If you’ve ever found yourself drawn to Scandi-style interiors, you’re not alone. Few styles possess the same effortless sense of calm, so it makes sense that you’d want to emulate it in your home. The problem? It can be hard to put your finger on what, exactly, makes it so alluring.
Defined by light-filled rooms, natural materials, and a commitment to simplicity, Scandinavian design has a way of making every room feel more serene. Yet, while the aesthetic appears effortlessly relaxed, achieving it is anything but. Effortlessly styling minimal Scandi decor and furniture layered with soft textiles is, in reality, the result of careful curation. Every element is considered, with even the smallest details working together to create the quiet sophistication the style is known for.
So, how can you replicate the look? According to designers, there are a few things these homes always feature that help make them feel more relaxed and more inviting than most. From layered lighting to soft, cozy textiles, here are nine things you’ll always find in Scandinavian homes that make them feel calmer.
1. Layered Lighting
Scandinavian homes always feature a combination of task, ambient, accent, and decorative lighting to make a room feel inviting
(Image credit: Original BTC)
If there’s one thing that Scandi homes always get right, it’s lighting. Forget stark overheads and cool tones — Scandinavian lighting ideas are always subtle and layered, culminating in a calming scheme that makes every room feel more peaceful.
According to Jonas Bjerre-Poulsen, founding partner of Norm Architects, Scandinavian homes tend to avoid relying on a single overhead light. “Instead, multiple light sources are placed throughout a room at different heights,” he says.
To emulate a sense of Scandi calm through lighting, pair rice paper floor lamps (like this one from H&M) with sculptural sconces and woven rattan pendants. You can even introduce candles or low-level lighting for an even softer glow. Jonas says the approach is all about “creating smaller pockets of warmth and intimacy”.
2. Tactile Materials
Texture prevents a Scandi home from feeling stark, adding depth, warmth, and a sense of quiet comfort
(Image credit: Joachim Wichmann. Design: Pernille Lind Studio)
Mixing materials is a core tenet of Scandinavian design, and the more tactile they are, the better. A plaster wall in a kitchen contrasted with slatted wood paneling in the living room, for example, is immediately more calming (not to mention visually interesting) than a flat white one. Add in cane furniture, a high-pile rug, and linen upholstery, and you’re guaranteed a soothing textural design.
The reason for this rests on the artisanal craftsmanship. Instead of flat, two-dimensional decor, tactile materials bring a sense of warmth, comfort, and sensory richness.
“Materials such as wood, limestone, clay, wool, linen, and untreated metals are valued not only for their appearance but also for how they feel,” Jonas explains. “Scandinavian design has long embraced material honesty, allowing it to age, patina, and tell a story. These tactile qualities create interiors that feel human and calming rather than overly perfected.”
Jonas Bjerre-Poulsen
Jonas Bjerre-Poulsen is an architect, art director, and photographer. He trained at the Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts in Copenhagen and is a partner of Norm Architects.
3. Furniture With Visual “Weightlessness”
Calm Scandi homes always keep furnishings light, rather than heavy. Woven rattan, cane furniture, and linen bedding, for example, help a room breathe visually.
(Image credit: Joachim Wichmann. Design: Pernille Lind Studio)
Unlike Mid-Century Modern design, which is characterized by exaggerated forms and heavy silhouettes, Scandinavian furniture is sleeker, softer, and more streamlined. In fact, Denmark-born interior designer Pernille Lind says that the calming quality of Scandi style is due to “visual weightlessness” achieved through furnishings and decor.
In the Scandinavian bedroom pictured above, for example, each piece was chosen for its lightness and delicateness, which keeps the space calming. “Instead of heavy, upholstered headboards, the Nordic approach relies on open woodwork to let light and air filter freely through the room,” Pernille explains.
