
“When you step inside, that warmth that you feel is planned,” he says. The fact that Scandinavia experiences more dark and cold days than we do in America necessitates warm and welcoming interiors. Mazzarini, who recently enjoyed his own visit to Copenhagen, points to a few reasons for this unique juxtaposition - most obviously, the climate. It’s really this definition of lifestyle meets interior. All of those things are very Scandinavian, but they sit side-by-side with historic architecture. “I think Scandinavian design and interiors now really reflect the culture and, to me, it’s this mix of old and new - living with things from the past but somehow pulling it forward,” explains Dan Mazzarini, creative director of collective BHDM Design and creator of Archive.

Even some of the most contemporary museums, like the Louisiana Museum and Moderna Museet, are contrasted by the historic architecture that either houses or surrounds them. This sense of juxtaposition might be the greatest common theme among spaces I visited in Stockholm and Copenhagen. For example, after a grey and soggy walk through Stockholm one afternoon, biodynamic farm and café Rosendals Trädgård welcomed us with a wood stove, tables lit by candles, and chairs strewn with sheepskin chair covers (this is to say nothing of the lunch spread that consisted of kardemommeboller, chokladbollar, hummus with roasted beets, and toast with pork rillettes and pickles among other mouth-watering options). And while you’d be partially correct, what may surprise you is the warmth you feel here.

If, like me, your foremost example of Scandinavian design is IKEA, it may be easy to assume that every interior space in this part of the world is ultra modern. So during a recent trip to two of the epicenters of said aesthetic, Copenhagen and Stockholm, I was careful to take notes on what makes Scandinavian interior design so good and the takeaways anyone can try in their home - with a little expert intel, of course.īefore explaining exactly what I observed while carefully studying the hotels, Airbnbs, retail spaces, and restaurants I explored, it may be important to discuss my expectations prior to the trip. Then of course there is the constantly sought-after Scandi sense of design - not only in their fashion sensibility (look to labels like GANNI, Stine Goya, and BITE for some of the chicest examples), but also their clean yet impossibly cozy interiors.

Like most Americans, I have always found it easy to idealize Scandinavian culture - from the midday Swedish “fika” to the “ hygge” creature comforts.
