You've probably heard about Danish Hygge, maybe Swedish Lagoons... Well, the time has come for a Norwegian kos. In Scandinavian countries, where winters are long and dark and day are short, the people of the north had to find an effective way to make this unfavourable time well spent. They are best at handling long winter evenings, but also according to the World Happiness Report, they have been at the forefront of the happiest nations in the world for years. What is the Norwegian secret for happiness according to the Norwegians? It's about enjoying small pleasures, the simplicity of life, warmth, time with family - these values are also visible in the Scandinavian idea of interior design. Kos is a cup of hot cocoa, a warm woollen sweater, relaxing by the fireplace, listening to your favourite song, a weekend at a cottage in the mountains, beautifully decorated interior - kos is a cozy and warm atmosphere. Take a look at our article and find out how to make your life and interior more koselig.
An interior that says slapp av - rest!
5 simple steps to create a truly koselig interior:
- Light up the interior with cosiness:
Light in Scandinavian interiors is a crucial element that gives shape to the entire interior - large windows are one thing, but in winter even that won't help when it's polar night outside. Instead of a standard ceiling lamp, choose diffused lighting sources. Candles, light garlands and lanterns also come in handy, introducing warm light that is gentle on the eyes. When arranging a Scandinavian-style living room or bedroom, use scented candles that contain your favourite aroma compositions. - Wrap yourself in warmth:
If decorating your space with pillows, warm blankets, hand-woven macramé and wall decorations fills you with good emotions - then you can officially say that you are living koselig . If you are concerned about what to do with these textiles in the summer, you can simply store them in wicker baskets - an indispensable element of any Scandi-style decoration. This way, they will always be on hand for cool evenings. Kos is not only feelings but also actions, so bake cinnamon rolls and enjoy their taste under a woollen blanket. - Give your senses a rest thanks to the gentle colors:
Interiors all in white or grey? In our Polish context, such a combination does not evoke too positive associations, but there is a simple rule that will make even white interiors cosy and inviting - mix shades and textures. Wrong use of a monochrome colour palette in your interior can make the space bland, monolithic and cold. In order for our interior not to look like a waiting room in a dentist's office, it is enough to use a spectrum of colours instead of "one" white - from ivory, titanium white, zinc, to sandy beige shades resembling northern beaches. Such a procedure will add multidimensionality and depth to the arrangement. If we combine this multitude of shades with a multitude of textures and patterns, we will get an interesting and cosy interior - consistent, simple and at the same time inviting.
In order to give the interior a bit of colour, you can use several elements in a contrasting colour, black will be perfect for this role. Such a frame for the arrangement can be a black metal coffee table (pun not intended), a lamp with a large shade, a carpet in black and white patterns or several contrasting patterns, black and white posters . - Bring nature inside:
The closeness of nature is so deeply embedded in the mentality of Scandinavians that in their modern design, the boundary between what is outside and what is inside is blurred, or even the inside itself resembles an element of nature. Such an effect would be impossible to achieve without the presence of natural, raw materials, indispensable elements of every Scandinavian design. Natural materials are the starting point for Scandinavian design. Wood has a special place here. Its light shades add freshness to the interior and make it take on a cheerful and friendly character. The ubiquity of this material is also due to the fact that it is abundant in northern countries. In Scandinavian interior design, wood will work both as a classic floor covering, but also as an interesting arrangement of walls. You can choose traditional spruce, birch or pine boards, or opt for an attractive (also financially) wall mural with an imitation of wooden boards . If the structure of the house allows it, you can leave the wooden elements of the roof exposed. When choosing furniture, consider their comfort, functionality and aesthetics - raw wood furniture, unstained or covered only with a light impregnation, is a solution for years that will never go out of fashion. Chests of drawers and wardrobes on wooden legs will not only add a flavour of retro to the interior, but also make it lighter and more spacious. Wooden accessories perfectly complement any Scandi-style arrangement. - The accessories will add an individual character:
Traditional Norwegian houses were relatively small, so you could not afford to clutter the space too much, functionality has always been a key factor here. Since then, a lot has changed, modern houses have become larger, but the principle of a clear interior, without unnecessary accumulation of objects, has survived. The commonly held belief is that the Scandinavian style is synonymous with minimalism. What distinguishes these two styles is the attitude towards accessories. While minimalism assumes a far-reaching reduction, in the Scandinavian style they are most desirable, there is only one but - they must fulfil a function, e.g. create a cosy atmosphere. The interior in the Scandinavian style is a field for decorative display. It is worth betting on natural objects and handmade - ceramic vases, woven rugs, painted pictures. These small changes will make our space take on a more personal, intimate expression.
