How to Choose and Use Scandi Wallpaper

 

Achieving Scandi Style

A Scandi inspired room is modern, light, bright and clean. In décor and interiors, Scandinavian style is often considered quite minimal, luckily this does not translate to boring or empty. Scandi style takes the ideal of ‘minimal’ and interpretates it slightly differently, the onus being to create function and balance in the space. Each item in a room should have a function and the overall space should be a balance of not too much or too little!

 

The concept of ‘just enough’ underpins most scandi rooms. Simple shapes and varied materials give a warm unfussy feel, perfectly illustrated with Swedish brand Boråstapeter’s Tangerine wallpaper and Harvest Stripe wallpaper designs (both shown below). 

 

 

Different Scandi Styles

Scandi inspiration can be quite wide and varied, the clean lines of Swedish and Danish interiors contrasting quite dramatically to the more rustic and cosier feel of Finnish and Norwegian homes.

Clean, geometric lines and cosier, more rustic styles both have a place in scandi interiors. Black and white Scandinavian wallpaper such as Sandberg’s Kallio give you a light simple and pared down aesthetic. 

 

Berså II from Boråstapeter is a seamless scandi leaf pattern wallpaper – perfect for Children’s rooms and family rooms alike.

In contrast Pure Dove & Rose from the Morris & Co. North collection is a celebration of William Morris’s Icelandic adventures. Conjuring up soft misty landscapes and shorelines this Scandinavian floral wallpaper is perfect paired with rough wood and granite finishes. 

 

Wallpapers for Scandi Design

With white walls being the obvious starting point for this interior style, wallpaper décor may not be an immediate consideration for a Scandi interior design project. However, completely ruling out using a paper in your home would be a shame as there are a wide range of Scandinavian style wallpapers to choose from. Scandinavian print wallpaper can be used to give your home a cheerful, imaginative, minimalistic, or traditional Nordic touch. 

 

Nature Inspired Scandi Wallpapers

Scandinavian wallpaper designers are known for being inspired by nature, both in terms of colour and pattern. Nordic style embraces a great love of detail and craftsmanship, and this is often reflected in wallpapers chosen for Scandi interiors, such as the Scandi styled wallpaper, Kelda, from Scion Living. 

The inspiration from nature can also be found in children's Scandi wallpaper such as Magic Forest, shown below in the pink, green and yellow colour, from Boråstapeter, with its adorable backdrop of woodland fauna and soft pastel tones is the perfect pick for Scandinavian children’s wallpaper. Similarly, Sandberg's Kristoffer wallpaper in Misty Blue is inspired by nature with its painterly depiction a Scandinavian inspired forest design in beautiful muted blues. 

 

Scandi Botanical Wallpapers 

Traditional Scandinavian wallpaper designs are often based around simple botanical illustrations, animal themes and folk inspired motifs and patterns. Symmetry can also be important for scandi wallpaper prints, these can be small and delicate or much bolder in colour and size. Contemporary designs will often be stylised and graphic in nature. So, plenty of ideas and inspirations to draw from for this style.

The Blomstermala collection from Galerie Home is a wonderful mix of Scandinavian botanical wallpapers. Bold and beautiful organic flowers and foilage mix with retro repeated designs in soft but impactful colours. Nordic nature at it’s best!

 

Scandi Motif Wallpapers

Scandi inspired motifs capture the essence of the object in a clean and simple way, often enhanced by a retro or earthy colours, such as in this Cedar wallpaper from Scion, part of their Levande collection.

 

A bolder, modern Scandinavian style wallpaper is Passaro from the popular Scion Japandi collection. Cheerful stylised birds perch high on budding branches in this lino-cut style wallpaper.

 

 

Scandi Mural Wallpapers

To give your home a contemporary Scandi vibe, you could also look to one of the popular Scandinavian mural style wallpapers to enhance the space. Keep the colours muted and tonal and the pattern painterly to suit the simple ethos of the look.

Sandberg’s Midnatt blue and Skog green are perfect examples of deep and dramatic mural designs. Perfect for a Scandinavian style hallway or bedroom.

 

 

Löfstad Slott Graphite mural wallpaper is based on an etching of the Swedish castle from the 17th century. A real statement Scandinavian wallpaper!

 

 

Scandi Wallpaper - Colour Palette

Space and light are very important in this look, white is a key element layered with soft neutrals to create warmth, depth, and texture. Adding muted tonal colours will add subtle variation in the scheme and create interest, finally brighter and deeper colours can also be considered to give pops of interest in the space.

Key colours to look out for in Scandi wallpaper include:

• White, cream, stone, and pale grey to create a neutral base.
• Soft muted shades of blue, green, pinks and mauves for interest and depth.
• Bright, clear shades such as green, teal, blue, mustard, and red for a vivid splash of colour.

 

 

Neutral Scandi Wallpapers

Neutral scandi wallpapers form a light base for layered textiles and natural wood finishes. You could look at, Boråstapeter's Painters Wall (shown above) or their tactile Herringbone wallpaper (below), or alternatively, Pure Brer Rabbit (shown bottom) from Morris & Co.'s North collection.

 

 

 

Muted Shades Scandi Wallpaper

Soft and muted shades work well, as shown in these traditional Scandinavian wallpapers from Sandberg Elin in Misty Blue and Eugen Oat designs.

 

 

Colourful Scandi Wallpaper

The key when choosing a colourful Scandinavian wallpaper the key is to pick a couple of colours in the chosen design and layer them through the rest of the room in a considered way.

 

Scion's Padukka wallpaper and Boråstapeter's Herbarium wallpaper by internationally renowned Swedish Designer, Stig Lindberg, both show Scandi wallpapers with a confident pop of colour and stylised detail.

 

 

Using Textured Wallpaper for Scandi Style

An apt description of a Scandinavian style home would be ‘clean but cosy’, this can be achieved by considering a textured Scandinavian inspired paper.

Faux effect wallpapers are a great choice here, perfect for creating a natural and inviting feel in your home. Scandinavian wood effect wallpapers or white / light coloured brick effect designs could be the ideal choice for creating a simple yet cosy feature wall.

 

 

Or consider a rough linen, seagrass texture wallpaper in a pale shade to create a defined area. Raw materials are a key consideration in creating hygge in your home.

 

Boråstapeter's Original brick wallpaper, Andrew Martin's Timber wallpaper in white or Elitis' Raw Raffia wallpaper range will all give much needed texture and depth to your home.

 

 

Geometric Scandi Wallpaper

Another popular Scandi wallpaper option is to use geometric prints. Scandinavian geometric wallpaper favours simple designs and clean lines. Classic geometric designs include Trapez, based on an original design by famous Danish architect, Arn Jacobsen, and M.I.T, based on a design by legendary Finish architect, Alvar Aalto, both have been reissued as wallpapers by Boråstapeter.

Simplicity & Comfort are Key to Scandi Style

Scandinavian design can cover such a huge variety of designs, from the iconic furniture shapes of mid-century Denmark to the functional aesthetic of contemporary Scandi brands. Keep the mantra of simplicity and comfort in mind and you cannot go too wrong when choosing Scandinavian inspired wallpaper.

 

Top Scandi Wallpaper Brands

Top brands to consider for Scandi style are Boråstapeter, Sandberg, Pure Morris (from Morris & Co.), Scion and Galerie Home and make sure you visit our Scandinavian Interior Design Style Guide dedicated to all things Scandi.

Shop Scandi Wallpaper

Explore our Scandi wallpaper collections online at TM Interiors where you can order samples, discover hanging instructions and technical specifications and contact us should you need any advice on quantities and specifications.