Curtains in the Scandinavian style create an atmosphere of comfort without overloading the interior with unnecessary details. Window textiles only frame windows and do not have a blackout effect. This is practical in the conditions of the northern climate of the Scandinavian countries, where additional lighting of the living space is required. Curtains on the windows can also be completely absent, which is quite in the spirit of Swedish design.
Features of the choice of curtains
For a Scandinavian interior, you need to choose curtains:
- simple and concise forms;
- calm colors;
- made from natural fabrics.
The photo shows a Scandinavian-style dining room, located by the window with linen curtains.
The photo shows a Scandinavian-style living room with milk-colored curtains.
What types of curtains are better to use in the interior?
In Scandinavian interiors, you can use both long flowing curtains and tulle, and short louvered curtains. The main requirement for the textile design of window openings is restraint, simplicity and ease of use.
curtains
Long draped curtains, usually translucent, do not prevent direct sunlight from entering the living space. Often they are used without tulle, which creates a feeling of unity with nature outside the window.
Curtains (tulle)
Curtains, or sheer tulle, are also found in Scandinavian interiors. They transmit light well and decorate the window.
Roman blinds are used as an independent element for window decoration, and as an addition to long curtains.
The photo shows a Scandinavian living room with Roman curtains made of cotton fabric.
Blinds
Blinds in Swedish design are quite common, as they have a laconic look and maintain the aesthetics of minimalism in the interior.
Roller blinds also support the Scandinavian direction and are quite practical to use.
What material to choose for curtains?
Natural fabrics are used as material for curtains. It is practical, aesthetic and concise, which is the most consistent with the Swedish approach to interior design. The following materials are used in tailoring curtains:
- Linen is a natural fabric woven from plant fibers and has a characteristic structure. Linen curtains are translucent, hygroscopic and durable. The fabric wrinkles easily, does not always drape perfectly, and this just characterizes the Scandinavian style, far from deliberateness and pomposity. When determining the length of the curtains, it must be taken into account that pure linen is prone to shrinkage, but if there is a small amount of viscose in the composition, then the fabric becomes more static. Flax has natural colors, or is dyed in light shades.
- Cotton is a natural fabric of plant origin, quite dense and elastic. Its structure depends on the method of production, the thickness and configuration of the threads. The material is well dyed, which means it is ideal for colored curtains. They wrinkle slightly, drape easily, and do not interfere with the penetration of the sun's rays into the room.
- Chintz is a thin cotton fabric obtained by tightly weaving threads, due to which it becomes elastic and static. This allows you to use chintz for sewing roller blinds and Roman blinds. Thin, translucent chintz curtains also fit perfectly into the Scandinavian style, they create a cozy atmosphere and are unpretentious in use. They can be both plain and colored.
- Muslin is a natural fabric woven from cotton, silk or wool. The properties of the material depend on the composition. So, the cotton component gives strength and uniformity of the structure, the silk component makes the fabric smooth, thin and elastic, and the wool gives structure and looseness. Muslin curtains have a soft texture, excellent drape and unique tactile properties.
The photo shows a cozy Scandinavian-style living room with beige curtains with tiebacks.
Types of cut Scandinavian curtains
Textiles for windows provide a simple cut and discreet design, but the use of accent details is allowed. For example, curtains can be sewn with hinges, with piping sewn on top or bottom, or you can add vertical strips of fabric. A variety of frills and lambrequins are not welcome, but laconic tiebacks can be used.
The photo shows a stylish Scandinavian-style bedroom with laconic hinged curtains.
Photo ideas in the interior of the rooms
There are many options for window design, depending on the purpose of the room.
Kitchen
Scandinavian-style kitchen curtains maximize the view outside the window and let light into the room. This creates the necessary comfort for cooking and eating. Curtains can be long if space allows. In small kitchens, practical short, roller or Roman blinds are used.
The photo shows a kitchen with an accent wall and dark curtains made of natural fabric.
Living room or hall
Swedish-style curtains for the living room bring home comfort and set up for a holiday in the family circle.
