Nordic kitchens: 6 rules to design a Nordic-style kitchen
Don’t hold back – the Nordic Kitchen that has set foot into our homes and is definitely there to stay. And it’s one of the most ideal styles to decorate any household: living room, dining room, bedroom, or of course, bathroom or kitchen. You’re probably asking yourself: What is Nordic Style Kitchen?
Nordic Style Kitchen is a decorative trend of Scandinavian origin. Denmark, Finland, Norway, and Sweden are the reference countries of this style. The lack of natural light, especially during the long, cold winter months, becomes the perfect excuse to look for ways to brighten up the rooms. The Nordic style was created at the beginning of the 20th century, was brought to the Mediterranean at the turn of the 21st, and is today one of the most sought after decorative styles.
Spaces designed with the Nordic Kitchen are based on increasing the amount of natural light, the use of organic materials of natural origin, sustainability and respecting the environment, accents of color, and supporting features infused with personality and style.
What are the essential principles to design a Nordic Kitchen?
- Keep in mind the concept of minimalism – understood as a clean and refined style rather than a cold and unwelcoming approach – as one of the principle of Nordic Kitchen design. The Nordic style is also characterized by finding a balance between the old and the new, generally applied to the kitchen furniture and accessories, aiming for harmonious coexistence without creating discordant or excessively contrasting designs. The Scandinavian modern furniture, materials, and complementary features used to design a Nordic-style kitchen are fluidly combined in calm and relaxing proportions.
- What colors should I use to design a Nordic Kitchen?
- One of the best approaches is white on white, or, designing the entire space, furniture, and materials of the kitchen only in white, thus achieving a spotless, spacious, and very bright atmosphere. The wide variety of white-toned Silestone’s quartz countertops will help you maximize the key elements in designing a Nordic Kitchen. Choose between White Zeus Extreme, Mont Blanc, White Diamond, White North, or White Platinum, among other options, to design a space in which brightness is center stage. If you prefer ultra-compact countertops, opt for the brighter tones and coatings of Dekton, such as Makai from the Wild Collection series, a surface that imitates the finish and texture of wood; Halo from the XGloss Solid series, an ultra-shiny finish that will reflect light; or Entzo from the Natural Collection series; between others.
- White and wood.
Use the combination of white and natural light-colored woods such as oak, ash, maple, and beech. The environmental consciousness developed in Scandinavian countries promotes the use of sustainable materials and controlled logging to preserve nature, one of northern Europe’s most precious resources, so aim for recycling and an eco-friendly concept! (The environment will thank you.)
- Gray.
One of the most used colors to decorate any space in the Nordic Kitchen, including the kitchen and the bathroom. If this is your preferred option, use gray for walls, countertops, furniture, or flooring, mixed with the hero: white. Doing so, you will add a shot of delicate casual sophistication to your kitchen.
- In order to achieve shades of contrasting color, you can choose:
- Vinyl wallpaper to decorate the kitchen walls – one of the greatest Nordic Kitchen decorative resources – vinyl wall decals, especially ones that are related to food or large-scale photomurals. It’s an ideal way to renew your kitchen’s look without getting wrapped up in never-ending renovations.
- Focus on how complementary textiles featuring geometric prints with soft lines will enhance your color design using pastel tones. If you’re looking for contrast, use white on black on tableware, table runners, kitchen accessories, small appliances, etc. They will be your greatest allies in instilling personality and character to your Nordic Kitchen.
- Don’t forget about organic elements such as branches and trunks with which you can create detailed layouts that provide great unicity and a natural and organic feel to your kitchen.
- Scandinavian-style, natural and artificial lighting in the kitchen – how to decide?
- Nordic Kitchen usually display large openings in the form of picture windows uncovered by curtains or blinds, thus maximizing the amount of natural light.
- In this type of kitchen, the different types of artificial lighting need for the functionality of each space are clearly defined using the three types of basic lighting to create a welcoming, comfortable, and practical space: task, general, and ambience lighting. Task lighting provides direct light specifically concentrated on a defined surface such as the countertop, stovetop, or sink, while general lighting focuses on creating uniform lighting in the entire kitchen, and ambience lighting is used to create a generally pleasurable atmosphere and help illuminate a specific space such as the dining area, island, or peninsula.
- If you have chosen to redecorate your kitchen with the Nordic Kitchen design, you will need to give extra care to the eating area, a space that tends to become the centerpiece of the room. This is due to the need to stay inside more often than in Mediterranean countries because of the difference in climate and temperature between northern and southern Europe. The eating area becomes the family’s meeting space as well a casual dining room.
- The color white remains the most representative approach to Nordic Kitchen in the dining area as well; use white tables and chairs or combinations with light-colored wood to achieve the perfect look.
- Do not put aside the possibility of using chairs and stools in different styles and materials to create a casual dining room with a pronounced Scandinavian style in the kitchen. The effect will be surprising and very original.
