Creating that Scandinavian fitout can be easy once you know a few simple principles.
It’s a style that is very adaptable to so many commercial fitouts: café, fashion, beauty, food, even some forms of healthcare.
It’s pure, honest and it’s simple.
Designers know how to get the look right……….
- Use misty whites or soft greys from the Scandinavian environment to give a clean and calming feel.
The idea is to create a look that is minimalist but not stark. - Use multiple shades of the same colour. It can be done very successfully to create interest and depth.
- Keep walls and floors very light. By doing this, you can show off the product on your shelves to the max.
- Where you use whites or greys, introduce blacks and browns for contrast. Light fittings, a counter detail, or artwork on the wall can carry these contrasting colours.
- Introduce a pop of colour like a dusty pink, a sea-green or an icy blue for added interest in dressing room curtaining, café wall tiling, a rug, or a feature on the wall.
- Where you need to layer up the luxury, particularly in a fashion or beauty retail space, then think about using some finishes like burnished bronzes, metallics, leathers, animal hides, ceramics or a heavily textured floor rug.
- Light fittings play a prominent part in Scandinavian design, so feature them over a counter, in a quiet seating area, or just about anywhere. Group some simple pendants with timber, resin or concrete details, hang some copper pipe with lamps over a counter or suspend some minimalist chandeliers. Get the details right with lighting but keep it simple.
- Introducing botanicals like potted plants adds a touch to the environment and are a great way to integrate colour and texture without making the space feel cluttered.
- Painted interior brickwork on a feature wall, subway-style tiles as a splashback, tongue and groove feature panelling – they’re all easy ways to add all-important texture to a Scandinavian style fitout.
- Simple, open shelving is a basic part of Scandinavian design. Group products carefully and minimally for display. Keep all display simple and clean-lined. Sticking to these guidelines demands a degree of restraint.
Use the “less is more” principle to reach this popular, uncluttered style and you’ll be nearly there.
