If you love clean simple lines, minimalist design and high levels of functionality without compromising on beauty then you’re likely to love Scandinavian inspired interiors. Scandi-style first rose to prominence in the 1950’s and has hung around in various guises ever since, with the fresh, bright look remaining a favourite with architects and consumers alike.

One of the key features of Scandinavian inspired homes is the lack of clutter; there is a place for everything and everything is in it’s place which can be very appealing when juxtaposed against our fast-paced, busy lives. A serene, calming home is certainly a very lovely place to retreat to after a hectic day, and the light tones and clean lines of Scandi interiors certainly offer just that.

One of the key components of Scandi-inspired interiors is the focus on nature, and bringing natural materials into the home. Scandinavian people value nature deeply and spend lots of time outdoors; something which is very much reflected in their design choices. Floors tend to be wooden, with natural wood used frequently in other furniture and decorative items. Greenery in the form of house plants are also a must-have in any Scandi home, helping to bring the outside in once again.

The colours used in Scandinavian interiors tend to be very neutral, with whites and creams being used on the walls, with pops of black bringing a sense of drama. Colours such as blush and sage green are also commonly used as accent colours, helping to bring some warmth to the light colour scheme. Colour palettes may be muted in Scandi interiors, but they never feel cold or stark thanks to the many textures used. Chunky knit blankets and faux fur cushions bring a real sense of hygge; “a quality of cosiness and comfortable conviviality that engenders a feeling of contentment or well-being (regarded as a defining characteristic of Danish culture)”.

If you think Scandi stye living could be for you, there are many ways you can start to bring a little bit (or a lot) of hygge into your home, including your kitchen. Here are some of our top tips for creating the look yourself:

Incorporate wood into your kitchen design

As we’ve mentioned above, Scandianvian design is all about celebrating nature and the natural materials available to us, so wood should definitely feature in a Scandi style kitchen. We’ve got a gorgeous selection of kitchens available with unpainted wooden doors – we personally love the Rivington – which show off the gorgeous grain in all its glory.

If you don’t fancy unpainted cabinets, why not think about wooden worktops instead to bring in the Nordic influence. They do require care and attention to be given to them but are oh-so beautiful. Wooden shelves, or a mantle over your oven can also be incorporated to help create that Scandi feel in a subtle way.

Use a white colour palette

When we think of Scandinavian homes, the thing that springs to mind first is bright white interiors. You can’t go wrong with a classic white kitchen, which will never go out of style and will bring a fresh look to your home. We particularly love high gloss white units as they reflect the light all around the room and feature gorgeous clean lines, which is exactly what you want to achieve with this look.

A sense of warmth can still be achieved through introducing accent colours in accessories like tea and coffee canisters, kettles etc, as well as the use of warm metallic tones like gold and copper in your kitchen tap and handles.

Display items you use all the time

One of the ways Scandi interiors achieve a minimalist yet homely feel is to keep surfaces and sides clear and uncluttered, whilst displaying every day items in an attractive way. Hanging cooking utensils next to your oven is one example of this – it is practical as they are nearby when you need to use them, they’re off your sides leaving room for you to prepare food, and they give a homely feel as they point to home cooking and family time.

Hanging mugs is also a great way to free up cupboard space and introduce a pop of colour into your kitchen. These items are often beautiful and displaying them in this way adds a lovely decorative touch to your neutral colour palette.

Keep clutter hidden away

All homes have a certain amount of clutter, particularly kitchens which contain lots of essential tools for cooking and entertaining. If space allows we highly recommend installing floor to ceiling cupboards in your new fitted kitchen, as these are spacious enough to hide all the small appliances you might not want on view.

These types of cupboards are great for housing microwaves, kettles and coffee machines, amongst other things. They can simply be opened when you want to use those items and hidden away again once you are done. If you don’t have space for floor to ceiling units, another solution which works really well is Tambour doors. Tambour doors are sliding doors made of slats which roll up and down to reveal and conceal appliances on your worktop. They’re a great way of keeping everything looking really sleek and tidy, but having what you need to hand when cooking.

Make space for dining

This may surprise you, but one of the most commonly seen features in Scandinavian kitchens is a dining table. If space allows try to incorporate either a dining table and chairs or a breakfast bar into your kitchen design, as bringing the family together to eat is one of the most important things in Scandinavian culture. The whole family gathering in one place to eat their meals helps to cement the kitchen as the heart of the home, creating a space for that all important family bonding time.

Adding a dining table or breakfast bar also provides another great opportunity to bring in warmth through wooden textures and splashes of colours, whether that be through a gorgeous oak table, or faux fur throws over your bar stool seating.

Create a warm glow with clever lighting

During the winter the days are long and dark in Scandinavia, which makes lighting an incredibly important consideration. Although our winters here may not be as hard, there’s still much we can learn from the Scandi approach to lighting our homes. Pendants can be hung low to create pools of light, creating a lovely cosy feel. These lights are also a great way to add colour or texture. Blues and greens are very popular in Scandi colour schemes, but we also love the natural look of rattan to bring in another natural material.

We also highly recommend zoning your lighting so you can switch on different sections depending on the season and time of day. You may want all your kitchen lights switched on of a grey, dreary winter morning, but would probably like the option of more mellow, relaxed lighting when eating or entertaining. Zoning your lighting with different switches for each section gives you all the options you may like.

If you’d like to create a Scandi-inspired kitchen, get in touch with us to help turn your vision into reality. With over 30 different kitchen styles available, we can help you find the perfect one to make your dream a reality. What’s more, with Kitchenroom you can always be assured of:

1. First class personal service from start to finish
2. 18 mm Rigid (assembled) wall and base units with doors already fitted
3. 8 cabinet colour options (so not just white / ivory or oak) to match the colour of the kitchen
4. 2 mm ABS edged cabinets
5. Soft close Blum doors & drawers that come with a lifetime guarantee
6. 25 year guarantee on our units / 10 years on Solid wood kitchens / 7 years on MDF kitchens
7. A typical lead time of 3 – 4 weeks
8. We can supply only or supply and arrange the fit of your new kitchen where we will take care of the whole project from start to finish

Want to know more?

Why not take a look at some of our recently completed kitchen installations?

Click here to see our range of fitted kitchens.