A Scandinavian living room is a space where light is just as important as the furniture. Long winters taught the people of the North to treat lighting as an art — and that lesson is worth drawing on. Here are five rules that will work in any interior.
1. Layers instead of a chandelier
A single central light source flattens the interior. Instead, combine a pendant lamp above the coffee table, a wall light beside the armchair and a floor lamp in the corner. Each zone gains a mood of its own.
2. A warm light colour
Scandinavians choose bulbs with a temperature of 2700 K or lower. Warm light brings out wood, wool and linen — materials without which Scandinavian style is hard to imagine.
3. Natural fixture materials
Rice paper shades, wooden bases, linen lampshades. The lamp should harmonise with the rest of the interior, not compete with it.
4. Light near the floor
Low light sources — small lamps on the windowsill, fixtures near the floor — build the cosiness the Danes call hygge. They are what makes the living room embrace you in the evening instead of dazzling you.
5. A dimmer is essential
Being able to adjust the brightness turns one interior into several different ones. Morning coffee, work, dinner and a film each call for completely different light.
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