7 Scandi Design Trends You Might Want to Think Twice About
Before trying them at home, consider whether these popular trends are really a good fit for your lifestyle
These days, interior decor trends reach more and more people, and change faster than ever. It is getting ever easier to leap into them blindly without thinking about how they might fit into your lifestyle. We review seven trends that are uniformly gorgeous but may not be suitable for all homes and lifestyles.
2. Foregoing upper cupboards (in a busy kitchen)
It looks great in magazine photos: a bright, open-plan kitchen, its clean walls a blank canvas, giving the room an ascetic, restful atmosphere.
However, think about it just one more time before you ditch your kitchen cabinets: Do you really have enough storage space in the kitchen? Can you really do without the extra cupboards? Can you really be bothered to bend down and reach around under the counter every single time you need to get to the dishes or grab a colander?
If you answered “no” to these questions but still want a kitchen that feels airy and light, think about investing in open shelving. It has a similar feel, but offers more storage space that’s easier to access.
It looks great in magazine photos: a bright, open-plan kitchen, its clean walls a blank canvas, giving the room an ascetic, restful atmosphere.
However, think about it just one more time before you ditch your kitchen cabinets: Do you really have enough storage space in the kitchen? Can you really do without the extra cupboards? Can you really be bothered to bend down and reach around under the counter every single time you need to get to the dishes or grab a colander?
If you answered “no” to these questions but still want a kitchen that feels airy and light, think about investing in open shelving. It has a similar feel, but offers more storage space that’s easier to access.
3. Beni Ourain rugs (with a toddler around)
Every blogger’s favourite, Beni Ourain rugs are totally gorgeous, but it also takes quite a bit of work to keep them clean. Anything at all can hide inside the long wool pile – lost candy, popcorn, hairpins, children’s toys… If you don’t want to be vacuuming the carpet several times a week, it’s better to choose a style with a short pile.
Every blogger’s favourite, Beni Ourain rugs are totally gorgeous, but it also takes quite a bit of work to keep them clean. Anything at all can hide inside the long wool pile – lost candy, popcorn, hairpins, children’s toys… If you don’t want to be vacuuming the carpet several times a week, it’s better to choose a style with a short pile.
4. Outdoor trees (indoors)
Have you been seduced by photos into looking for a big tree to keep indoors, exactly like on those beautiful Houzz Tours? Be sure to choose the right one. Common fig trees, for example, work just fine outdoors, but they can only be grown indoors in regions that get enough daylight throughout the winter. If you live in a northern region, go for a fiddle-leaf fig instead – with a little luck and the right care, they can be very tree-like and elegant.
Have you been seduced by photos into looking for a big tree to keep indoors, exactly like on those beautiful Houzz Tours? Be sure to choose the right one. Common fig trees, for example, work just fine outdoors, but they can only be grown indoors in regions that get enough daylight throughout the winter. If you live in a northern region, go for a fiddle-leaf fig instead – with a little luck and the right care, they can be very tree-like and elegant.
5. Pink walls (that you haven’t thought through)
Pink walls are an example of a trend that grew so big so quickly that it is already on its way out. It can be stunningly beautiful to have a bright pink room at home, but before you paint make sure you’re completely confident that it’s a colour you’re not going to get tired of. Or, think about going with pink accessories instead.
If you decide you really want a pink room, the living room or a bedroom is a better choice than the kitchen or a hallway, where the wall could get dirty more quickly. It would be a pity to spend so much effort creating a statement wall, just for it to be tarnished immediately.
Pink walls are an example of a trend that grew so big so quickly that it is already on its way out. It can be stunningly beautiful to have a bright pink room at home, but before you paint make sure you’re completely confident that it’s a colour you’re not going to get tired of. Or, think about going with pink accessories instead.
If you decide you really want a pink room, the living room or a bedroom is a better choice than the kitchen or a hallway, where the wall could get dirty more quickly. It would be a pity to spend so much effort creating a statement wall, just for it to be tarnished immediately.
6. Gallery walls (when you’re short on time)
To make a gallery wall look outstanding, one decorator’s hot tip is to take all the paintings that you have, of course, painstakingly personally collected over the years, and place them out on the floor to arrange like puzzle-pieces so they fit together perfectly. If you have the time for that, all the power to you. However, the rest of us may be happy with just two or three really striking paintings on the wall. Or why not just skip this altogether, and go for one really enormous oil painting?
That being said, if you do have the time to devote and you love the end result, here is a guide to creating the perfect gallery wall.
To make a gallery wall look outstanding, one decorator’s hot tip is to take all the paintings that you have, of course, painstakingly personally collected over the years, and place them out on the floor to arrange like puzzle-pieces so they fit together perfectly. If you have the time for that, all the power to you. However, the rest of us may be happy with just two or three really striking paintings on the wall. Or why not just skip this altogether, and go for one really enormous oil painting?
That being said, if you do have the time to devote and you love the end result, here is a guide to creating the perfect gallery wall.
7. White floors (if you’re a neat freak)
It’s pretty self-explanatory: Do not choose a completely white floor unless you are prepared to vacuum and mop every day. Light wooden floorboards can have a similar look, but are much more forgiving than a white-painted floor, as the wood has naturally occurring patterns and tonal shifts that can mask any mess.
TELL US
Which of these Scandi-style trends did you fall for, and which ones work for you? Let us know in the Comments.
It’s pretty self-explanatory: Do not choose a completely white floor unless you are prepared to vacuum and mop every day. Light wooden floorboards can have a similar look, but are much more forgiving than a white-painted floor, as the wood has naturally occurring patterns and tonal shifts that can mask any mess.
TELL US
Which of these Scandi-style trends did you fall for, and which ones work for you? Let us know in the Comments.
Yes, velvet couches are super elegant and can really lift a room’s decor, giving the living room a whole new look. But think again before buying one if you have pets at home – fur and claw-marks quickly make them look less-than-classy. Instead, consider choosing a couch with cotton covers, which are easy to wash and keep clean. If you absolutely have to have a velvet couch, it may be wise to choose one that is as close as possible to the colour and texture of your pet’s fur, so that the shed hair is not nearly as noticeable. You could also create a “pet corner” on the couch with a blanket for the furry family member to laze around on.