Bedroom
Curtains for the Scandinavian bedroom create a sense of security from the outside world, but do not overload the room.
Children's room
The world of a children's room should be individual and special. In Swedish design, bright details are not only children's toys, books, decor, but also curtains.
Loggia or balcony
According to the Scandinavians, the curtains on the loggia or balcony should not block the view of the beautiful landscapes outside the window.
The photo shows a loggia with a seating area and stained-glass windows framed by curtains.
Color spectrum
Curtains in the Scandinavian style should either dissolve in the overall color scheme, or create an accent in the interior. If it is a soft, muted color palette, pastel colors, then curtains of the most delicate, light shades will do. If the interior is made up of contrasts, then you can use curtains with a geometric ornament inherent in this particular style, for example, a zigzag, stripe or a repeating pattern.
The most acceptable colors for curtains:
- White - will make the interior light and airy.
- Gray - will connect white walls and black decor into a single ensemble.
- Turquoise - will set off the cold colors of the Scandinavian interior.
- Yellow - enliven the interior and add sunlight.
- Beige - will create an atmosphere of warmth and comfort.
- Pink - will give the room softness.
- Blue - will add elegance to the interior.
The photo shows a cozy Scandinavian-style bedroom with pink curtains.
In Scandinavian interiors, the simplest and most concise cornices are used, usually single.
The type of fastening differs:
- Eaves of round section with fastening on a wall. They are strung with curtains equipped with loops, rings or eyelets. Such holders for curtains are convenient in everyday life and act as a decorative element in the design of windows in the Scandinavian style.
- Flat ceiling cornices, which are as invisible as possible in the interior. At the same time, special braid and hooks are used to hang curtains. Such cornices can be hidden in a specially arranged niche under the ceiling, which allows you to achieve the effect of "floating" curtains.
Pictured is a Scandinavian bedroom with linen curtains.
Photo gallery
When choosing curtains in the Scandinavian style, you must remember that aesthetics is simplicity and naturalness.
Scandinavian style is naturalness, simplicity, brightness and light. This style is gaining more and more popularity in interior design. A Scandinavian-style nursery is a great solution that will appeal to both parents and, most importantly, children. Despite the cleanliness of the interior, in such a children's room mess and decorated walls are allowed. How this is combined, we will consider in the article.
Finishing
Finishing in the Scandinavian style is characterized by two main features: white color and natural materials. The same applies to the children's room.
The walls of a Scandinavian-style nursery are painted white, light blue or light gray, less often beige. Those. light cold shades are used. Water-based paint is ideal as a coating, which is easy to wash or paint over with a new layer if the child’s creative impulses overcome the issued drawing album.
Wallpaper is acceptable, but only smooth, imitating a painted surface.
Also, the walls can be finished with wooden panels or decorated with wood inserts.
A novelty of recent years has been the use of chalk or slate walls for decoration. Such elements will perfectly fit into the Scandinavian style and will be interesting for the development of the child's creative skills.
As for the Scandinavian-style ceiling, it is painted in the same way as the walls. Wooden cross beams can serve as an additional element. Or, if the walls are painted, then the ceiling is laid out with wooden panels, and vice versa. Such a contrast will expand the design possibilities of the room.
The floor is wood. In the conditions of a children's room, it can be a laminate or parquet board. The budget option is linoleum with imitation of a wooden surface. Color - natural or white. Again, let's return to children's pranks - if a child spilled paint on the floor, then you should not lament, an indelible stain can be painted over.
Carpet categorically does not fit the Scandinavian style, so if you want children not to freeze on the floor, then consider installing a warm floor in advance. On the other hand, if the installation of a warm floor is impossible for some reason, then you can put a bright rug on the floor of a Scandinavian nursery. It will harmoniously fit into the interior and will not violate, but rather emphasize the style of the room.
Furniture
To visually see Scandinavian-style furniture, just look through the IKEA catalogs.
The furniture is simple, without pretentious elements and is made of natural solid wood (beech, pine, spruce). The wood pattern, as a rule, remains intact, but it is also allowed to stain with varnishes to saturate the image of the tree or with paints more often than white.
