A Guide To Scandinavian Interior Design Style.

Interior design in the Scandinavian style is simple, minimalist, and functional. Scandinavian design isn't a new phenomenon, but it continues to be a popular trend in interior design today, particularly in Singapore. Scandinavian design is a design movement characterized by a focus on functionalism and simplicity. It also includes the use of natural materials, such as leather and wood. Furthermore, Scandinavian interiors are often characterized by a connection to nature, which combines natural shapes, abstracted elements, and natural elements.  

Scandinavian interiors have a certain magic. This chic home has a cosy vibe with a neutral colour palette and minimal adornments. When it comes to creating a Scandinavian interior design for your space, but you aren't sure how to go about it, here are tips and tricks to make it a success.

What is Scandinavian Style? 

Scandinavian decor style captures the balance between comfort and minimalism found in Scandinavian design. It is one of the interior design styles that influenced (and grew with) modern interior design in the 20th century. Clean lines, minimal decoration, and the importance of artwork are a few examples. 

Below are our top tips to bring a Scandinavian theme into your home.

Accessorize With Warm Textiles.

Scandinavian countries are characterized by climates that are extremely cold. Therefore, warm textiles are frequently used in Scandinavian home décor. Whilst Singapore doesn’t have the weather of these Scandanavian countries, we can still bring in the warm textiles to create the Scandanavian styles in BTO’s, HDB’s, Condos or Landed Properties. There are a variety of textiles you can choose from, including throws and rugs made from wool, sheepskins, or mohair. Or choose options that look like they come from these materials. 

Choose Simple Decorative Pieces.

Scandinavian interior design is known for its simplicity. As a result, when it comes to decorating a Scandinavian themed home, always choose those decorative accents that have a simple design. Decorative ceramic vases may be the perfect addition to the living room table. Using throws and pillows that have simple geometric prints will bring texture and colour to your Scandinavian interior.

Combine Both Wood And Metal Finishings.

In a Scandinavian design, wooden elements are used not only in the flooring but also in the furniture and fixtures. Scandinavian houses are usually furnished with wood for their furniture, such as coffee tables and chairs. Recent trends in Scandinavian decorating, however, combine metallic details with wooden elements. Brass pendants and copper sconces are suspended from the ceiling to bring light and shine into the room.

Look At Plants And Fresh Flowers To Decorate.

To add a living element of colour and beauty to your Scandinavian interior design, consider adding natural elements. Plants and fresh flowers can be put to good use when decorating your Scandinavian theme. In order to achieve Scandinavian design, it must include floral elements and fresh flowers.

Neutral Colours.

The Scandinavian style decor includes a particular colour palette of grey, white, brown, and black. When decorating a Scandinavian living room, focus on the use of these neutral colours in order to create a clean and soothing atmosphere. You are not limited to these colours though, you can also add pops of colours, such as fuchsia and sea greens. In typical Scandinavian home decor, walls are often painted in white in order for the furniture and decorative pieces to stand out.

Hygge Colours.

Hygge, however, is what sets Scandinavian home decor apart from other styles. Specifically, to create an environment that fosters feelings of warmth, contentment, and cosiness. The term is derived from Denmark, but many Nordic homes share the same comforting essence without too much ornamentation.

The perfect amount of furniture and decor is used in Scandinavian interiors - neither too much nor too little. Scandi colour schemes are no different. Colours in this style are typically calming and neutral, with white, gray, black, and blue accents. 

White Scandinavian Decor.

The Scandinavian design style emphasizes simplicity and naturalness as much as possible. Scandinavian design is functional but also pleasing to the touch. Fabrics and handmade items are certainly earthy in their textures that give Scandi home decor a Scandinavian feel. A cool colour scheme is complemented by wood, leather, and rugs.

Keep Your Interior Clutter-Free.

The Scandinavian interior design style puts a strong emphasis on keeping the space clutter-free. Organizing storage spaces smartly should therefore be a priority to avoid unnecessary clutter. Scandinavian decor is characterized by the "less is more" philosophy in order to keep the space looking less cluttered and more visually relaxing.

Choose Light-Coloured Flooring.

