21 Reasons Why Small Apartments Need a Scandinavian Home Décor Scheme

If you live in a small apartment, you’re probably wondering how you can decorate stylishly, comfortably and on budget. After all, you still need a place to come home to at the end of the day, even if it is small. The Scandinavian home décor style is an excellent choice for a small apartment. With it’s minimalistic, comfortable, lightweight and affordable pieces, there are many reasons to implement this style in your apartment. Here are 21 reasons why you should decorate your small apartment in the Scandinavian style:

Big Comfort in a Small Space

1. It’s comfortable- With Scandinavian design, small spaces can still be big on comfort. The idea is, quite simply, that you should feel at home in your living space. That’s why furniture designs tend to be casual and emphasize comfort. But they also emphasize simple elegance. No huge, overstuffed couches here. Just comfortable furniture with clean, graceful lines.
2. It adds the illusion of more space-Going hand and hand with simplicity and clean lines, Scandinavian furniture gives the illusion of more space, even in small interiors. That’s because the furniture isn’t bulky, is lightweight and therefore doesn’t take up unnecessary space.
3. It’s uncluttered- Having too many accessories makes a small apartment look even smaller. Accessories in Scandinavian design tend to be minimal in both size and number. Aside from a few plants, cushions and works of art to freshen up the interior, you don’t need many objects to decorate your space. In fact, the fewer the better is a good rule of thumb. This saves you time and money because you don’t need to buy and clean decorative objects that you don’t even need.
4. Has a calming effect- Your home should be your oasis from the outside world. Just because you live in a tiny apartment doesn’t mean this is any less true. Colors in Scandinavian design are fresh and calming pastel or neutral colors. With a Scandinavian color scheme, even your small apartment can become the perfect space to escape from the busy world outside.
5. It’s functional- Scandinavian furniture and décor are never “just for decoration”. It’s intended for everyday use. It’s good to know that the things you use every day look good and you love them. Besides, you don’t need anything that you can’t use cluttering up your small space.
6. There’s lots of built-in storage- You know how important storage is in a small apartment. Many Scandinavian designs take this into account by incorporating “hidden” storage options. This can include couches, ottomans, and beds with hidden storage compartments and draws in coffee tables.

Big Style With a Small Budget

1. It’s affordable- Scandinavian furniture tends to be simple and no frills, which can contribute to its affordability. Just look at Ikea for examples. Even more “high end” Scandinavian designers, such as those sold through Scandinavian Design Center, are still very reasonable price-wise, especially compared to other design styles. Also, if you do pay more for pieces by Scandinavian designers, you’re getting quality pieces.
2. There’s room to add your own personality- There are a few characteristics that differentiate the Scandinavian style from other home décor styles such as simplicity, clean lines and a lot of wood as a material. But there is also a lot of room to add your own personal touches without taking up a lot of space, like a photo wall for example.
3. It’s easily adaptable to other styles- Are you torn between Scandinavian and maybe an industrial or bohemian décor scheme? Perhaps you don’t have to choose. The Scandinavian décor scheme, which tends to be subdued and understated, can easily be combined with other styles.
4. Not prone to gimmicky trends-Does denim as an interior design material sound like a good idea to you? Should you get mason jar mugs that have straws on the top? Should you use wood pallets as a bed frame? (hint: The answer to all these questions is no). If you keep your interior simple and timeless, you don’t have to waste time thinking about the answer to these kinds of questions or make the costly mistake of buying into them.
5. The Beautiful simplicity of design-In contrast to the gimmicky trends, Scandinavian design emphasizes beauty in simplicity. Clean, simple designs mixed with beautiful, high-quality materials is a recipe for a great interior.
6. Can be purchased over time- Let’s say you want to buy only quality furnishings but can only afford maybe one nice piece, like a couch or chair. That’s perfectly fine. Splurge on the couch and then get more affordable Scandinavian furniture (like Ikea) for the rest of your room. Then when you have enough for the next quality piece, like a coffee table, you can just switch the Ikea table out for the new one and it will still work with your décor scheme.
7. Easy to source online – Especially compared to other design styles. Take mid-century modern for example. You can get a real Eames recliner for 5000 dollars or get a knock-off of dubious quality for less. You can also sift through junk from the late 80’s trying to find that 50’s gem at the thrift store. And will they even fit in your small space? Sounds like a lot of work. While there are certainly classics of Scandinavian design that you can source through eBay, thrift stores or going to the manufacturer, it is also a very dynamic and contemporary design style that can be easily sourced online and in the correct size.

Easy Upkeep When There’s Not Much Time

1. Cleaning is a breeze- You may have noticed that Scandinavian interiors almost always have wood floors. This makes them easier to clean than carpeted floors. Just vacuum and done. No need to spend time and money on stain remover and rent or hire a carpet cleaner.
2. Lightweight furniture moves easily- When you need to pack up and move to where the opportunities are, you want furniture that is easy to move with you. Because Scandinavian designs are lightweight and non-bulky, they are much easier to pack up and move than your grandmas huge, wooden china cabinet that she’s been trying to give you since you moved out on your own.
3. Minimal upkeep- Going along with easy cleanup and functionality is the minimal upkeep of a Scandinavian décor scheme. Take curtains for example. Usually, they’re just straight up and down without a lot of complicated folds. Folds collect dust. So if you don’t have folds you don’t need to dust. This is just one of the many examples where having simple, easy to care for Scandinavian furniture will save you time and money.
4. Won’t go out of style anytime soon- Scandinavian designers focus on making timeless pieces. Some of the pieces designed in the 50’s by Scandinavian designers like Alvar Aalto are still in production today and they still look great in contemporary interiors. So you don’t need to worry about splurging on that couch. It will look good for decades to come.
5. Many designers focus on sustainability- Just because you live in a small apartment and may move a lot doesn’t mean you should neglect the environment. When it comes to sustainable furniture design the Scandinavian countries are at the forefront of designing earth-friendly products
6. Easily decorated for the holidays- When you décor is minimal, you just need a few decorations to make your interior festive. After all, you probably don’t have a lot of storage space for seasonal decorations. Do yourself a favor and keep things simple.
7. Also easy for entertaining- Poufs, stools and modular pieces are big in Scandinavian furniture design. This means that everyone will be seated comfortably, even in a small space. Scandinavian designers also make absolutely beautiful plates and glasses so you can have a lot of fun entertaining guests.
8. It doesn’t have to be perfect to look good- Scandinavian style is unpretentious. You don’t need any one thing to make it look good. You don’t need one of those sheepskin throws. You don’t need to add something made of reclaimed wood. Your interior and the things in it are meant to serve your needs, even if you don’t have a lot of room. And when your interior does that, you’re in a good place.

There are many reasons why you should implement a Scandinavian home décor scheme, especially if you have a small apartment. It’s not easy to live in a small space sometimes. But with the right interior decor, you can achieve the same level of comfort and serenity that you could have in a larger space but without all the fuss and upkeep. So if you live in a small apartment, even if you move around a lot, don’t be afraid to decorate your heart out.