Natural materials are used for furniture upholstery: leather, linen, cotton, etc.
Some elements, such as headboards, are made of metal.
The shape of the furniture is simple with rounded corners. Can be decorated with fine carvings.
Practicality is the main thing in beds, models that grow with children are often used.
Wardrobes and cabinets are present in the children's room, but do not pile them up.
A large number of shelves are welcome in the Scandinavian style. It can be both closed and open shelves. The more of them, the better. For example, you can hang one of the walls with open shelves where toys, children's books, and accessories will be stored.
For a nursery, it is also worth providing a place for a wigwam tent. The simple form and the use of wood and linen fabrics in the construction will fit perfectly into the Scandinavian interior.
Windows and lighting
Another feature of the Scandinavian style is large windows, the absence of curtains, a lot of reflective surfaces (mirrors, metal, etc.). This is due to the fact that in the Scandinavian countries there is a lack of sun, so they try to save sunlight in the most accessible ways. How can this be applied in the nursery? Especially in conditions if you live in the southern regions with an abundance of sun, from which you even want to hide in the hot season.
So, if direct sunlight does not hit the nursery, then leave the room without curtains. Indoor flowers, toys are placed on the windowsill, and a large doll is planted.
If the room needs to be shaded sometimes, for example, in summer or in the morning, so that children do not wake up at dawn, then some options are allowed in the Scandinavian style. For curtains, you can choose a light material, such as muslin or muslin, in light colors. If you want to hang a thick curtain, then choose it to match the walls, so that when pushed back, it merges with the interior. Or you can cover the windows with roller blinds or blinds. Most of the time, keep the blinds open and the curtains pulled back into a nice shape, and only use them when needed.
For safety reasons, refuse mirrors and glass surfaces in the nursery, even though they are an attribute of the Scandinavian style.
Artificial lighting should be plentiful. Lamps in the Scandinavian style are used in a wide variety - from simple inconspicuous to artsy futuristic. Here you can rely on your taste or the taste of the child. For example, you can build a ceiling lamp for a chandelier from textiles or tree branches with your child.
Decor in a Scandinavian nursery
If shades of white are used in the decoration of the Scandinavian style, then in the decor, the advantage is given to bright details. The brighter and crazier the color, the better. Bright colors look especially good in a Scandinavian-style nursery: red, blue, crimson, yellow, etc. Such elements in the nursery can serve as toys. They can be placed - on the windowsills, in drawers, on shelves, in the middle of the room. The most surprising thing is that such a bright mess in a Scandinavian-style nursery does not seem like a mess at all. Everything looks harmonious.
On the floor, you can put fluffy carpets or handmade knitted rugs. Scattered pillows or pouffes will complement all this.
Hang photos of loved ones, children's drawings, abstract paintings, bright prints, flags, cardboard or textile crafts, stickers in the form of clouds and animals, and more on the walls. But choose not all of the above, but only a few accessories, otherwise the decorations will overload the room, and nothing will remain of the Scandinavian style.
To store toys, you can use bright boxes made of textiles or cardboard, wooden chests, wicker baskets.
On the windowsills, indoor flowers will be appropriate.
The advantage of the Scandinavian style for the nursery is that there are no restrictions on decor. Here you can trust your taste, but you should not overdo it. Decor should not fill the room, but decorate it. Remember, Scandinavian style keeps the room fresh and spacious.
Nursery in Scandinavian style
Tsugunov Anton Valerievich
Reading time: 5 minutes
How to choose a room for a nursery
Having chosen the Scandinavian style for the nursery, it is necessary first of all to solve the problem of space and light - to allocate the most spacious room for the child with a large window, remove the partitions. If necessary, you can demolish the wall between the two cramped rooms, for which you will need to obtain permission from the BTI. Then you can start repairing.
Ceiling finish
The low ceiling in a Scandinavian-style nursery should be whitewashed or covered with light-colored paint - pale blue, light pink, beige, depending on the color of the wall coverings.
A win-win option is a snow-white ceiling that visually increases the height and expands the space.
