Written by Cora Gold, Editor-in-Chief of Revivalist
The world of interior design aesthetics is vast. If you want to merge your sustainable values with your eye for decor, it’s time to learn more about Scandinavian minimalism. The trend is influencing homeowners worldwide with its nature-forward foundation and simplicity.
What Is Scandinavian Minimalism?
Scandinavian minimalism is an interior design style that merges functionality, affordability and quality without relying on more than a few styling elements. It makes every indoor space welcoming by only utilizing what’s essential. The result is an economical, straightforward aesthetic and less materialism than other design styles.
Benefits of This Interior Design Style
There are numerous ways people benefit from implementing Scandinavian minimalism. Read about a few that could provide more balance between your values and your home.
Focuses on What’s Most Important
The primary reason Scandinavian minimalism exists is the need for people to celebrate what’s most important to them within their households. Some homeowners might make their interior spaces celebrate local art or a cozy hygge aesthetic. You could center your home around sustainable design choices.
Because Scandinavian minimalism simplifies the interior design process, you only need one driving factor to guide every decorating choice. There’s no need to marry colors, textures and themes when you have a core focus connecting every room in your home.
Promotes Earthy Elements
Eco-friendly people often love Scandinavian minimalism because it gravitates toward earthy materials. The idea began with homes emphasizing natural light to make the most of daylight during Scandinavian winters. Now, people expand on that starting point to create a sustainable design.
Large windows letting in natural light are essential, but you could also opt for rustic wood furniture and indoor plants. Selecting something like stone for countertops would combine muted earth tones and durability because the material is so reliable over time. Your selections depend on the extent of your renovation project.
Features Consistent Optimization
Scandinavian minimalist households feature only things that serve a daily purpose. It prevents visual clutter and overspending while inspiring creativity in interior design choices. You could even upgrade to multipurpose furniture or decor to maximize the use of most items in your home.
How Scandinavian Minimalism and Sustainable Living Intersect
Embrace your sustainable values through Scandinavian-inspired interior design. You only need to prioritize earth-friendly choices to make this aesthetic feel authentic in your living space.
Higher Quality Purchases Reduce Household Consumption
Committing to a design style that prioritizes minimalism means you’ll make fewer purchases in the long term. Everything you eventually buy has to last longer if you prefer not to shop as often.
Making belongings last longer also helps the planet. You won’t purchase from manufacturers utilizing natural resources to make cheap products or increase your carbon footprint by financially supporting fast-production industries utilizing massive carbon-producing facilities.
Nicer Belongings Declutter Landfills and Biomes
If everything in your house lasts longer, you won’t throw things away as often. Your belongings won’t pollute landfills and end up in natural biomes.
Skipping furniture featuring polyester means you’ll avoid a fabric that uses 70 million barrels of oil annually in favor of naturally occurring textiles. They’ll break down more easily in landfills and won’t release harmful chemicals into the environment as they degrade.
Natural Materials Can Come From More Environmentally Friendly Brands
Manufacturers choose natural materials when there’s more demand for them, which often stems from consumers who care about the environment. They may also respond by becoming more environmentally friendly through new brand values to retain those consumers.
You’ll support this common marketplace development by spending your renovation budget on natural materials from sustainable brands. Your purchases will support each industry’s shift toward Earth-friendly products while keeping in line with your new style.
Ways to Implement Scandinavian Minimalism In Your Home
If you’d like your home to celebrate the planet and feature a minimalist aesthetic, take a few simple steps to get started. You’ll soon have a Scandinavian minimalist household that showcases your sustainable values with a design style people use around the world.
1. Donate Anything You Don’t Need
Keeping things out of landfills makes more of an environmental difference than many realize. Experts estimate 62% of U.S. garbage finds its way into landfills or incinerators. Both methods of waste management release chemicals into the environment, but donating your belongings prevents that from happening.
Start your Scandinavian minimalism journey with decluttering. Save anything around your house that serves a daily purpose or is crucial to your typical routine. Anything else can go to a thrift store. You’ll help your neighbors find budget-friendly belongings while saving the planet.
2. Look for Lasting Furniture
Replacing your furniture might be a necessary part of your renovation project. If you need to get something new, look for signs that it can stand the test of time. Manufacturers often produce economical products with cheap materials that break easily, like using fiberboard instead of solid wood.
Check for features like dovetail joints in wood furniture, hardwood products and upholstery that hides metal support systems within well-made seams and cushioning. You’ll pay more upfront for good furniture, but it’s a crucial part of making purchases that last decades instead of a few years.
3. Rely on Multi-Functional Household Upgrades
Whenever you need to buy something, make sure you get the most multi-functional version. For instance, a coffee table might be aesthetically pleasing, but if it has interior compartments, it could double as an extra storage tool. By consolidating numerous needs into one object, you’ll retain your minimalist design style even if you add something to your home’s layout.
4. Aim for Earth-Friendly Materials
Everything in your home uses materials to exist. Sorting your decorating options by manufacturers that use Earth-friendly materials will make every purchase align with your sustainable minimalism. Bamboo furniture, carpeting made with recycled plastic backings and paints using natural ingredients are just a few places to start.
Given how harmful chemicals like volatile organic compounds are in everything from upholstery to adhesives, buying green for your renovation will make your home healthier and eco-friendly. Research what you want before making any purchases to ensure your reduced buying power only directs money toward enterprises that support your sustainable values.
5. Work With Planet-Inspired Color Palettes
Scandinavian designs create serene home environments with calming colors. The resulting minimalist aesthetic focuses on neutrals and muted tones.
Choose similar shades inspired by the planet to showcase your love of the environment. Muted blues, sage green and sandy neutrals will lighten any room and keep it aligned with your interior design.
6. Start an Indoor Garden
People sometimes fill their homes with excessive decorations to make it feel full of life. You can do the same thing without as many consumer goods by starting an indoor garden. Plants add greenery and texture without much effort.
7. Create a Functional Layout in Each Room
Functionality makes minimalism possible. If everything has a purpose and is easily accessible, you’ll reach peak functionality within your home. While you’re looking for multi-use furniture or decor, remember to make each room more functional.
You could rearrange your belongings to create clear traffic patterns throughout your home or improve your organizational techniques. Either way, you’ll make minimalism easier to maintain long term. You’ll know exactly where to find everything you need, preventing overconsumption of material goods and frustration with your home’s new layout.
8. Hang Sheer Curtains
Natural light is a foundational component of Scandinavian minimalism. It automatically fills every room of your house with warm light so you don’t have to rely on electrical lamps as much. Reducing your space’s energy consumption decreases its carbon footprint, so a simple upgrade like sheer curtains will transform your impact on the planet.
Knowing you’re helping the environment isn’t the only way natural light could improve your mental health. It also generates greater happiness on its own. Researchers found natural light improves your mental health by regulating the acetylcholine production that supports your circadian rhythm. You’ll feel more comfortable in your body and generally happier by leaning into this essential element of Scandinavian minimalist design.
Upgrade Your Home’s Interior Design
Anyone can implement Scandinavian minimalism in their households. Once you understand how the interior design aesthetic merges functionality, simplicity and environmentalism, you can start upgrading any room. Think about which design choices would most benefit your lifestyle to make effective changes without too much time or effort.
About the Author
Cora Gold has a passion for writing about life, happiness and sustainability. As Editor-in-Chief of women’s lifestyle magazine Revivalist, she loves to share her insights and find inspiration from others. Follow Cora on Facebook, Pinterest and Twitter.