Scandinavian interiors are at their height of popularity amongst many homes across the UK right now and this clean, light look is starting to creep into our workspaces too. There is nothing more appealing than a gorgeous office to work within - stripped back wooden floors, bright neutral walls, calming tones and soft, natural accessories. Scandinavian interiors can really clear the mind and allow beautifully productive work to seamlessly occur.
Here at LOF Direct we know that creating the right office environment is crucial in attracting and retaining staff but also for creating a lasting impression on any visitors that visit your office. Scandinavian interior design is known for its simplicity, think clean lines, earthy muted tones and understated elegance. We have put together a top 10 list of tips for creating your perfect Scandinavian office…
1. Colour
White walls are typically Scandinavian along with greys and blues, anything light, calm and fresh looking gives the clean, relaxed Scandi vibe. Designers often choose white walls and add their accent colours within the upholstery and accessories
2. Textures and materials
Natural materials such as wood, jute, hessian are great Scandinavian office staples, we find plants always finish off the office beautifully too, they are natural and calming but also add a great splash of colour. Nova wood desks are perfect for creating your Scandinavian looking office, they have wooden legs and either white, light grey or black desktops, white or light grey are perfect for the scandi look.
3. Flooring
Scandinavian offices would preferably have stripped back original wooden floorboards maybe with the odd hessian/jute statement rug dotted around, wall-to-wall carpets never took off in Sweden although you could probably get away with a neutral toned carpet if floorboards are not available!
4. Space-planning
Scandinavian interiors are very minimalistic and simplistic, over-flowing filing cabinets and stacks of folders on display is not the route to go down when trying to achieve the Scandinavian look. Office furniture should be strategically placed, clean lines should feature and no clutter. Where possible areas are kept clear for breakout spaces.
5. Function
Offices that take on Scandinavian design are very useable, they are practical, clear spaces, colours are limited to an earthy pallet and storage is tidy and easy to use.
6. Furniture
Office furniture manufacturers are increasingly picking up on the Scandinavian theme and are designing office products to suit. Furniture finishes are altering with polished chrome legs and frames becoming less popular and wooden, white, grey and black options taking their place. Laminate desk and table tops are now available in an array of colours and tall frames are being added to meeting and breakout tables to allow for hanging plants.
7. Eco-friendly
Swedish people are reasonably renowned for being eco-friendly within their homes and there is no reason to be any different within your office. Choose products that are manufactured in an eco-friendly manner and products that can be recycled at the end of their life-cycle. Many office furniture items and chairs are fully recyclable!
8. Bring the outside inside
Having a bit of the outdoors indoors can work wonders for an office environment, it gives a lift for employees and if you are lucky enough to have an outdoor area near to your office, it’s a lovely touch to furnish this for employees to use and even better be able to work out there.
9. Accessories
Accessories can be minimal when creating a Scandinavian design as the look is vey clean and minimalistic however, it is nice to have some bits dotted around to create some interest. Keep colour pallets in-keeping with the rest of the design and keep things simple, clutter is not a key design feature!
10. Evolve with the design
A Scandinavian office design does not have to happen overnight, get your walls painted, flooring down and your key office furniture pieces in, the rest can happen with time, work in the space for a while and see what you think is going to work. Often the best interior design evolves over a period and often when key pieces are seen when you are out and about!
We hope you have found our Scandinavian office design piece useful; any feedback will be greatly appreciated and if you need any help designing your office – we’d love to hear from you!
We like to work with the best office furniture manufacturers available, so from office seating manufacturers in Northamptonshire to office furniture manufacturers in Lithuania, we have access to them all. This means we can bring the best in office furniture designs direct to you at fantastic prices.
