Scandinavian Bathroom Design Ideas – Modern and Comfortable Interiors
In This Article
Scandinavian bathroom design ideas will appeal to people who value ergonomics and functionality. The style gives a fairly wide scope for decoration and offers the opportunity to create a spectacular and harmonious interior that will be relevant for many years.
Scandinavian style is primarily about comfort and practicality. The interior contains a minimal number of decorative details and decorations, which makes it similar to minimalism, but with a warmer atmosphere. The style is attractive for its simplicity, the abundance of light, air, simple furniture design and color palette that reflects the harsh but attractive nature of Scandinavia. This mini-guide contains the main rules for the design of a Scandi-style bathroom, current trends and findings that allow you to realize your plans even in a limited area.
Despite the restraint of the Scandinavian style, interiors look very cozy. There are several reasons for this. First, the Scandinavian interior is quite minimalistic, which means that the look is clean and uncluttered. All space is used creatively and the interior items are chosen to be comfortable and functional. Last, but not least, unusual, designer things or hand-made items are typical for the style and they add a unique character to the overall design and help creating a friendly, comfortable atmosphere. Generally, Scandinavian style creates a feeling of cleanliness, openness, comfort in the interior and consists of the following elements:
- Light and space. The harsh northern climate rarely pleases with the sun, so the bright interior compensates for this disadvantage.
- Monochrome. The neutral shades that are characteristic for this style, are relaxing and give a feeling of freedom.
- Functionality. The furniture is practical and it is selected to make life more convenient.
- Minimalism. Beauty comes from flowing lines, geometric shapes, textures, color combinations. Bright accents only emphasize the overall composition.
- Naturalness. Wood occupies a leading position in the interior as well as other natural materials.
When we talk about Scandinavian bathroom design ideas, the rules of the style apply and the interiors are characterized with Nordic freshness and home comfort. You can instantly recognize the style for its specific features:
- light colors with contrasting details;
- abundance of natural materials;
- a lot of lines and geometry;
- lack of complex, bulky items;
- large windows and plenty of natural light;
- comfortable furniture;
- preference for unique things and handicrafts.
Scandinavian style appeared at the beginning of the 20th century in Denmark, Sweden and Norway, and each country gave it a little of its own national flavor, for example, in colors: Finland – black, Denmark – white. All of these countries have a common feature – a love of functionality, so the colors are combined with folklore elements in the decor, materials from stone and wood.
The dominant color in Scandinavian styled interiors is white with a small number of natural colors. A bathroom of any size will look spacious if you choose a laconic palette of shades. Windows and natural light will only enhance the effect, while artificial lighting will give a modern look.
White color is typical and represents the frosty freshness of the Scandinavian landscapes. White is used for wall and ceiling decoration so often that it has become an unwritten rule. The feeling of cleanliness that this color creates is fully consistent with the purpose of the space.
Bright accents break the uniform-looking white interior. You should choose rich, but not flashy shades, for example – dark or light shades of blue, green, less often orange and yellow are perfect for such an interior. The black color, which is characteristic of the Finnish variation of the style, will help in creating the boundaries of the space.
Natural shades are represented by the natural materials which create the comfortable and cozy atmosphere of Scandinavian interiors. Furniture is made of light or dark wood, stone is used for decoration, metal is present as plumbing and these details add character to the overall look.
In a Scandinavian style bathroom the emphasis on materials Scandinavian design is dominated by stone and wood, but this combination is not always possible for a bathroom, and this is due to the high price and poor moisture resistance of wooden materials.
Bathroom surfaces often come into contact with water and are also exposed to high temperatures. When decorating a bathroom, it is better to choose tiles that imitate natural stone or wood and combine them with light or dark flooring. Another successful option is white floor tiles and beige walls. Wood, as a natural material, can be introduced by selecting a vanity cabinet, shelves or countertops, a laundry basket, etc.
In spacious bathrooms, tiles can be combined with other materials. For example, cover the walls with plaster or wood paneling in an area with less humidity. Mosaic is often used for a built-in shower cabin.
Scandinavian-style furniture should be as functional, simple and compact as possible, and the layout should allow free movement. Wall-mounted or floor-standing cabinets that fit under the sink and built-in constructions are not uncommon. Hanging hooks and ladders are recommended for bathrobes and towels. The furniture design is minimalistic, symmetrical with strict geometry.
Mirrors
A mirror is an indispensable element of the interior in any bathroom, no matter what style it is decorated in. In addition to its main function, the mirror also contributes to the visual expansion of the space, and also reflects light, due to which the room becomes brighter. In a Scandinavian bathroom, large, square or rectangular mirrors with or without a simple frame are welcome. The frame can be made of plastic or light wood.
Lighting
There should be a lot of light – this is the basic rule. In Scandinavian countries, where the polar night reigns, light is very much appreciated, therefore it is important to have as much natural light as possible. However, in a bathroom without windows, the abundance of light can be achieved with the help of correctly selected lamps. You can combine several options – ceiling and wall mounted light fixtures – and use modern LED lamps.
Accessories
The minimalism of the Scandinavian style does not mean the complete absence of decorative elements. They just stand out less and often have a practical function. Scandinavians love simple, but unusual, and sometimes funny decorative elements, so you need to choose your bathroom accessories carefully.
Useful little things made by hand are welcome, for example, colored knitted rugs, woven laundry baskets, wooden boxes for storing hygiene items, etc. Textiles will help diversify the Nordic bathroom: towels with initials and rugs with geometric patterns. Nothing complements the natural atmosphere like potted plants. They can be placed on the floor and other horizontal surfaces.
In conclusion, we can give you some advice which will help you plan the interior of your Scandinavian bathroom and make process easier:
In a clean and minimal space, you shouldn’t put too much emphasis on styling. Keep your decor simple enough but interesting. Leather details can be a nice addition. Marble soap dispensers are also a great idea. And even just a small amount of warm metallic can create a chic space.
Choose multi-functional furnishings such as a step stool that can be used as a seat.
Scandinavians are very fond of the marine theme. In the interior, this is reflected in the active use of white and blue colors, as well as ornaments depicting waves, anchors or marine life. You can include decorative elements related to the sea and ships as accents in the interior of the bathroom.
National folklore patterns are the most recognizable component of the Scandinavian style. They can decorate textile interior items – towels, rugs, curtains, bath curtains, etc.
The beauty and minimalism of a Scandinavian style bathroom will leave no one indifferent. A Scandinavian interior is very light and relaxing and you will appreciate all the advantages as soon as you start using it. Get inspired by the Scandinavian bathroom design ideas in the photos below!