Scandanavian themes usually use light hardwood flooring either in its natural light colour or painted white. A Scandinavian design is perfect for laminated flooring. Your home will appear brighter and more spacious with the addition of new flooring that oozes an air of warmth and welcome.

Light Window Treatments.

Adding plenty of light to a Scandinavian theme can make the space more inviting. The Scandinavian design maintains a very minimal use of window treatments to allow the light to enter the room. If window coverings are necessary for your Scandinavian decor, choose light fabrics such as sheer curtains. 

Lighting Is Crucial.

Scandinavian interior design emphasizes the importance of lighting. In Scandinavian décor, light is considered a life source, and there should be different types of lighting to ensure adequate illumination. In a Scandinavian home design, lighting also sets the mood. Modern lighting can be incorporated into an industrial design by using wall sconces and pendant lights. 

Form Combined With Function.

In Scandinavian design, furniture should have clean lines. Tables, chairs, and sofas should have rounded and smooth edges to complement the Scandinavian decor. It is also common for Scandinavian design to incorporate a multi-tiered wall shelf in a Scandinavian living room due to its innovative and functional use of space. Innovative and space-efficient storage spaces add visual interest to space.

5 Easy Ways to Get Started WIth This Style

1. Nature-Inspired Artwork

The Scandinavian wall decor is often influenced by nature or human form, whether it is an abstract watercolor or a line drawing. If you like monochrome artwork, you can exhibit it by itself, in series or as a larger grouping. 

2. Fluffy Textiles

In addition to adding warmth, throws and rugs also soften the sometimes-stark look of a Scandinavian interior. As well as adding a stylish element to the design, these fluffy additions provide functionality.

3. Statement Lighting

The decoration is limited, so functional elements also take on an ornamental quality. Lighting is an example of this. Lighting fixtures with lantern-like shapes are popular. Nonetheless, the latest Scandinavian house decor trends also feature whimsical and colourful lighting designs.

4. Simple Patterns

Scandinavian home decor keeps its patterns and motifs simple. Those homes are filled with sweet cross motifs, straight lines, and mini chevrons. Soft furnishings with patterns can add a bit of fun to a Nordic-inspired interior.

5. Natural Materials

The Scandinavian style is characterized by the use of natural materials like wood and leather. It is the combination of rustic elements from the earth with soft and cosy textiles that makes this style so appealing.

Styling Tips For First-Time Homeowners.

Firstly buying your own home, whether it's a BTO, Resale HDB or Condo is an exciting time.

Finally, you are in your space, what could go wrong? One of the best things about owning your own home is this is your opportunity to put your unique and personal stamp on it.

Styling your home will add personality to your home

From buying furniture to selecting appliances to decide on soft furnishings, there's a lot to do. Well, if experience has taught us anything, the design and styling process can be overwhelming, to say the least. Fear not, we have the top tips and tricks to style your first home.

Which room to start with?

Well much as you may be tempted to say, ALL the rooms, your budget may not allow for that. In that case, pick the one or two rooms you will be spending the most time in to focus on first. In a typical Singaporean home is the living space and the bedroom.

There is no rush. 

Many times when people move into their new home, they find that they move things around and completely change their design as the months go on. Don’t feel like you need to rush to get everything completed all at once. When you move in, take some time to get a feel for the place before you make any final decisions. Your interior design choices don’t have to be made overnight. Remember home design is expensive, the last thing you want is to spend money on a statement piece that you decide you don’t like after 6 months.

Lighting Matters.

Lighting can change the entire feel of your space

Many people underestimate the power of good lighting in a home until they move in and find out that it is inefficiently lit. The two most important rooms to light well are the kitchen and the bathroom because of all the activities you do there. These rooms require a layered lighting plan and I would recommend working with a professional to get it correct. It’s not just the amount of lights there are, but the location and the color of the light are important. A professional will break it down into three zones, general, task, and ambient. 

Another type of lighting that is important is natural lighting. Consider your views out the windows and where you need privacy and where you don’t. This will help you sort out where you can let the light shine in. Even in the more private rooms, if you have a view out of the window you might want to see, there are window treatments that will allow for a full view when you want it and total privacy when you don’t.