- You can use stretch or suspended covers without decorative elements.
- In an apartment with high ceilings, it is possible to mount a wooden ceiling structure with wide beams, on which you can place the main and additional light sources.
- The wooden ceiling of golden brown color, covered with a colorless varnish, looks impressive.
- In Northern Europe, bleached lath wood flooring is often used.
Advice: you should not create a multi-tiered ceiling of a complex configuration that is popular today in the nursery, as this is contrary to style.
Flooring in a Scandinavian nursery
A Scandinavian-style children's room looks especially attractive if wood flooring is used in the design, which are different:
- long service life (up to 30 years);
- excellent appearance;
- moisture resistance;
- high wear resistance;
- environmental friendliness;
- high resistance to abrasion;
- low thermal conductivity.
Parquet and solid boards are expensive, but compared to cheaper floor coverings, they are significantly superior in quality and durability.
As a floor covering, you can use a laminate imitating wood species. Benefits of laminate flooring include:
- strength;
- thermal insulation;
- ease of installation;
- wear resistance;
- abrasion resistance;
- fire resistance;
- service life of more than 10 years.
A children's room in any country is always a zone of increased activity, which often leads to damage to everything that is in it.
Class 22–23 laminate can withstand heavy mechanical stress, it will not leave traces of paint or compote, greasy stains if they are immediately removed with detergents or solvents, dents from furniture, scratches from pet claws. It is advisable to choose moisture-resistant varieties, since most of the samples on the market do not have this quality.
It is not worth saving on the coating, as the cheapest types of laminate wear out quickly.
Floor colors
Having decided on the type of coating, you need to choose the right color for it.
- For a nursery, it is advisable to choose a wood finish in light colors - beige or cream.
In the Scandinavian interior, whitewashed board is often used.
- In a room with a wooden ceiling, golden brown and walnut flooring looks spectacular.
- It is not customary to cover the floor with carpets, but for convenience, you can cover part of the room with a neutral-colored carpet.
How to decorate walls
The walls in the nursery in the Scandinavian style can be pasted over, painted or pasted over with plain white, light pink, light gray, pale blue, beige, light green, golden yellow shades.
You can designate zones by painting the walls in different colors, finish individual fragments with clapboard, imitate brickwork.
The combination of light gray and white wall coverings, in which white prevails, looks spectacular. Subsequently, the children themselves will place accents, decorating the room with bright drawings, stickers, flags, posters.
Children's furniture in Scandinavian style
In a Scandinavian-style nursery, compact functional furniture is welcome:
- low tables;
- stools;
- chairs;
- wardrobes;
- cabinets for bed linen;
- baskets for toys;
- bookshelves.
For sleep, you can choose a comfortable loft bed with a ladder. The bed is located on the top of the structure and is equipped with a safety bar so that the child does not fall. In the lower part, you can equip a play area, a workplace or a relaxation area by placing a comfortable chair and baskets with toys or an armchair with a floor lamp there.
If the nursery is designed for two or three inhabitants, a bunk bed and a loft bed will be appropriate, which do not take up much space.
Lighting
Due to the lack of sun and prolonged heavy rains, the inhabitants of the Scandinavian countries are especially reverent about bright natural light. The window opening in the nursery in the Scandinavian style should be as large as possible without details blocking the light. If double-glazed windows are used, a frame with good thermal insulation should be chosen, which is very important for a nursery. The color can be white, brownish or beige to emphasize the contrast with the walls.
In Northern Europe, window openings are often not decorated with curtains. But if a room with a window without curtains seems uncomfortable, you can use light translucent curtains, tulle or blinds.
Scandinavian curtains are a harmonious combination of simplicity of cut, elegance and light shades. The inhabitants of Scandinavia are very respectful of nature. Therefore, when decorating their home, they try to give preference to natural materials and natural colors. This also applies to curtains, for which natural fabrics such as linen and cotton are selected.
