Living in Style Scandinavia
By Karin Grabaek, Published by TeNeues, RRP £45
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As Nordic countries are frequently listed as having the highest quality of life worldwide and usually rank at the top of OECDs surveys on the happiest people – even with long bleak winters – they must be doing something right. The secrets of their national contentment are no doubt partly owed to their commitment to issues such as free health care and education. But a key factor is that there is not only lower actual inequality than in many other countries, but also – critically – less perceived inequality. That the dispiriting signs of significant inequality are less evident in Scandinavia is owed to the fact that few people flout their wealth, and most prefer to live modestly and unostentatiously.
Curiously when you browse through Karin Grabaek’s book ‘Living in Style Scandinavia’, you are reminded that this distinctive regional style – that is becoming ever more popular outside Scandinavia – is almost universally embraced by the peoples of this region. This is obviously in complete contrast to many other countries in the West, where it is difficult to talk of a ‘national style’, when every new fad is instantly seized upon and when there are so many competing styles.
© Living in Style Scandinavia, published by teNeues, Photo ©. Edgar Tapan / Home Journal / GERBER GMC, Styling Bridget Snelgar
The popularity and pervasiveness of Scandinavian Style within this region is a reflection of a very different mindset and one founded on a shared local philosophy and worldview. In Sweden they call it ‘lagom’ – meaning something akin to ‘everything in moderation’. In Denmark it’s ‘hygge’, which is difficult to pin down but loosely conveys a kind of convivial coziness. The down-to-earth modesty and practicality of these shared ideas help to explain the success of both the interiors aesthetic and general feel of wellbeing in this region.
Whether it’s a modest Finnish cabin without electricity, a historic Swedish mansion or a hypermodern apartment in Denmark, what consistently comes through is a Calvinist rejection of ostentation, disciplined restraint, pragmatism and practicality. The homes illustrated in Karin Grabaek’s book beautifully illustrate the essence of Scandinavian style. Her selections are simple, minimalist, monochromatic bright and candle-lit interiors of clean lines and comfort. The focus is the region-wide preoccupations with sustainability, understated luxury and a close bond with nature.
The rich eclecticism and maximalism of many British interiors for example that focus on expensive or rare materials and ostentation, appear to hold no interest to the Scandinavians. The many extraordinary designers coming out of Denmark in particular, are very much in tune with their regional style – one that still venerates the honest simplicity of mid-century modern styles.
© Living in Style Scandinavia, published by teNeues, Photo © Swedish Freelance Legion / GERBER GMC.
As Karin Grabaek puts it
“Scandinavian style is simply capturing the world and is almost becoming a way of describing a soft uncomplicated style celebrating good craftsmanship, nature, and the bare necessities.”
Indeed so consistent is the aesthetic that you can’t help feeling that the properties featured in ‘Living in Style Scandinavia’, could all be owned by the same family. I have no doubt that you could swop the owner of the mansion with the owner of the rustic cabin and they’d still feel absolutely at home.
