Scandinavian-Inspired Dining Room Ideas To Elevate Your Home’s Style

by Pulkit Singh | February 9, 2024 | 4 mins read

Scandinavian dining room ideas

DesignCafe experts share their tips to amp up the hygge quotient of your Scandinavian dining room.

The Scandinavian interior style’s revival is the stuff of legends. Who wouldn’t like the simple aesthetics, clean lines, natural fabrics, and finishes that are the buzzwords of Scandinavian-inspired decor? Much like the comfort-inspired slouchy denim fashion of the ’90s, the Nordic decor trend has seeped into the modern interiors scene effortlessly and irrevocably so. A cosy hygge home is a salve in these unprecedented times.

So, here are some expert-approved tips for recreating a Scandinavian dining room in your home. Follow these great ideas to make your space cosier, friendlier, and more sustainable because the dining room is where we are spending so much of our lives now. Whether it is dishing out comfort meals, doing the work-from-home gig, or entertaining our favourite people — the dining room has become far more important than its more glamorous buddy, the living room. 

Neutral Tones For Scandinavian Dining Room

A classic trick for underscoring your Scandinavian dining room aesthetic? Paint the town red? Nope, paint it neutral. Matte blacks, shades of beige, pearly whites, and other neutral shades in soft tones play up the Scandinavian vibe. You can use different colours, such as blues or pinks but keep them muted. Green is used abundantly through the placement of natural plants. Flowers and potted plants provide an element of colour. Use different shades in the neutral palette to contrast and bring an edgy feel to the room.

Scandinavian dining room with natural wood tones brings an edgy feel to the room
A Scandinavian dining room with natural wood tones
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Assimilate Natural Finishes In Scandinavian Dining Room Furniture

Scandinavian dining room tables are defined by the use of natural wood in lighter tones like pine or birch. For more warmth, you could use walnut or maple. Sometimes, designers leave the piece unpolished to highlight the raw grain of the wood. You could balance this look with carefully curated Scandinavian dining room chairs in white or beige. Is colour your thing? Be adventurous and bring some sunshine to your Scandinavian dining room by using mustard or yellow dining chairs. 

Do experiment with different elements, not just the furniture. Place wooden bowls, ceramic figurines, a stone vase, a textured tray, or even hand-woven tapestries or rugs. Basically, anything that accentuates the organic vibe of your Scandinavian dining room.

Scandi dining table and chairs in yellow colour accentuate the sunshine vibe
Yellow dining chairs in a neutral-toned dining room

Cosy Up Your Scandinavian Dining Room With Texture

Pastel doesn’t have to be plain. You can bring drama to your Scandinavian dining room by employing fabrics with different textures. That plush rug under your feet, a velvet runner, a cashmere throw, a macrame wall hanging, or a jute basket can all create layers of texture cleverly. Just remember to stick to neutral colours to avoid a cluttered look. 

Scandinavian countries experience severe winters, so the use of warm textiles is their decor bread and butter. Accessories like throws, rugs, cushions, or runners are usually made of mohair, wool, or sheepskin.

Scandinavian dining room ideas with different textures
A Scandinavian dining room with different textures

Matte Black Contrasts In A Scandinavian Dining Room

Black is edgy. Black is elegant. Black is necessary for Scandinavian dining room decor. There, we said it. This bad boy of the colour kingdom gets so much flak, but no Scandinavian dining room is complete without a spot of this roughish hue. Engage this colour through the use of tiny ceramics, a beautiful figurine, a vase, a patterned cushion, or even monochromatic photographs. 

But watch out! Too much black and your carefully curated Scandinavian dining room decor will begin to look Gothic. Go bold with the vivid colour, which provides an elegant contrast to the room, but use it only in the form of small anchors.

Small Scandinavian dining room with black dining chairs creates beautiful contrast
Black chairs create a beautiful contrast
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Scandinavian dining rooms are about the big and the small picture. The focus is as much on simple pleasures as on comfort. Beauty, functionality, and simplicity — all three are celebrated with Scandinavian-themed decor. Dining rooms that follow this trend are bright, uncluttered, and cosy. The sophisticated blend of designs and textures, the minimalist approach to decorative items, and the calming colour palette all contribute to a hygge-principled Scandinavian dining room. A dining room is as much about your conversations as about the delicious meals. Cosy up this space for your family and friends, so they never want to leave!

If you enjoyed reading about Scandinavian dining room ideas, also explore Scandinavian Home Decor Ideas

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Pulkit Singh is a home interior content writer at a design cafe

Pulkit Singh

Pulkit Singh is a ninja. An ex-Googler, her articles have been published in various online and offline media. If not slaying dragons or deadlines, she can be found near pots of tea and bookstacks. She is an army brat- her wandering childhood finds resonance now as a fauji's wife. And the reason why there are so many 'she' in this writeup is because she is often told that she has a boy's name. This is her living in denial.

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