Due to the simplicity of the cut, a large selection of colors and shades, it is easy to choose such curtains for any design solution for a room or room. Today, such curtains are used not only by the inhabitants of Scandinavia, they are also preferred by people living in other territories. The main rule for the design of such an interior style is simplicity, lightness and practicality.
When tailoring, only natural fabrics are chosen, and most often ethane, cotton, silk, muslin. Such materials are lightweight and at the same time transmit sunlight well, which allows you to visually expand the space of the room. With the help of such curtains, you can transform any interior by making it more "light" and refined. They will be appropriate in almost any room: nursery, living room, bedroom, kitchen. The main thing is to choose the right color for the curtains.
How to choose the right color and design
As mentioned above, Scandinavian-style curtains are made in light colors and shades. The choice according to this criterion depends on the size and purpose of a particular room.
- Shades of white. It must be said that white is the main color of the Nordic style of interior design. It is a symbol of purity and elegance. Such fabrics easily let in diffused sunlight, making the room more spacious and bright. Curtains made in white are ideal for a compact living room, dining room or kitchen;
- Cream. This color is able to emphasize the tenderness and lightness of the atmosphere, while allowing you to experiment with other design elements. Swedish curtains, decorated in this color, are perfect for decorating a bedroom;
- Gray and its shades. By choosing the right tones of gray, you can easily transform any living room, while there is an opportunity to experiment with various decor elements;
- Cyan (blue). With the help of such fabrics, you can easily create the illusion of an alluring sea horizon. Such products will be very interesting to look at in a nursery or living room, while adding a certain amount of romance to the room;
- Shades of green and light green flowers. Products of this palette will easily fit into the bedroom, living room or children's room. At the same time, it is possible to combine several shades of this color;
Such products will report lightness and translucency, which allows them to be used in rooms with a small area.
Application in the interior
Curtains in the Scandinavian style do not need decor. Massive braided brushes or shiny decorative elements will not be appropriate here. The garter in some cases can decorate the curtain, but it should be as simple as possible and preferably sewn from the same fabric as the curtain itself. Such products can steal any room in the house or apartment.
So, for example, a light translucent cotton curtain made in shades of beige is perfect for the kitchen. In this room, the use of a beautiful openwork curtain will be quite relevant. Residents of Scandinavia quite often use Roman blinds decorated in light colors when decorating the kitchen space.
The Swedes, like the inhabitants of other Scandinavian countries, do not use curtains in the living room, but in our area it is not customary to do without these interior elements. Therefore, for the inhabitants of our state, the ideal option would be Nordic curtains of a simple cut, light colors. In the living room, it is better to leave the curtains open, adding more natural light to the rooms. You can decorate such products with pickups sewn from the same material as the canvas itself.
In the bedroom, as well as in the living room, it is better to use light-colored Scandinavian curtains without "flashy" decorative elements. Here, products made in cream or pale blue are the best fit. If you want to "hide" from prying eyes, then for these purposes you can use light blinds. Such a solution will be especially relevant for owners of private houses or apartments located on the first floors of the house.
In the room for your child, it is better to use straight curtains of any light shade, which is selected based on the color scheme of the main interior items and finishing material.
The main advantages of using in interior design
Curtains made in the Nordic style have a number of positive qualities:
- A wide selection of natural colors and shades. Thanks to this, you can easily pick up a curtain in any room, regardless of its design decision;
- Naturalness. For sewing such products, only light, natural fabrics are taken. Most often it is linen, cotton, muslin or silk;
- Ease of care. Due to the naturalness of the fabrics, it is easy to care for such curtains and at the same time they will retain their original appearance for a long time;
- No need for decoration. Such curtains themselves look quite natural and elegant. Such products will easily transform any room, giving it elegance and exclusivity;
- Versatility. Curtains in the Nordic style will look interesting in any room of an apartment or residential building. The main thing at the same time is to competently approach the choice of design and shade of curtains.
You can buy such curtains both in a stationary store and order them on a specialized Internet resource. The price of such products will primarily depend on the material of tailoring, the length of the curtain and the urgency of the order.
In conclusion, it is worth saying that Scandinavian curtains are one of the best options for decorating any living space or room.
