Lifestyle: 9 lessons style to steal the Nordics - The world has long been hungry for Nordic lifestyle, with our love of design, nature, light and the good life. But this is much more than painting your white boards or throw a sheepskin on a chair - it is a state of mind that informs everyday life. The good thing is, everyone can do it, and it's not even a question of budget or size of your home. Here are our nine steps to live life as a Scandinavian.
Skeppsholmen Sotheby's International Realty
Choose a good design
is not about trying to impress the neighbors or name-dropping your last purchase designer. Living with the design is just good living, regardless of how things around you work, how they are made and how they make you feel. For us Nordics, form follows function - we design necessity. (Although, as we all know, there is nothing stopping our designers produce functional objects that are both funky and fabulous.)
is not about trying to impress the neighbors or name-dropping your last purchase designer. Living with the design is just good living, regardless of how things around you work, how they are made and how they make you feel. For us Nordics, form follows function - we design necessity. (Although, as we all know, there is nothing stopping our designers produce functional objects that are both funky and fabulous.)
Louis Poulsen USA
always buy an original
Yes, classics design can be expensive. Yes, it is easy to be lured in companies that sell poorly produced knock-offs, no one thinks will be able to tell the difference anyway. But there is one thing a copied product will never do: hold its value. If you invest in a Poul Henningsen lamp (PH3 is shown here), you can enjoy it for a lifetime and if you want to put the funds of the University of grandchildren. Henningsen designed the PH lamps in the late 1920s and early 30s, and nearly a hundred years on, they still look modern and beautiful.
Yes, classics design can be expensive. Yes, it is easy to be lured in companies that sell poorly produced knock-offs, no one thinks will be able to tell the difference anyway. But there is one thing a copied product will never do: hold its value. If you invest in a Poul Henningsen lamp (PH3 is shown here), you can enjoy it for a lifetime and if you want to put the funds of the University of grandchildren. Henningsen designed the PH lamps in the late 1920s and early 30s, and nearly a hundred years on, they still look modern and beautiful.
Norm Architects
like light
We all know the Nordic penchant for white and minimalist interior back wall, right? Of course this is a bit of a cliché, and there are lots of colorful houses in Scandinavia. But the fact remains that we love all shades of white - perhaps in celebration of sunlight both in summer and deep snow in winter.
The walls of this room are absolutely perfect for reflecting light. A sloping ceiling sheds light through space and ends with tall windows (above eye level) that attract even the lowest rays in winter.
We all know the Nordic penchant for white and minimalist interior back wall, right? Of course this is a bit of a cliché, and there are lots of colorful houses in Scandinavia. But the fact remains that we love all shades of white - perhaps in celebration of sunlight both in summer and deep snow in winter.
The walls of this room are absolutely perfect for reflecting light. A sloping ceiling sheds light through space and ends with tall windows (above eye level) that attract even the lowest rays in winter.
Hannes Söderlund
shopping and live sustainably
with large sections of our five Nordic countries covered in forest, no wonder we use wood as their primary source materials. Saunas stools, everything is dressed or built from pine and spruce, giving interiors that look typical Scandi. But it is also about the use of materials that are at hand and that can be achieved sustainably.
As consumers, we hold enormous power in our choice of products. The smarter we shop, the better things will be. So support local businesses and those that tell the story of their production process openly, and you can make small changes each day.
Discover more ways to use wood for a rustic modern look sober return
with large sections of our five Nordic countries covered in forest, no wonder we use wood as their primary source materials. Saunas stools, everything is dressed or built from pine and spruce, giving interiors that look typical Scandi. But it is also about the use of materials that are at hand and that can be achieved sustainably.
As consumers, we hold enormous power in our choice of products. The smarter we shop, the better things will be. So support local businesses and those that tell the story of their production process openly, and you can make small changes each day.
Discover more ways to use wood for a rustic modern look sober return
House Beatniks
Seeing things in black and white
You might think we are a middle of the road, gently diplomatic and maybe even a little bit ... boring? Far from there. Nordic nations are extreme, with deep currents running of emotion. We have not been in darkness and no light in winter. Opposites attract, even in our homes. Too white in a room, and you're going blind snow. Too black, and it is still dark. But the perfect balance of dark lines in a white decor is pure poetry for us - like our version of yin and yang for interiors. And it works in the world.