Lighting can make or break a room! It can also create a huge impact and dramatically change the entire feel of a room - whether is artificial or natural. Making a concerted effort to keep windows clean and clutter free can dramatically increase the light that floods into a room - even painting window frames and window sills white can help. Many of our customers opt for garden rooms or orangeries with roof lanterns because of the sheer volume of natural light that they let in.

Have a think about lighting for different moods and occasions, or features in the home that you want to accentuate and layer your lighting to suit. Ceiling lights for cleaning or working, candle and side lamps for soft lighting for entertaining, up or down lighting to display art or photographs - the possibilities are endless! You can create a huge impact with lighting, and often for a minimal budget!

Express your own personal style. 

 If you’ve just bought your own home, you have permission to put your own stamp on it. It’s why people strive to buy their own homes; because they get to do what they want with it.

Don’t be afraid to be bold when you start to decorate. Use things that express your personality and don’t worry about matching everything up. If you’re decorating according to your tastes, everything will link together to create your own personal comfort.

Start with a neutral colour palette.

A neutral colour palette can allow you to add pops of colour later

It can be difficult to decide what to put on the walls when you first move in. Will you paint a modern color? Will you wallpaper? Will you fill the walls with artwork? Most people are hasty in their decisions just because they want to make the house their own. If you’re unable to decide or want to take your time making your decisions, neutral is the way to go.

Painting all the walls white when you move in will give you a blank canvas, not to mention nice, clean and new walls. You may even find that the light and crisp color works well for you. Neutral palettes with pops of color are a popular trend right now.

Choose accessories that change your room.

Accessories should be changed to fit your mood or the season. They bring character to any room. You want to have pictures in decorative frames of family and friends. Even a specific wall dedicated to a gallery wall is a great idea.

Colour can tie a space together.

Starting out with a blank canvas such as a new home doesn’t mean that you have to buy everything matching to coordinate your space. One great way to tie your room together is through your use of colour. So if you already have a sofa but now have the space for a coffee table, consider your materials and colour scheme. This will help to seamlessly combine the pieces together.

Many new builds will have a very neutral interior. So if you want to inject some colour into your space but don’t have the time or money to go all out on your decor, be clever with your furniture choice colours, such as colourful dining chairs or a bold coloured sofa set. Colourful dining chairs are a great way to add a stylish pop of colour to your new dining area.

The neutral scheme of many new build homes is a great opportunity to be bold with your colour choices. Don’t forget, you can always add textures such as a rug into your space to bring a pop of colour.

Measure twice. 

Don’t trust your eye rather than a tape measure. This is never a good idea when choosing your furniture, especially when buying online. Thinking your new sofa and coffee table will fit is very different to knowing that it will, so save yourself the stress and hassle on delivery day by knowing your measurements well before you place your order.

You have a budget for a reason. 

TOP TIP: One way to make sure you stick to the essentials is to make a note of your budget- and stick to it! Home Renovation can be an expensive time, so it’s a good idea to know how much money you have to actually spend on furniture before you set your heart on a sofa and dining set that is way out of your budget. Once you know what you’ve got to work with, then you can start shopping around. If you have any leftover cash, you can then buy those extra pieces on your wish list without any guilt as all the important pieces have been covered.

Start With Your Investment Pieces

A statement piece can be a focal point in the room

The term investment pieces can hold connotations of costing a lot of money but try to think of your investment pieces as just that- investments, not expenses. A good quality bed, sofa and dining table will provide comfort and seating for your family for years to come. So if you can afford it, it’s a very smart move to spend more on these staple pieces for your new home. Vital parts of any home, investment pieces will be the furniture that you use the most and keep the longest, so you’ll want to choose something that’ll last.

Be inspired. 

The glossy interior magazines do look stunning. However, sometimes the best styling inspiration can come from real homes. There’s a whole community of new homeowners sharing their design journey on social media platforms such as Instagram and Houzz, so be sure to follow people in the community. #newhome, #newbuild and #firsttimebuyer are great hashtags to get started. Then you’ll start to discover accounts that you love! You can also use the platforms to ask questions and even share some of your own knowledge. This can be invaluable when moving into a new home.

