Scandi Style Steps Up: Meet the New Nordic Look

Soft, earthy neutrals

Start by giving rooms a light-enhancing base with warm white across the walls and ceilings. Then, choose two or three muted earth-drawn neutrals, such as soft grey, pumice, beige or eucalypt green, and layer them in different tones across key elements in the room, such as sofas, armchairs, upholstered dining chairs, curtains, and bedlinen. Together, they will create a look that’s softly nuanced and cocooning. For a guide to the perfect neutral palette, discover Dulux’s new Restore trend here.

Maintain an open, airy and classically Scandinavian feel by adding in open shelving units or room dividers in white or off-white where you can display your collectibles.

Pops of deeper colour

Introduce moments of darker colour through artwork, cushions, and patterned wallpaper to balance out the gentle, earthy palette – think rich rust, indigo or terracotta. This is also a clever way to draw the eye to features you want to highlight in a room, such as a great armchair or a study nook.

Warm timber

Timber still stars in the new Nordic look. But rather than the pale, lime-washed timbers we’ve seen previously, the latest look favours warm oak. Use it everywhere from flooring, kitchen cabinetry and bathroom vanities to key furniture pieces such as the dining table and living-room sideboard or built-in joinery for a look that feels connected to nature.

Cosy factor

This fresh spin on classic Scandi puts a premium on comfort. Seek out upholstered dining chairs and bar stools and cosy sofas you can sink into. Soften wooden or tiled floors with rugs in different shapes and textures – particularly in those areas where you wish to relax, such as the living room, family room and bedrooms.

Texture galore

Texture is the fast-track to adding depth and cosiness to a room. For this Scandi-inspired look, mix a variety of different textures, such as matt-finish stone benchtops to the kitchen, organic, textured tiles to bathrooms, and fabrics with a textural weave in soft furnishings, such as linen curtains.  

Unexpected textural mixes will elevate your scheme to the next level; for example, you might combine ribbed wall panelling with woven fabric wallpaper across a single wall in your main bedroom.

Curves

The trend for furniture with curvy, rounded lines shows little sign of slowing down, and with its gentle feel it works a treat in the new Nordic look. Consider a curvy, swivel armchair and a trio of rounded coffee tables in the living room, a generous, round ottoman in the dressing room where you can take a breather while you’re choosing your outfit for the day, and outdoor furniture with soft, rounded lines that softens your alfresco area.

Black accents

Introducing a few pops of matt black instantly adds a contemporary edge to a gentle, Scandi-inspired scheme. The key is not to overdo it – one or two touches in a room is more than sufficient. You might, for example, consider a black mixer tap in the kitchen, black handles for your bathroom joinery, or a slender black-steel staircase balustrade in your entry.

Feature lighting

The Scandinavians have mastered the art of layering lighting to create a scheme that feels both cosy and natural. To recreate the effect in your own home, combine lighting at different levels, such as floor lamps, table lamps, wall lights and pendants. Install lighting on individual dimmer switches so you can adjust illumination levels to suit the mood – brighter during busy family mealtimes and lower and moodier when you’re relaxing or entertaining.

Abstract artworks

Complete the look with simple, abstract prints in tones drawn from your main palette – think rust, sage, terracotta and grey – in simple timber or white frames. Make a statement with a single oversized print or a group of prints in different sizes, but the same frames, above the sofa or bed.

And don’t limit art to living areas and bedrooms; use it to breathe life into the more practical parts of your home too, such as the kitchen, laundry, and bathrooms.

And just like that, hygge steps up!

Learn more about how to choose the perfect artwork for your home here.