Interior in Scandinavian Style: Favorite Techniques of Professionals

Designers from the Belyakova & Karayani studio shared what makes a beautiful Scandinavian interior, why you shouldn't paint walls white, and how to choose vibrant accents.

Ekaterina Belyakova and Olga Karayani are experts. They graduated from the Modern School of Design. Owners of the Belyakova & Karayani studio.

Plenty of air and a unified space

If you cannot rebuild load-bearing walls in your home but want to expand the space, pay attention to the hallway. You can use it to enlarge the bathroom (if it is built from non-load-bearing walls) or connect the hallway to the bedroom, creating a passage space like a wardrobe or butler's pantry.

Additional openings between rooms create an illusion of one unified space. For example, in our project, a wide opening between the hallway and living room almost doubled the size of the living room. An additional opening from the kitchen to the living room visually unites the spaces.

Design: Belyakova & Karayani Studio

And one unified floor covering

Use flooring of the same color and layout throughout the apartment, especially if it's small. Otherwise, you will only emphasize the boundaries of each room.

Wooden flooring is better laid along the room to maintain proportion. Laying it at an angle can expand the space and hide wall imperfections.

Design: Belyakova & Karayani Studio

Gray walls

It's not advisable to choose white for walls in our climate zone. To achieve the look of a white interior, just add a bit of gray shade to the walls. This is an excellent alternative to tired beige and makes furniture stand out more vividly and expressively.

Design: Belyakova & Karayani Studio

How to choose a wall color?

• For Moscow apartments, English paint palettes designed for northern countries work well. In the absence of sunlight, they don't change color much and only become more saturated and interesting.
• In a room with northern windows, paint the walls in warm colors. For sunny southern sides, choose cool shades to balance the temperature.
• Paint only in the room for which these colors are intended. Check the paint at different times of day under natural and artificial lighting.
• Soft shades will become darker and more expressive if painted on all walls. When you fill the room with furniture and decor, the color distribution will make them lighter or more contrasting, depending on color harmony.
• To create a peaceful atmosphere in the room, choose cool tones: blue and green. If you want something uplifting, use warm tones: yellow and orange.

Design: Belyakova & Karayani Studio

Vibrant details

If you want to fill a Scandinavian interior with vibrant details, choose light gray and blue shades for the walls. Floors with a pronounced honeywood texture will balance the cool walls.

On gray walls, bright furniture looks perfect: a yellow sofa, vibrant pillow prints, colorful chairs in the kitchen, dressers, and chandeliers. By the way, you can always replace them with details in other shades to completely change the interior's mood.

Design: Belyakova & Karayani Studio

More decor

Use paintings — they can combine all the colors of the interior. To find a suitable option, follow several rules.

• The size of the painting should be proportional to the room — about two-thirds of the back of the sofa or bed. Small paintings are better collected into compositions.
• If you have low ceilings, you can place the painting on a console or floor instead of hanging it on the wall.
• The paintings should not blend into the wall; they must contrast with it.
• Don't choose only works by well-known artists; prints by lesser-known or street artists are just as atmospheric.

Design: Belyakova & Karayani Studio

And green plants

It's characteristic of the Scandinavian style to have an abundance of flowers and plants — they can enhance and animate the interior. Place them in various corners of the room or gather them on one shelf.

Floral compositions made from moss and succulents also look great. Even dried branches can add a spring-like mood to a Scandinavian interior.

Design: Belyakova & Karayani Studio

Design: Belyakova & Karayani Studio

On the cover: Design project by Belyakova & Karayani Studio