Scandinavian-style cuisine is an excellent option for those who like cleanliness, spaciousness and coolness. Such a North European interior resembles only fallen, untouched snow. It contains interspersed with gray, blue, beige colors, but the main role here is played by white. More details about the characteristic features of the Scandinavian style in the interior of the kitchen will be described below.
The main features of the Scandinavian style
The Scandinavian style is borrowed from the inhabitants of the cold North. For the most part, the landscapes of Norway, Sweden, Denmark are snow-capped peaks, icy rivers, winding fjords, fog of mist, sparkling frost on trees and bright lights in the windows of compact houses. Thus, nature itself inspires people to use familiar frosty shades in the interior. Saturated berry-fruit colors seem completely alien to exotic here, but the pure tones of water, mountain ranges and the sky look very appropriate.
The Scandinavian style is characterized by simplicity, conciseness, clear lines and an abundance of light. The sun is a rare guest in the northern regions, so its absence is compensated by a large number of spotlights, luminous ribbons, lamps. Glossy white, silver, mirrors, glass, chrome surfaces reflect the rays, making the house more spacious and filling it with freshness.
Choose a color for the Scandinavian-style kitchen
The Nordic design assumes a calm gamut, but it is not a sharp black and white modern and not an industrial loft. It is closer to nature, therefore natural blotches are allowed here: pinkish-golden rays of sunset, greenish shades of the forest, deep blue lakes, marble overflow of stones. To make the Scandinavian-style kitchen interior harmonious, you can simply use the palette of colors and textures from the winter North European landscape.
White kitchen
Pure, without any impurities, this color is an indispensable background for the Scandinavian style. White must be present in the decoration of the ceiling and, preferably, the walls. It can be mirror smooth or matte, fluffy.
Pastel Kitchen
When the sunset light falls on the snow, and light gray clouds turn purple-pink and gold, the time for winter magic comes. The colors of the northern lights will look spectacular in the form of decorative accents, but it is best to use them for lighting. Overflows from violet to sunny yellow can easily be recreated with colored lights.
Gray kitchen
In Norwegian landscapes it takes up a lot of space: overhanging clouds, fog, darkening evening forest, steep cliffs, stones, roads and streams. On the one hand, the gray color can be metallic, glossy, on the other hand - a little rough or smoky-clublike, silver, translucent or almost black. All this allows you to unconditionally combine gray in decoration, appliances, furniture, as well as decor.
Blue kitchen
The deep color of dark water or the cooling of heaven should in any case be smooth. It can serve as an unusual contrasting background for a white, steel or wooden headset. Furniture, ceramics, wall decorations in cold blue shades look very nice.
Bleached wood color
The texture of the clarified oak, spruce, pine gives the Scandinavian interior of the kitchen calm, makes it warmer and more comfortable. In this color you can decorate the parquet floor, the facades of the headset, door leaf, window frames, countertops, dining areas, fragments of walls or beams on the ceiling.
Green kitchen
In Scandinavia, it is represented by shades of conifers, moss and water.Blotches of pastel or bluish-green should be small, otherwise the style of the kitchen will smoothly turn into Provence.
Scandinavian style materials and finishes
In creating an aesthetic design, not only color, but also the surface texture plays a significant role. Among a wide variety of finishing materials it is easy to get confused, but if you show creative ingenuity, then the result will certainly please.
Floor
When choosing a floor covering for the kitchen, it is worth remembering that you will probably have to wash it often. Due to the low moisture resistance, it is better to place the laminate away from the stove and the sink. Ceramic tiles, artificial stone, linoleum, and bulk floor will be appropriate in the cooking area. Natural parquet in the color of bleached oak and boards painted with white or gray paint also look very harmonious here.
For a small Scandinavian style kitchen, a plain floor, black and white chess, patchwork tiles are suitable. The last two options can also be used to finish the apron.
