Vintage & Design Medina Floréz

The secret of Scandinavian decoration is its details

Minimalism, maximalism or "lagom"

picture of Alvhem (Sofa table, marked Haslev, Denmark.)

The Scandinavian decoration is not only what we see represented by an IKEA furniture and accessories decoration, nor am I saying that they cannot exist, or even that they are totally minimalist. What is true is that these details are mostly objects chosen very carefully and that seek to represent something from each person. An essence to both the home and its owner. The truth is that these details have a purpose. It turns out that in Scandinavia we can spend quite a few months stuck at home. These months range from mid-October well into April of the following year, that is, approximately 6 months. These are six months in which we leave the house in the dark in the morning and return home again in the dark at 4 or 5 pm in the afternoon. The result of this is to find that our home, due to the lack of natural light, is as livable and harmonious as possible.

picture of Alvhem (The Jetson Armchair by Bruno Mathsson is a real design classic)

picture of Alvhem (Louis Poulsen lamp)

Having a couple of furniture, a few paintings, colored or white walls, kitchen without a soul could seem like a minimalist description, but not necessarily Scandinavian. The Scandinavian style is something more; it is more vivid and more harmonious. It is functional in form and style but without losing its essence and it is full of details that to the eye of a minimalist can be seen as maximalist. What happens is that everything is in its own space, fulfilling a function and not looking cluttered.

A small lamp in the window is essential in Scandinavian countries, candle holders with candles, a large piece of furniture accompanied by small armchairs, comfortable with cushions that invite you to sit, baskets with blankets to shelter at the foot of a fireplace, and plants that indicate that there is life in the cold white winter seen from the windows. Personally, I enjoy having little ceramic objects to put on the windows and small tables. The objects in the Scandinavian style bring a whole world of details, but they allow your home to have coziness in terms of space, form, and function.

Picture of Stadshem (The string shelf - a Swedish design icon)

Picture of Stadshem

You can almost say that everything is in its own context in each space, but it really is not as minimalist as it seems. It is full of life. As for the typical phrase of minimalism: "less is more", it can be said that it cannot be taken literally. Rather, “less” refers to the Scandinavian style being precise and adequate, and “more” refers to the style being as simple as possible while yet keeping the details. In short, using the Swedish word "lagom" is more appropriate for the Scandinavian decoration.

picture of Stadshem ( Heracleum lamp)

"Lagom" itself does not have a precise translation in any language, but its interpretation is neither little nor much; “lagom” is enough, it is a balance. "Lagom" represents a whole philosophy that also defines Swedish and Scandinavian decoration. This can vary, however, in a range from minimalist to maximalist and depending on the individual. The person’s needs determine to what degree this range moves on one side or the other side. The important thing is that it keeps its essence and functionality.

pinture of Stadshem

Another important point in the Scandinavian style is that there are many objects for home decoration. Thus, it is impossible to be changing decoration constantly when new IKEA furniture is released. Items include everything from lamps, furniture, and ceramics to cabinets and shelves. In these cases, we prefer a sofa, a lamp, a ceramic or a painting of good quality. All these objects are "timeless" that can last a lifetime and do not have to be new or replaced often. Many of these objects could also be inherited, bought in second-hand stores, street markets, online pages for second-hand objects such or auctions. The most interesting thing is that they can be obtained at a very good price and if one gets tired, they can be easily be sold or given to another person because there are always people interested in them. The decoration in Scandinavian style is thus very eco-friendly.