Swedish Style: Interior Design

The Swedish Style series wouldn’t be complete without a few words about Swedish interior design. Throughout our time in Sweden, I was continually reminded about what makes Scandinavian style so popular. The Swedes have a way with simple lines, incredible textiles, and an understated simplicity that is undeniably agreeable to the eye. Yes, we all know about Ikea. But the truth is that Swedish interior design goes far beyond what we all know and love about Ikea. Because of their long, dark winters, furniture and walls are kept light, bright, and usually white. Their homes are very small by American standards, however their lack of clutter and light color schemes give them a feeling of spaciousness.

Clean lines and minimal clutter create spaciousness. Image by Apartmentdezign.com.

An older home with antique furnishings is kept fresh with sparkling wood floors and white walls.

White is the color of choice in Swedish homes. Photo by Anna Kern from thestylefiles.com.

Classic Swedish Style! Photos by Anna Kern from Thestylefiles.com.

A white orchid creates a vignette for a window overlooking Goteborg harbor.

Sweden has phenomenal home design shops. One of the many shops I stopped in at was Nordiska Kompaniet (NK), one of the biggest department stores in Sweden. I found myself in design heaven in this otherwise ordinary department store (think Macy’s). The quality of the furnishing and accessories was unlike anything I’ve seen in any US department store. I see this as a testament to how seriously they take design. Here are a few examples:

Maybe I’m biased, but there is just something about the Swedish interior. Its lightness exudes optimism, its minimalism creates a sense of calm, and the lines and textures pull it all together to create something so visually appealing it is hard to stop looking. Which is why I took so many pictures.