Notes on a Scandi: the best Nordic Interior Design in London
Scandinavian-inspired furniture, chairs, lamps and more. A hygge home can be yours with our pick of the best design shops in London
Why do we love it? Well, the furniture designs may be minimalist but the natural fibres make them warm, welcoming and perfect for homes. We've picked the best pieces from the best design stores London has.
The only problem? With such a smorgasbord of top design, buy everything and you might find that much-wanted minimalism goes out of the window!
Mint Interiors
We've featured Mint before, and their concept is beautiful, from the well-curated website to the Knightsbridge store.
This chair is a 1950s design classic, made from solid walnut and leather. For something a bit more modern, check out these natural-form bubble lights, made by a contemporary designer and hand-blown in a range of soft, translucent colours:
Cool Points: Minty fresh design
Talking Points: Lighting gets top marks, especially if you turn them on
Practicality: Still haven’t figured out how you change the bulb.
Go to Mint, 2 North Terrace, London SW3 2BA
Vitra
Vitra stock the coolest mid-century and modern design in their Clerkenwell Road showroom and, among a wealth of amazing designers, are the main distributors of Artek pieces. Artek manufacture the work of legendary Finnish architect Alvar Aalto, whose sympathetic use of birch wood was a reaction against Bauhaus. You'll recognise his 60 stool in hip offices everywhere, but check out this tea trolley you didn't know you needed:
Cool Points: Mid century design icons
Talking Points: Mention ergonomic birch
Practicality: The trolley is made to order so use a tray for now (see below)
Visit the inspirational showroom, Vitra, 30 Clerkenwell Road, London, EC1M 5PG
Love something in the Vitra showroom? Purchase it in Covent Garden. Aram, 110 Drury Lane, WC2B 5SG
Aram's Summer sale starts Saturday 18th June.
COS x Hay
A Scandi partnership made in heaven. We already go to COS for sculptural cotton clothes in sorbet shades. This collaboration with Hay has resulted in a collection of small, covetable pieces like this side table with detachable tray
And you'll find yourself lusting after coat hangers for the first time ever. These ones are made of cord.
Cool Points: Chill sorbet
Talking Point: We love boasting about a new collaboration
Practicality: Low: who needs cord coat hangers? You bought them just be-Cos.
Head to the Cos flagship store: 222 Regent Street, London, W1B 5BD or go online.
Skandium
What kind of editors would we be if this list didn't include Skandium? The British company is run by three Scandinavians and curates a fantastic selection of design, with stores in Brompton and Marylebone. They host the Kvadrat x Raf Simons textile collaboration again this year.
This Kaiser Idell scissor lamp was one of the highlights of the hugely popular Stockholm Furniture Fair, held annually in February.
Cool Points: Artic
Talking Points: Interrogations, more like. That's what I'll be using the scissor light for
Practicality: This lamp's adjustability has become an aesthetic feature. Anglepoise, eat your heart out.
Visit Skandium's Marylebone store, 86 Marylebone High Street, London W1U 4QT
Design House Stockholm
A real one-stop site for interiors. The knot cushions and curly throw bring both softness and structure to your home.
The rugs are practical and well made, and we want every colour.
Cool Points: With rugs it’s Hygge to be square
Talking Points: Low. It’s a rug
Practicality: Good colour palette, cosy feet.
You can get your Stockholm fix at Selfridges, 400 Oxford Street, London, W1A 1 AB
Fritz Hansen
Famous for chairs, Fritz Hansen work closely with Skandium, and we loved their Summer 2016 accessories collection, 'Objects', downsizing from their famous drop chair to a spot of home decoration. Check out the pearlescent opulence of their Studio Roso mirror:
The drop chair gets reworked in new fabrics and colourways for each season, yet remains a classic, combining minimalism with sympathetic form.
Cool points: Sub-zero
Talking Points: Name-drop the chair designs and one-up IKEA-fanatics: drop, egg, ant
Practicality: Highly usable.
Visit Fritz Hansen at their store just off Oxford Circus, The Republic of Fritz Hansen, 13-14 Margaret Street, London, W1W 8R
FINNISHING TOUCHES
Georg Jensen and Ilse Crawford Collection, Heals
Londoner Katherine, decorating her canal-side apartment in Angel, did her window shopping at Vitra but bought at Heals. For those with a careful eye, Scandi design can be found flourishing in the British high street perennial.
Look out for the Ilse Crawford and Georg Jensen collection. Crawford's popular IKEA collaboration has put her in the public eye, but she's long been the design world's darling, with a studio in Bermondsey.Cool Points: Quite Afjordable
Talking Point: Fill this jug with wildflowers and place in front of dinner guests
Practicality: Low.
The Heals flagship is at 196 Tottenham Court Road, London, W1T 7LQ
Blåbär
Blåbär's Putney store was interior of the week in Elle Decoration. The recently-opened haven for Nordic living has a beautiful café and perfect accessories. Come for a pastry, leave with half the shop.
When your scissor lamp is turned down low, cluster round these ember-scented BÅL candles by Skandinavist. Pick up with your dose of Nordic fika (treats) from the coffee bar.
Cool Points: The place to be seen in Putney
Talking Point: Let the conversation flow over cinnamon buns
Practicality: Practically perfect for just stopping by.
Visit Blåbär, 3A Lacy Road, Putney, SW15 1NH