Start off by searching for relevant hashtags. This way you’ll find relevant accounts and people to follow. You can follow us on Instagram, Facebook or Pinterest as an example.

Most importantly.

Have fun! Moving into a new home does have its worries and stresses, but make sure you take a moment to think of the home you’re creating for you and your family; it’s a space to make new memories during mealtimes, family celebrations or even just relaxing at home.

12 Tips To Set Up Your Home Office.

With the world in the midst of a global pandemic, and working from home being part of our collective new normal, many organisations are open to a more permanent shift to remote working even after the dangers of COVID-19 fade. For instance, Twitter has given the go-ahead for its employees to work from home “forever” if they wish and Shopify’s CEO said, “office centricity is over”.

There will be an ongoing need for homes in Singapore to be able to accommodate work from home in the near to medium term. With demand for larger homes increasing steadily throughout the pandemic, the option of simply shifting to a larger space to add in a home office is not always a practical solution. We have put together 12 key considerations when planning your home office within your HDB, Condo or Landed Property.

1. Create A Dedicated Workspace.

With space at a premium in Singapore, it can be difficult to have an actual room dedicated as your workspace but it's still essential to have a dedicated space within your home that you work from. With WFH being the norm in 2021 and even as Singapore or other countries across the region reopen, you need to future proof your home.  This cannot mean having your “home office” on your bed or sofa. Firstly this is not productive for you which will cause additional stress, but most importantly mixing work with your personal space will make it more difficult for your brain to adapt to “work mode”. Your couch and your bed are made for relaxation. You need to create a space within your home which you will associate with productive work. 

You may need to get creative with where to place your home office. It could be set up in a spare bedroom. It may mean carving out a dedicated space within your living room from where you will work. You can look at solutions such as glass or partition walls to split a room so you have a space for working. A great solution, if you are using a room as a sleeping space and a workspace, is to look at loft beds or murphy beds. Your key goal is to separate your work and personal life and create a dedicated zone from where you will work. 

2. Don't Sacrifice Form for Function.

Furniture can be multi functional

One of the biggest benefits of having your own home working space is that you are not limited to a soulless office cubicle. Solutions and options are endless as you can now get storage furniture that will match your theme. A desk doesn't have to be a large office table that looks out of place in your space. You should look to choose furniture which matches your space and most importantly that you like. The furniture in your work from home space should be functional yet work within your theme.  If your home has Scandanavian decor, warm wood and soft, comfy chairs or a loveseat are ideal if you have the space. A contemporary home office can feature artistic pieces or modern metal furniture.

3. Add Proper Storage.

This of course spends on your job and how much paperwork you may need to keep, but most home offices need to have some storage. If your room is being used for multiple functions, having dedicated storage can be used to store your work equipment such as your laptop at the end of the workday.

Your work from home office should have dedicated storage space for all your documents, to keep your supplies such as printer paper (or even the printer itself), out of sight. This shouldn’t mean that you have to spend hours searching for what you need daily. The storage you select needs to be functional and work for what your particular needs are. 

4. Choose A Desk That Suits Your Needs.

Choose a desk that suits your needs

Your desk height should be such that when you type on the keyboard, your arms and hands are parallel to the floor. Your feet should be flat on the floor, and your legs should fit comfortably under the desk. Many desks now come with height-adjustable legs. If you already have a table and cannot invest in a new one that supports this posture, get yourself a height-adjustable keyboard tray or a footrest to correct your alignment. If you have a large home office space, you could get a large table with lots of shelving. If you have to fit a table into a nook, consider a corner desk that will fit compactly in a corner under which you can tuck in your chair as well.

Another important factor is the access area to your home office. Can your large table be dismantled to move through the door? Or will it fit through the access passage? What desk you choose will also depend on your working style Do you just need a laptop and a water bottle, or do you need to surround yourself with pin-ups, photos, plants and the like around your laptop? A final consideration is how to hide unsightly cables. Holes or channels for cords are an excellent way to keep those pesky wires hidden. You could even have a hidden storage box mounted just under your table to store the unsightly wires and cables.