“This sense of breathability is completed by bypassing tightly tucked sheets in favor of loosely layered, washed linens in muted, earthy shades,” she continues. “Letting fabrics drape naturally introduces an effortless, tactile warmth that instantly eases the mind and keeps the bedroom feeling inherently tranquil and uncluttered.”
Rise & Fall
Relaxed & Refined Linen Duvet Set in Celery
4. Tonal Color Palettes
A tonal palette like this one can add richness and depth while still keeping things visually simple
(Image credit: Jonas Bjerre-Poulsen. Design: Norm Architects)
If there’s one common thread across 95 per cent of Scandinavian homes, it’s a tendency to embrace neutral color schemes. Layering earthy tones upon a background of off-whites, beiges, and taupes creates an ultra-calming effect by minimizing visual stimulation and evoking nature.
“Rather than strong contrasts, we use nuanced layers of similar tones like warm whites, sandy beiges, soft grays, muted browns, and earthy colors,” explains Jonas. “These subtle shifts create depth while maintaining visual calm.”
While undeniably calming, the Scandi style isn’t strictly limited to neutrals, either. Colorful Scandinavian schemes still invoke a sense of calm and tranquility. The secret? Tonal palettes, where different shades, tints, and saturations of the same color converge. This results in a monochrome scheme, where subtle shifts in depth and intensity feel inherently calming while still bringing vibrancy and personality to the table.
5. Open Shelving with Curated Objects
When thoughtfully curated, open shelving brings a sense of order and personality to a room, transforming everyday objects into a calming visual display and avoiding clutter.
(Image credit: Karl Tranberg Knudsen. Design: Norm Architects)
Scandinavian design may often go hand in hand with minimalism, and minimalism might be synonymous with calming interiors, but the three don’t have to co-exist.
Open shelving with decorative objects is a common sight in Scandi homes (Scandinavian maximalism is a thing), and a curated display of decor adds so much personality and charm to a room, having an instant calming effect.
The trick is to avoid filling every spare surface, and instead focus on noticeable eyeline areas while ensuring there’s plenty of breathing space between items. “We often display a small number of meaningful objects like ceramics, books, handmade vessels, or collected pieces,” Jonas explains. “The emphasis is on thoughtful curation rather than decoration, creating spaces that feel personal without becoming visually overwhelming.”
6. Layers of Natural Textiles
Here, wood, brick, stone, and leather all converge to create a calming, organic-inspired space.
(Image credit: Einar Aslaksen. Design: Smau Arkitektur)
Pay attention to any Scandinavian home, and you’ll notice raw, natural materials at every turn. To dial up cozy-calm, start with plenty of cozy fabrics like woolen blankets, shag rugs, and bouclé upholstery. “Layering natural textiles adds warmth and sensory comfort while maintaining a restrained aesthetic and improving acoustics,” explains Jonas.
But don’t stop there. The use of natural materials should extend beyond soft textiles, too. Woven rattan decor, raw unfinished wood, natural stone elements — the list goes on.
Pernille says hardwood flooring and furnishings are a non-negotiable in her own designs. “Instead of hyper-minimal, sterile kitchens with flat, cold surfaces, true Scandinavian calm relies on honest, deeply tactile woodwork that feels rich with craftsmanship,” she says.
“We love designing bespoke timber kitchen cabinetry paired with living finishes like unlacquered brass and natural stone countertops,” she adds. “Because the fine, organic grain of the wood softens the structural lines of the room, the heart of the home develops a soft, lived-in warmth.”
Pernille Lind
With over 15 years of industry experience in hospitality and residential design, Pernille has worked with some of the most renowned names in London, including Anouska Hempel Design, Conran + Partners, and Soho House Co. Upon setting up her first company with partner Richy Almond, under the name Lind + Almond, they won ‘Renovation & Restoration’ and ‘Hotel of the Year’ at the AHEAD Europe Awards 2018 for their inaugural project, Hotel Sanders, in Copenhagen.
