintenance
Photo credit: Amoz Boon
In our mad rat race, it’s difficult to maintain thick carpets, plush sofas and fluffy curtains. Thankfully, Scandinavian interiors tend to lean towards laminate flooring, cement screed and flat-fabric textiles. That’s right, none of that wooly nonsense… unless your air conditioning is really cold.
No curse of the black thumb
Image credit: scandidecoration.com
Being in the Nordic regions, it’s not all that common to see much greenery in the cities, and for the greenery you do see, has to be very frost-resistant and generally, hardy. Read: easy to care for, hard to kill. Therefore, to complete your Scandi-decor journey, various species of cacti are generally preferred.
Happy wear and tear
Image credit: washingtonpost.com
So you might be the kiasu Singaporean and worry about scuff marks, scratches and the like on your pristine white interiors. But like a pair of good Doc Martens, Scandi interiors are made to look weathered (they were the homes of Vikings, after all) and worn, so the more scuffed, the better.
No clutter
Image credit: @vissevasse via Pinterest
The true beauty of a Scandi-themed home is in the decluttering of space. This encourages you to be neat and actually put things away. Sure, the interiors are forgiving enough for a scarf thrown about, or a few knick-knacks on the tables, but soon, the urge to declutter will begin to restore your Scandi-glory. Empty spaces make happy faces.
Featured image courtesy of Dan’s Workshop