5. Consider Adding A Standing Desk.

A standing desk can help you be more productive

There is so much buzz around standing desks! There are so many great standing desks available on the market that will suit your personal style. Studies suggest sitting for long periods of time can cause serious health issues and weaken the overall strength and endurance of people who lead sedentary lifestyles.

Working at a standing desk means that you are keeping your back and overall posture at the best levels and actually burning calories while simply standing and working. Experts recommend using a standing desk for at least 3 – 4 hours a day.

6. Invest in a Great Chair.

Investing in a comfortable & ergonomic office chair is also an important design choice for your home office that will affect your productivity. A great desk chair will not only make you feel like you’re sitting on a cloud all day, but it will also provide lumbar support & help avoid back problems in the future.

A good office chair can boost productivity by allowing you to stay comfortable and focused for longer periods of time. The back is usually the first part of the body to suffer from sitting down all day. So look for a chair with back or lumbar support, which usually comes in the form of extra cushioning on the backrest. Not all office chairs come with armrests, but these are good to have as they give you extra support if you need to lean on something.

Also, consider material. Leather tends to be more expensive and feel more luxurious, but unless you’re prepared to sit in air conditioning all day, breathable material like mesh would be more appropriate in Singapore’s climate.

Another thing to look out for is adjustability. The best office chair in the world is pointless if it’s too high or low. Armrests and tilt may also be adjustable.

Bring plants into your home office

7. Bring The Outside Inside With Plants.

You should also consider decorating your home office with a few indoor plants. Indoor plants are a breath of fresh air to any space that they occupy, including your home office. Plus, they’re the type of decoration that won’t distract you from your work. They can also help filter out the air inside your home office design, while simultaneously improving your psychological well-being.

If you are not green-fingered, you can always opt for beautiful fake plants which will still add greenery to your home and make you feel like you have brought the outside inside. 

8. Forget “Office Beige”.

One of the biggest advantages of working from your own space is that you have the freedom to paint or wallpaper your walls to your taste. You need a colour that gets your work motor humming. For some people, that's a bright, cheery colour like orange or lime green. Others need a calming shade like botanical green or seafoam blue to perform. 

9. Your View Can Inspire You. 

Position the desk where you can stare at something more interesting than a blank wall (even if you do love the colour) when you glance up from the computer. Feng Shui experts suggest positioning your desk in the power position where you can see the door and your back is to the wall. Make the most of your windows' natural light by positioning your desk where the window is to the side. Investing in blinds or curtains means you can also control the amount of light coming into your room, essential with Singapore’s weather. 

10. Choose Accessories That You Love. 

Make your home office your own with unique accessories

Unless you're going for a contemporary look, choose extras that enhance the comfortable feeling of your home office. These can be simple such as a mug you love to have your Kopi from in the morning or a quirky pen holder. Hang inspirational prints on the walls, whether that's simply your kids' framed artwork or a classic painting. Remember, you can always have a virtual background for your daily zoom calls, giving you the freedom to accessorise your space.

11. Control the Noise Level.

If you’re the type of person that gets easily distracted by noise, you can invest in items that will help control the noise level that you hear from the outside world. It could be as simple as curtains to minimise the noise coming from your neighbours or a rug on your floors to cushion the sounds of your kids playing in the next room. A simple solution is to invest in some noise-cancelling headphones or a speaker for your desk.  

12. Invest in Suitable Lighting.

A desk lamp brings better light to your work from home setup

If you rely on natural light to brighten your home office, this can affect your productivity in ways that you might not be conscious of before. Since natural light changes as the day continue, you need to be mindful of the changing lighting situation in your home office. You must have noticed this situation in your office building – there are bright lights on throughout the day to add to the natural lighting. This helps employees stay in a fresh state of mind for longer.

Using desk lamps can help you zone out from your surroundings and just focus on the work in front of you. It may seem underrated, but good lighting can enable the best home office experience you need. You don’t want your home office design to be too bright that it makes it hard for you to see the screen and cause eye strain. You also don’t want it to be so dark that you struggle to make out what you’re trying to look at for work.