7. Quiet Storage Solutions
Built-in shelving is a sleek, streamlined way to integrate storage in a Scandi home, but don’t overlook hidden options either.
(Image credit: Jonas Bjerre-Poulsen. Design: Norm Architects)
When considering what constitutes a calming Scandi space, storage probably isn’t your first thought, but it’s actually the unsung hero of the serene Scandi style. You’ll never see a Scandi living room that looks cluttered, and it’s all thanks to clever storage solutions that make a visually calming, streamlined space.
As Jonas highlights, calm often comes from what isn’t visible, rather than what is. “Integrated storage, concealed cabinetry, and thoughtfully organized spaces reduce visual noise and allow the architecture and materials themselves to take center stage,” he says.
Be sure to include shelving units for the items worthy of display, and exile everything else to hidden storage tucked inside chairs, sofas, ottomans, or benches.
8. Biophilic Design Elements
An indoor tree doesn’t only add visual architecture to a room, it brings the calming, restorative qualities of the outdoors inside
(Image credit: Jonas Bjerre-Poulsen. Design: Norm Architects)
Bringing the outdoors in, otherwise known as biophilic interior design, will always make a home feel calmer. By strengthening our connection with nature, we lower stress levels and improve our wellbeing, and the ethos that underpins Nordic design.
We’ve already mentioned the Scandi appreciation for organic materials — the grain of wood, the irregularity of stone, the movement of plants. It’s a design style rooted in a deep appreciation for the outdoors, consequently making homes feel calmer and more restorative.
“The relationship with nature extends beyond views and gardens,” adds Jonas. “Branches collected from a walk, seasonal flowers, natural stone, untreated wood, and an abundance of daylight all help strengthen the connection between indoors and outdoors.”
9. Spaces Designed Around Everyday Rituals
A textural chair in the window? A calming design moment that’s impossible to resist.
(Image credit: Norm Architects / Photography: Jonas Bjerre-Poulsen)
Scandinavian homes are full of little design moments that bring you joy. It’s these elements — a reading nook nestled in the corner of a living room, for example, or banquette seating integrated into the kitchen island — that invite you to rest and enjoy a moment of quiet wherever you are in the home.
Jonas says that these spaces, ones designed around everyday routine, are another key ingredient in the Scandinavian design formula. “Designing around simple daily rituals (a reading corner by the window, a generous dining table for gathering, or a quiet place for morning coffee) encourages a slower and more intentional way of living,” he explains.
A good place to start when sourcing things you’ll find in Scandinavian homes that make them feel so calm is knowing the best Scandinavian design brands to shop from. Below are three of our favorites.
FERM LIVING
Tilt Tufted Wool Rug
A natural rug doesn’t only ground your space, but it contributes to an overall calming aesthetic. Think carefully about the colors your choose, and don’t overlook the possibility to introduce some much-needed soft textiles underfoot by choosing a high-pile.
Normann Copenhagen
Porta Led Portable Table Lamp
Though the mushroom lamp style is not exclusive to the Scandi region, it is a common silhouette in Scandinavian decor. I particularly love this one from Normann Copenhagen in the rich, brown colorway. It offers chic accent lighting that perfectly complements your layered scheme.
IKEA
Stockholm 2025 Easy Chair in Birch Veneer
IKEA’s Stockholm 2025 collection pays homage to the brand’s Swedish roots, and if you’re looking to bring more natural materials into your decor, this chair is the answer. Solid birch and a seat of woven linen bands converge to create a minimalist masterpiece that marries style and function.
Ultimately, calming Scandinavian interiors are intentional, rather than accidental. From organic materials and calming color palettes to layered lighting and soft textiles, every element is carefully considered to support a slower, more comfortable way of living. The result is a home that feels effortlessly serene.
But calm isn’t just a look, but a feeling, and here are five Scandinavian lifestyle principles to follow for a slower, happier, calmer home.
For more inspiration, subscribe to Livingetc’s newsletter.
