Scandinavian style isn't synonymous with bright colouring. Exposed brick in reds and greys alongside white French windows and light-wooden furniture are characteristic of the style. Bring Scandinavian styling and dreamy pastels together, with these three apartments for inspiration. Want a baby pink couch in your lounge? Pair it with a pea green coffee table, flowing chiffon curtains and monochrome accessories. Love a boldly patterned wall? Pair your polka dots with pops of pastel and lightly-coloured wood. Smear pastel across iconic prints, afront a mint feature wall. Paint in pastel with these three inspirational interiors in mind.
60sqm can be made into a decal-filled Scandinavian interior, as this pastel apartment shows. Using splashes of baby pink, soft teal, grey and white, each coloured element surprises by stretching beyond the eye’s expectations. In the living room, a triangular pattern forming a rug on the floor stretches up to a wall decal, where it becomes larger and more alive. Reflected in a motley of patterned cushions and decorative plates, the theme extends and is punctuated by a striking photo of a woman in vintage dress. Simple Scandinavian furniture in two round coffee tables and a wooden shelf hold pastel accessories. Hints of green in two mini cacti and a potted tree inject nature.
From the couch, a different view presents itself. Breaking the white of the kitchen and above-TV wall, a wooden entrance painted in mint green leads to a simple front door. Paired with white coffee tables, a middle cabinet and breakfast tables, white acts as one colour amongst many in this interior’s palette. With the help of Scandinavian shelving and more potted cacti, the look becomes consistent across the space. A pink, white and grey block cabinet laden with art deco prints spots the difference.
At another 45 degrees, a kitchen in teal makes itself known. A white French window opens up the space, while the white breakfast table ensures light is not obstructed. Mid-tone Scandinavian wood graces the counter, while patterned cushions, pastel and chrome appliances mix the old and new.
Stepping back to form a fuller view, tile brickwork in the splashback and an iconic SMEG in sunshine yellow round off the kitchen’s look. Against a mast of white, pastel crockery visible through glass cabinets draw the eye high and back to the door, a veritable smorgasbord of sweet treat illustrations. A matching yellow painted bench gets the final word on the way out.
Marie Antoinette and Frida Kahlo headline this pastel apartment space, a mix of coloured walls and more muted offerings. Painting its French dado cream, a burst of mint masts this room of many leaning prints. A black leather couch peppered with stone and monochrome cushions eggs on a charcoal rug, as Scandinavian plant stands dot the room. Towards the right, large sliding doors open up to a balcony and mirror the legs of furniture – the round coffee table, the gold legs of a pod chair coloured in stone. A pale wooden floor zigzags its way to a low TV cabinet and TV which, in its thick frame, mirrors the prints on its opposing side.
Towards the other corner, we face a beautifully-integrated and unmistakably-Scandinavian dining room. As French dado skirting winds around the walls, Marie Antoinette’s image is painted bright with graffiti atop a square standing cabinet. Black, white and wooden Scandinavian-style chairs, sourced from About A Chair and designed by Hee Welling, add a focal point that isn’t too busy. Indoor house plants in the form of large potted trees, sprayed ferns, moss and cacti tie the room in, while a cluster of glass and earthenware jars provide a centrepiece for the table.
A quick turn around the corner reveals a quiet and traditional Scandinavian kitchen. Taking a break from the colourful main area, the kitchen occupies two walls framing a large window. Sitting astride stone-coloured walls, one side features an inbuilt oven, stove and chrome extractor fan; the other a large bench and sink area cradled by a fridge. French panels reminiscent of the lounge’s dado panelling are broken by glossy white tiles, a Scandinavian staple alongside wooden benches and rows of spoons and ladles.
Light, bright and dreamy, our last interior uses block pastels and bold patterning to effect. Focused in a lounge coated in white walls and flowing chiffon, a pink three-seater welcomes us in, with a soft grey wingback and lilac recliner as sitting friends. Lit by a sprinkle of wood and glass pendant lights, their differing heights create a relaxed feel over white and green coffee tables. A pale wooden floor gains interest with zigzagging detail, a narrow row of shelving interest with wine. Almost hidden by the impact of surrounding white walls, two rectangular arches create easy flow across the space.
Towards the left corner, a study space lurks in almost full-scale white. Broken by two monochrome quote prints, grass pots, a wooden figure and mint reading lamp, the space is framed by three windows that enhance light and provide a view outside. A simple white school chair and steel-legged desk are stylish tools for working.
Through the white rectangular arches, the dining room beckons with a pastel mosaic adorning the wall. Two Muuto Unfold Pendants, made of silicone that rolls up on itself, drop light on the table without drawing too much attention. Continuing the pastel theme, a company of chairs painted in baby blue, pink, white and wood create a scene on the same zig-zagged wooden floor. Matching the dining room pendants, a long line of chiffon curtaining provides a softer background.
The bedroom dazzles with full-scale polka dots across one side. Matched by a stencilled maze patterning the wooden cabinet, its subtle texture is lit by bedroom pendants above a low-lying bed. Two slat benches either side elongate the space, while a wood and thick, iron-legged end tables provides a place to drape clothes. With Scandinavian accessories in the form of vased twigs, glass bottles, monochrome prints, and potted plants held on window ledges, cabinets and painted ladders, a rocking chair and two pastel Muuto Mhy pendants offer the final touch to a bedroom daringly different.