Browse more ways to use monochrome in a Scandi inside
You might think we are a middle of the road, gently diplomatic and maybe even a little bit ... boring? Far from there. Nordic nations are extreme, with deep currents running of emotion. We have not been in darkness and no light in winter. Opposites attract, even in our homes. Too white in a room, and you're going blind snow. Too black, and it is still dark. But the perfect balance of dark lines in a white decor is pure poetry for us - like our version of yin and yang for interiors. And it works in the world.
Browse more ways to use monochrome in a Scandi inside
DINELLJOHANSSON
Make room for the game
children should be both seen and heard in the Scandinavian countries, and as often and as hard as possible. Playtime is taken very seriously, from creations with Lego - which originated in Denmark - the older ones. The cyberworlds Minecraft, video game invented in Sweden
In this Swedish summer house, the space above the cabin sleeping parents has been converted into a covered hut, secure by nets, so the kids can have their own place to play.
children should be both seen and heard in the Scandinavian countries, and as often and as hard as possible. Playtime is taken very seriously, from creations with Lego - which originated in Denmark - the older ones. The cyberworlds Minecraft, video game invented in Sweden
In this Swedish summer house, the space above the cabin sleeping parents has been converted into a covered hut, secure by nets, so the kids can have their own place to play.
Skälsö Arkitekter
live around (and in) the nature
While other European people flock to the beaches and resorts in the summer, the luxury of straw for many Scandinavians on vacation goes to an isolated place away from crowd - perhaps without running water or central heating, but preferably with a good Wi-Fi, our nations are among the most wired in the world.
Our landscapes are deeply rooted in us, and the new architecture makes good use of advances in insulation and triple glazing to create walls from floor to ceiling glass, as seen here in this summer house. We also like to bring nature inside, with plants in pots in simple clay to take us through the winter months.
While other European people flock to the beaches and resorts in the summer, the luxury of straw for many Scandinavians on vacation goes to an isolated place away from crowd - perhaps without running water or central heating, but preferably with a good Wi-Fi, our nations are among the most wired in the world.
Our landscapes are deeply rooted in us, and the new architecture makes good use of advances in insulation and triple glazing to create walls from floor to ceiling glass, as seen here in this summer house. We also like to bring nature inside, with plants in pots in simple clay to take us through the winter months.
studio Esinam
organize and Declutter
We like some order and selection. After all, two Swedish words you can learn all are Ombudsman and smorgasbord . But it is also to see the beauty of every day in the simple things, and take pleasure in a well-folded pile of towels or running a hand along a bookshelf coordinated colors. This philosophy is similar to mindfulness through design, and is something that can be done, no matter how you live or what your budget is.
We like some order and selection. After all, two Swedish words you can learn all are Ombudsman and smorgasbord . But it is also to see the beauty of every day in the simple things, and take pleasure in a well-folded pile of towels or running a hand along a bookshelf coordinated colors. This philosophy is similar to mindfulness through design, and is something that can be done, no matter how you live or what your budget is.
Embrace hygge
We will round off this guide on how to take advantage of Nordic design with a Danish word that encapsulates all the steps above. Hygge of cozy warmth 'means - spending time with those you love, in a house that is filled with light and well-loved items that bring you joy every day when you use them. You can not buy hygge , and you can find someone to create it for you. It is the northern state of contentment that is found only at home
Come see the Nordic lifestyle and Nordic design and architecture to Houzz.dk and Houzz.se.
Velkommen and Välkommen!
Tell us ...
Have you adopted the Nordic way of life? Share your tips in the comments below.
We will round off this guide on how to take advantage of Nordic design with a Danish word that encapsulates all the steps above. Hygge of cozy warmth 'means - spending time with those you love, in a house that is filled with light and well-loved items that bring you joy every day when you use them. You can not buy hygge , and you can find someone to create it for you. It is the northern state of contentment that is found only at home
Come see the Nordic lifestyle and Nordic design and architecture to Houzz.dk and Houzz.se.
Velkommen and Välkommen!
Tell us ...
Have you adopted the Nordic way of life? Share your tips in the comments below.
