Adding warmth to a Scandinavian home isn’t only related to adding warmth in winter. It’s about adding warm stuff, colours and materials that will make the abode cosier, homier, and more appealing. When designing and decorating a home of this kind, people often take inspiration from nature in order to create a naturally relaxing environment. So, it’s not strange that almost all Scandinavian homes are like that, and adding natural materials and items made of natural materials is the best way to start.

Essential Materials Scandinavians Love to Use in Their Homes

Linen

When looking for upholstered natural fabrics, it’s not a secret that linen is among the most commonly used types. It comes from natural fibre (flax plant) and it has been used for centuries thanks to its amazing benefits. It’s soft and quite durable, biodegradable, and great for the environment.

When compared to cotton, it seems that linen is thirty times stronger, so it’s no wonder that it has been the preferred choice of Scandinavians since ever. They use it for table and bed linens, as well as decorative linen pillows which look great when paired with a sofa made of similar material.

Speaking of the pillows, you can choose from a large selection of colours, designs, shapes, and sizes that allow you to mix and match them. For instance, you can select from the plain models, the fringed versions and the ones that come with an appealing design on them. Regardless of the type and colour you choose, they’ll create a cosy look which is the goal.

Being a breathable, soft, and cool material makes throw linen pillows the perfect cushioning for those times when taking a nap in the living room. Now, besides living rooms, they can also be used in bedrooms.

While the furniture and bedside tables can play a huge role in the way your Nordic bedroom looks, it’s the smaller details like pillows that can give your bed the needed look. They’re appealing, stylish, and simple and when mixed and paired in different shapes and sizes they can make your bedroom cosier, warmer, and more stylish.

For an extra dose of comfort, the eye-catching linen cushions can also be added on upholstered chairs that can be a part of both living room and bedroom settings, but also in children’s rooms. You can use them as decorative pieces on the bed, or to create the perfect reading nook.

Wood for Furniture

Scandinavian furniture is all about incorporating wood and nothing else. Being a natural and warm material, Scandinavians enjoy introducing it in their homes, starting from the floor, all the way to even the smallest details. While wooden coffee tables are a must, they also love to pair them with similar wooden dining tables. Whether round or square, wooden dining tables are naturally beautiful, and an excellent way to add more warmth and cosiness to the interior.

The wood’s natural grain and texture make sure no two handcrafted dining tables are the same, which makes them unique. Teak, oak, and walnut are among the most commonly used types, allowing you to mix and match them as you please, however, out of the three, it’s teak that’s the most sought-after material. It’s solid, dense, and oily wood that has a golden honey colour when new. Thanks to its natural oils, it’s self-protected from pests like termites.

The best of all is that these oils protect the wood from any water penetration which makes it even better for dining tables. We all know how messy it could get when eating, especially with smaller children, so teak tables seem to be the perfect choice for that. In situations like this, all you’ll need is warm soapy water to clean it. Just make sure to choose a sunny day to clean it since the warm weather and sun can help it dry faster.

For those times when deeper cleaning is needed, you can use moderate sand. Simple as that. To prevent water stains and preserve its honey colour, you can use a special teak sealer. Keep in mind that sealing once a year is more than enough to keep it in the same shape.

Leather in Soft Furnishing

The last material Scandinavians love to incorporate in their homes is leather. If you want, you can incorporate leather in the form of upholstered chairs, and sofas, and make it pop with notable linen pillows. Either way, leather can make the home more stylish while giving it the lacking warmth and Scandinavian feel.

The best thing about leather is that, over time, it’ll become even softer and comfier to sit on. Regarding the colours, you have the freedom to choose whatever shade you like, even a deep orange one. This particular colour has the power to stand out and give your abode a more relaxing and homey feel and look.