Scandinavian Interior Design for Hotels, Restaurants, Cafes and Bars

 

The Scandinavian style is one of the most recognizable and appreciated in the world. The combination of simplicity, minimalism, light and cosiness is a recipe for interiors in which everyone will feel well. Therefore, it is present not only in homes but also in hotels, restaurants, cafes and bars. Scandinavian interiors became more popular in the hospitality industry because they delight all lovers of harmony, good taste, purity of form and subdued colours. They are spacious, functional, comfortable and customer-friendly.

History of the Scandinavian Style

The minimalist style of Scandinavian design emerged during the 1930s within the five Nordic countries of Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway and Sweden. This trend, derived from modernism, is characterized by functionality and simplicity of form. Its full bloom dates back to 1954-57 when a travelling exhibition of the Scandinavian design took place in the United States. Scandinavian designers tried to make the design more human-friendly by using natural materials such as wood, leather and hemp. They implemented the idea by lowering the prices of manufactured goods. They managed to achieve this thanks to mass production. The most famous precursors of Scandinavian style were Alvar Aalto, Arne Jacobsen, Verner Panton and Hans J. Wegner. Their works have features that guide contemporary Scandinavian designers to this day. These are primarily durability, functionality, reliability, simplicity and lack of ostentation. The creators of this style focused mainly on interiors. They designed furniture, lighting and other everyday objects. The Scandinavian style is also characterized by austerity because these are generally bright interiors, devoid of madness in the form of colour. The walls are usually grey, beige or white. The floors are wooden panels, which are supposed to give some warmth to the entire arrangement.

Typical Features

Bright colours compensate for the lack of natural light. The walls and floors are white, which is also the colour of most furnishings. Materials such as wood in light colours or bleached, less often painted in other colours. There is a lot of glass, ceramics and metal. Fabrics used in Scandinavian interiors are cotton, linen, wool, as well as leather and fur. Sofas, chairs, and armchairs should be designed in line with ergonomics to ensure the greatest possible comfort. They also have a streamlined, rounded shape, which makes them look smaller and lighter. Patterns like plant ornaments, typographic motifs, letter compositions, inscriptions, and sentences are also popular.

Scandinavian Style Furniture

The Scandinavian style is not homogeneous. It has evolved over the years, so recently Scandinavian arrangements are close to the industrial or modern style. Interesting trends of recent years are contemporary New Nordic and Scandi Chic. Scandi Chic focuses on golden details, which blends with the other elements of the style surprisingly well. The furniture in the Scandinavian style is a combination of light, pastel colours, minimalism, simplicity, functionality and atmospheric cosiness. Furniture designers use natural materials, wood fittings with natural fabrics in pastel colours. Furniture selected for Scandinavian interiors mustn’t have to be perfectly matched sets. When it comes to accessories, less is more. Pillows, lamps and vases will serve as perfect decorations. Custom-made chairs and tables in the Scandinavian style are characteristic elements of any arrangement. The Scandinavian table is usually large, rectangular and made of solid wood. It is the essence of simplicity, minimalism and functionality. Chairs are elements of equipment to provide maximum comfort while sitting and constitute a distinctive, though economical in form, decoration of the space. Scandinavian chairs have no sharp edges but smooth transitions and rounded finishes. In addition, pastel and subdued colours of nature. Although the Scandinavian-style chairs have a decorative function, they do not dominate the interior. The intriguing, though still simple structure, plays a key role here. Chairs are such a characteristic element of Scandinavian arrangements that it is worth reaching for high-quality, original proposals that will bring authenticity to the interior.

Scandinavian Style Floor

The floor, decorated in a Scandinavian style, is wooden. Wooden planks can remain in their natural shade, often whitewashed or painted white. Gray is also acceptable. The floors you can cover with rugs and carpeting in neutral colours. Delicate patterns such as zigzags and diamonds are also popular. Flooring prepared in this way is a good base for related interior design elements.