Walls
Scandinavian style provides boiling-white walls without any frills. Their design should be as simple as possible. Uniform whitewashing, painting, smooth vinyl wallpapers, glazed ceramic tiles look great in a small kitchen.
It is better to make the apron non-marking, for example, to use brickwork, to clad the surface with artificial granite or marble, to stick a film with a black and gray geometric pattern. It is interesting in the niche between the countertop, hob, sink and upper cabinets that the color or plain white mosaic, as well as the patchwork tile, will look.
Ceiling
To visually increase the vertical space, it is desirable to make the ceiling of a small Scandinavian-style kitchen light. For this, painting, a matte stretch film or white siding are suitable.
Textile
Light, translucent curtains or light Roman curtains on the windows will help harmoniously complete the design of the kitchen; cotton or linen achromatic tablecloth (white, gray, in a black and white small cell); narrow paths, woven carpets; sofa cushions for the dining area in rich colors or white with ethnic embroidery.
Furniture and appliances for the kitchen in the Scandinavian style
In order to be in the kitchen was pleasant, you should responsibly approach the choice of furniture and appliances. These things should be reliable, functional and beautiful, while not taking up much space.
Kitchen set
Depending on the layout of the room, the headset can be direct (on one wall), L-shaped, U-shaped or placed in fragments. For a small Scandinavian-style kitchen, it’s better to choose a light facade without any prominent elements (for example, white with dull wooden tabletops).
If you need to visually raise the ceiling, the doors should be rectangular and elongated up, and horizontal elements will help expand the narrow wall. To maximize the use of vertical space, the headset should be high, almost to the ceiling.
Dinner Zone
A distinctive feature of furniture in the Scandinavian style is the simplicity and correctness of the lines. The design of the table and chairs is quite light, but durable. Thin wooden or metal, the color of steel, the legs can be located exactly at the corners of the product or be slightly offset to the center, forming a trapezoid.
To equip a comfortable dining area, compact corner sofas are also used in white, gray, blue, blue. They can place bright decorative pillows.
Storage systems
Laconic northern design means cleanliness and order. Locking constructions do best with this. There should be as few open racks as possible so that the items on them do not create a sense of clutter.
Built-in appliances, as well as various pull-out, folding, transforming shelves and drawers, will help save space in a small kitchen.
Refrigerator
Choosing a refrigerator for the Scandinavian style is very easy to make. Classic white, silver, chrome colors perfectly fit the winter interior. So that this miracle of technology does not take up a lot of space, it is worth giving preference to compact, built-in models with flat doors.
A small refrigerator can be mounted in the headset at eye height, placed under the hob or window. If possible, at the stage of construction or redevelopment under the refrigerator, it is worth equipping a niche in the wall.
Scandinavian style kitchen decor
Although the harsh northern climate leaves its mark on the interior, making it very restrained, it will not work to make a home-like kitchen cozy without nice little things.
As decorations, you can use black and white paintings and posters, and in the New Year time - slightly snowy cones, fir branches, candles, stones. From the Scandinavian household goods, it makes sense to borrow skins, knitwear made of thick sheep yarn, and traditional multi-colored embroidery ornaments.
Glossy ceramics, figures of northern birds and animals, crystal ware will look beautiful on open shelves.
Kitchen lighting
In addition to natural sunlight, which should easily enter the room through translucent white curtains, it is necessary to take care of its electric "substitute".
For the Scandinavian style kitchen, economical spot LEDs are ideal (they can be mounted not only in the ceiling, but also in the headset), compact spherical bulbs in ordinary black cartridges, as well as hanging chandeliers in the form of bells, snow balls, cobwebs.
Scandinavian style kitchen design - photo
Find our inspiration for Scandinavian-style kitchen design with our photo gallery.
It contains a collection of the best solutions for decoration, arrangement of furniture, appliances, decorations in the interior. In the pictures below, you can see how to design a combined, spacious or small kitchen.
Video: Scandinavian-style kitchens