Alright, so I went down a bit of a rabbit hole recently looking into Scandinavian brands. It wasn’t really planned, you know? I was actually just trying to replace some old stuff at home, wanted something that felt cleaner, more minimal maybe. Started searching online for inspiration.
First, I just typed generic things like “simple design furniture” or “minimalist clothing”. Kept seeing similar styles pop up. Lots of clean lines, natural materials like wood and wool, not too much fuss. Then I noticed some brand names kept appearing, names I couldn’t easily pronounce, ending in å or ø, that kind of thing. Clicked around some more, did some digging.
Realized a lot of this stuff was coming out of Sweden, Denmark, Norway, Finland. Okay, “Scandinavian brands,” I thought. Let’s see what this is all about. So I started specifically looking for brands from that region.
Stuff for the Home
This is where I spent most of my time initially. Everyone knows IKEA, right? Swedish. You can’t really talk about Scandi stuff without mentioning them. Super practical, affordable, gets the job done. But I wanted to see what else was out there.
Found brands like HAY from Denmark. Really liked their use of color, felt modern but still simple. They had cool little accessories, trays, boxes, besides the bigger furniture pieces. Then there was Muuto, also Danish I think. Their stuff felt a bit more high-end maybe? Really nice shapes, especially their chairs and lamps. Spent a while just browsing their catalogue pictures.
- Looked at their sofas – very clean designs.
- Checked out their lighting fixtures – interesting shapes.
- Saw some nice storage options too.
There were others too, focusing on textiles, ceramics, glassware. It felt like a whole world of design I hadn’t paid much attention to before.
Fashion and Other Things
Then I got curious about clothing. Heard of Acne Studios before, Swedish brand. Their style is very distinct, quite fashion-forward but still has that minimal base. Looked at their stuff online – nice quality, but definitely an investment, you know? Not everyday prices for me.
Also came across brands like Fjällräven, with their famous backpacks. Very practical, durable stuff. Seems like that’s a common theme: function and durability. Saw some other smaller clothing labels too, often focusing on sustainable materials which was interesting.
So, after all that browsing and clicking, what did I really find? Well, a lot of nice-looking stuff! There’s definitely a shared aesthetic, this focus on simplicity, function, natural materials, and often, quality craftsmanship. It feels calm, somehow. Uncluttered.
Of course, price is a factor. Outside of the giants like IKEA, a lot of these designer Scandi brands can be quite expensive. You’re paying for the design and the perceived quality, I guess. Made me think about buying fewer things, but better quality maybe?
Didn’t end up buying a whole lot immediately, still thinking about a few pieces. But it was a really interesting process, just exploring these brands and seeing what they offer. Definitely gave me some new ideas for my own space and style. It’s kind of cool how a whole region develops such a strong design identity. Still keeping an eye on some of those brands, see what they come up with next.
