How to Create a Scandinavian-Inspired Living Room
Post by Lidy of Hello Lidy
Ever since we moved into our new home 6 months ago, we’ve been busy bees trying to get our house feeling more like our home. We gave our dining room and master bedroom a makeover, but I was really stumped with our living room upstairs. I wanted it to feel more Scandinavian-inspired so it would flow with the rest of our home design, but still a space that felt playful and casual. It was a lot to fit into one room – I know!
The living room before was a cool and gloomy space. It was very outdated! The walls were painted green and it almost closed the space up a bit. I love to have green in my home, but in a more natural form – such as plants! The curtains were heavy and beige. The fireplace was the original stone work, which we didn’t want to paint over and lose the character. I really didn’t know how to make the space feel bright and cheery with all the cooler tones, so I opted for blue accents. I was just not satisfied.
So, when it came to redesigning the space I decided to stick to a color palette that was a mix of bright, bold and playful! I chose black and white for the modern and formal look, but threw in grey and pink for that whimsical undertone! Here’s what we did:
- Repainted the green walls a fresh and crisp white.
- Built a faux mantle to break up the stone fireplace.
- Took down the beige drapery and added white curtains to go with the flow of the walls.
- Added a built-in desk to utilize the functionality of the space.
- Added black, white, grey and pink accents thanks to The Land of Nod’s gorgeous spring pieces!
The space is literally night and day! Our Scandinavian-inspired living room feels so much more brighter, inviting and calming . My family and I absolutely love our new and improved living room – and yes, there are 3 boys in our home. And no, the pink doesn’t seem to bother them in the least! The bold and graphic area rug creates an intimate and inviting feel to the room. I love to layer, so I placed a small cow hide to overlap the larger rug for fun in order to create more texture and color on the floors! It makes the room feel a little more grown up too!
1 || The pops of pink and grey from the pillows tie in the rug and that amazing grey leather pouf! Of course, the handmade feel of that darling “Home Sweet Home” banner makes everything feel so playful. That cozy throw also helps balance the room between formal and casual. It definitely has that clean Scandinavian look I’ve been trying to accomplish. I’m truly in my happy place here and it’s about time! What do you think of our living room makeover?!
Lidy is the face behind Hello Lidy: a blog focusing on creating and cultivating unique spaces that integrate original handmade designs and vintage pieces while keeping up on current trends and designs. Lidy and her husband have three adopted toddlers.