Norwegian style house
Norwegian style indoors
- Bedroom
The colour of the walls and the atmosphere in the bedroom has a huge impact on the quality of our sleep. Balanced, delicate colours - white, grey, pastel shades of blue - are friendly to a deep relaxation, and make it easier to get up in the morning. The Scandinavian-style bedroom is made up of not only light colours - dark but unsaturated shades help to fall asleep and improve its quality. A clear layout without excess furniture gives the room lightness. Soft and diffused lighting, woollen textiles, a few paintings or nature posters soothe your senses and turn your dream environment into an oasis of relaxation. - Living room
The living room should be the cosiest room in the house! Choose natural light wood, slightly rounded forms of furniture and remember that less is more, so take what is functional and necessary. Modular and multifunctional furniture is a great solution if you do not have too much available space. For a real koselig atmosphere in your living room, decorative textiles - cushions, rugs, blankets, rugs and light curtains - preferably made of natural materials, must be present. If your living room has a fireplace, you don't really need to read any further, because there is nothing more pleasant on winter days than enjoying hot chocolate and a good read (preferably a Scandinavian crime story) in front of a lit fireplace ... if you do not have such treasure, it is enough to replace it with candles ... with a mass of candles - this is a recipe for a warm and friendly room.. - Kitchen
The kitchen is a great place to let the Scandinavian style do its magic. In what other room is functionality and order so important, if not in the kitchen? Equipment, tableware, cups, pots ... - finding a place for so many items in a limited space that the whole thing is aesthetic and tidy, sounds like an impossible task? Not for Scandi! The Scandinavian-style kitchen is a simple and thoughtful design that will meet even the highest requirements. Choose smart cabinets that will allow you to use every square centimetre of space. A plank floor, natural or bleached wood, simple fronts, consistent, bright colours are indispensable elements of this style. If you want to give your kitchen an individual touch, paint part of the wall with black chalk paint or hang an interesting poster in large format. Use decorations sparingly, choose natural accessories, dried leaves and pampas grasses are the hit of last season, fresh cut flowers will add a note of freshness. Designer chairs, pearls of Scandinavian design such as Wishbone Hans Wagner, Egg ChairArne Jacobsen or Model 42 Kai Kristiansen will complete the arrangement and emphasize the creative nature of the space and the people living in it. - Kids room
There are many pitfalls in the arrangement of a child's room - the space must be safe for your children, support its development and be functional at the same time. On the other hand, ideas about aesthetic values, which are no less important, may differ significantly on both sides, the kid and the parent. The Scandinavian style creates a great ground for reconciling various ideas for a children's room. Scandinavian furniture is a solution that, due to its high quality and universal design, will grow with the child. It is important to provide enough storage space so that each brick, toy and soft toy does not wander on the floor. Light pastel walls will not overstimulate the toddler and make it easier to maintain a coherent whole. Hand-woven rugs, wooden toys and geometric patterns are perfect for decoration. A wallpaper with a tiny theme is the perfect way to spice up light walls. By choosing furniture and a floor made of a homogeneous material, e.g. beech wood, you can let your imagination run wild. You can also choose a bed resembling a tree house or a ship, which perfectly fits the Scandinavians' outdoor activities.
Norwegian style apartment - big city nature
Introducing nature to spaces as distant as densely built-up cities is not a simple task. Norwegian landscape consists of fjords, endless forests and wildlife at your fingertips… or 20 minutes by car from your home at the most . Additionally, friluftsliv, or living outdoors, is deeply rooted in the Norwegian mentality. How to achieve this physical and mental closeness to nature without having to leave your current life and live in a wooden hytte somewhere in Norwegian wilderness? The answer is simple: if you cannot live in the forest, let the forest live with you - spruce twigs in a glass vase (preferably one that is thoroughly Scandinavian in itself, such as the Savoy Alvar Aalto vase), bonsai made of coniferous trees ( Trees such as cedar, juniper and even Scots pine will work great in this role), candles with resin notes, wood wall mural or poster gallery with a dense forest - these few simple solutions will make your apartment, even surrounded by urban environment, a green asylum in which you will feel truly koselig!
How are Scandinavian interiors different from the rest of the world?
The Scandinavian style is not limited only to the Scandinavian peninsula, its image can be admired all over the world. Scandi won the hearts of everyone who was looking for a simple, practical, smart and ecological style that allows the expression of individualism. Its clean lines are a graceful base for creating combinations with other styles. Currently, more and more new variations are being created - Scandi Boho, Japandi, New Nordic - more or less distant from the original. What made the Scandinavian style so readily adopted on other, very different grounds?
If we are sick and tired of being clutter, we want our home to be relax friendly, a safe haven. In a fast-paced world, the scandi style gives us what we need the most - simplicity and tranquillity. Its simple forms are dictated by pragmatism, but not as we know it from the Bauhaus, more friendly and for people. For the style of Scandinavian functionalism, it is a man, with his needs, not only purely utilitarian, but also emotional, such as the need for warmth, security, and peace. He was the center around which design orbited. Sensitivity to the individual made the Scandinavian idea of design close to a wide audience.
Scandinavian design assumes not only functionality, high aesthetics and the use of natural materials, it is not only the form, resulting from the needs, but also the content - availability and universality - Scandinavian furniture, lighting and decorations are to be beautiful and affordable, so that everyone can afford to designed interior. Perhaps the success of the Nordic style is due to a more prosaic reason - when the winters are cold and the night falls quickly and lasts a long time, the world outside seems unfavourable, it becomes clear how important it is for us to feel comfortable within our own four walls. We could see for ourselves how important our immediate space is and how important it is for our well-being, unfortunately not because of the climate. What the Norwegians have known for years, we experienced over the past year. Every little thing inside us can give us incredible joy ... but also a lot of frustration, so it is important that our home is filled with the former.
The Scandinavian style offers many arrangement possibilities. After reading our article, you already know that this term covers not only interior design, but a whole philosophy of life. Peace, harmony, warmth, cosiness, pragmatism - all this can be found in Norwegian homes, in the form of the colour of the walls, light shades of wood, lighted candles and warm textiles. It's time for your home to become koselig too!
