The Scandinavian influence on interior design has left quite an impression on many Singaporeans, and with good reason too! It’s a popular look, thanks to its clean lines, functional designs and a controlled palette that works well in homes of any size. The Nordic-influenced look has always been about creating a sense of comfort within the home, and the best way to do that is to get rid of unnecessary clutter or over-bearing design elements. Everything in the home has a purpose, and good design should always balance form with function. Need inspiration? These five Singaporean homes embody the sleek simplicity of the Scandinavian design.
1. Spacious Endeavours
Clean, stark and straightforward, this 5-room HDB flat design embraces the minimalist aesthetic of the Scandinavian look. Whitewashed walls and pale wood floors present the ideal blank canvas for the designers from Starry Homestead to craft a clean-cut and fuss-free interior. They also purposefully picked furniture and decor items that hark to the functional aspect of the Scandinavian look, including an arc lamp and a mid-century wingback armchair.
The easy, laidback vibes continue in the master bedroom, which has been expanded to accommodate an en suite wardrobe. Here, the designers layered shades of white, grey and wood, creating a minimalist space that’s ideal for total rest and relaxation.
2. Material Magic
On the opposite end of the spectrum, this Scandi-inspired home has been designed to evoke a welcoming sense of warmth and homeliness. By pairing wooden textures (seen on both the flooring and the television feature wall) with a faux brick wall, the team from Starry Homestead managed to create an interior that looks as if it belongs in a cottage in a far-flung Nordic city. To bring more light into the home, the designers also removed the wall that separated the kitchen from the rest of the home and replaced it with sliding glass doors.
The roomy kitchen bears the hallmarks of a Scandinavian interior style. The cabinets have white and wood front panels, a winning colour combination for this look. And when paired with the grey tiled floors, the colour palette has a warm and welcoming vibe. As with any Scandinavian interior design, nature and sunlight play important roles in giving this space its charming personality.
3. All-White Aesthetic
Scandinavian interior design is known to have some overlaps with the minimalist movement, both relying on a pared aesthetic and an organic material palette as the basis of their looks. This 5-room HDB flat is an example of a home that successfully straddles both design doctrines, and to great effect too. The designers from Nitty Gritty Interior allowed the home to exude a sense of quiet sophistication. The all-white interior is tampered down with the addition of black steel, seen on the track lights and the frames of the glass windows and doors. The choice of furniture too, lends to the Scandinavian aesthetic, and you can even spot a pop of colour that differentiates the home from a minimalist style.
To give this home a more modern and open concept, the design team decided to extend the kitchen into the designated dining area. The wall to the kitchen has been hacked away, making way for a dry kitchen and additional cabinets. The entire kitchen is then cordoned off with sliding glass doors that prevent cooking fumes from escaping into the rest of the home.
4. Warm Welcome
In this 4-room HDB flat, Renozone Interior Design House gave the Scandinavian look a contemporary update, adding darker wood tones to the mix. With that said, the use of a neutral colour palette and organic materials are still in line with the Nordic style guide. The design team also maintained a lighthanded approach when it came to the carpentry; keeping the feature wall as pared down and simplified as possible.
Storage is always a concern and in this home, the designers wanted to make sure that the family’s needs are accommodated. To ensure plenty of storage solutions, they built a cabinet near the dining room. Clad in two-toned wood laminates, the stepped design of the cabinet means that it can also function as a display table and a stool.
5. Fully Functional
This 5-room flat in Sengkang re-imagines the minimalist ethos of the Scandinavian look. White and wood take precedence here, with a well curated choice of furniture pieces to complement the style. Even the floor tiles were chosen because of their faux wood design. The designers from The Orange Cube were careful not to overwhelm the interiors, keeping to a clean-cut ideology that gives the home a lighter look and feel. As such, the home is sleek, simplified and yet, warm and homely.
In line with Scandinavian design’s emphasis on the balance of form and function, everything you see in this home has a purpose. For example, one of the walls has been finished with black chalkboard paint, transforming an empty expanse of space into a fluid and ever-changing feature wall. Even the storage system for the bicycle — brackets that allow the homeowner to mount the bicycle on the wall — can be considered as a functional design element in this well-considered home.
