scandi style

I use to be anti-Facebook. It weirded me out. But I love that it has reconnected me with old friends I've lost touch with over the years. One such friend happens to be a talented interior designer.

Since I will be making some major furniture purchases soon, I want to make smart decisions for once. Instead of buying things on impulse and hoping that they work together, I want to come up with as much of a plan as possible to avoid buyers remorse. I needed a bit of direction and to define my style once and for all. I needed a consultation.

After throwing a bunch of ideas at my wonderful friend, it was decided that my style is Scandinavian. Why didn't I know this? I'm very drawn to whimsical graphic prints like Marrimekko and designers like Alvar Aalto and Arne Jacobsen make me swoon. I don't like super mod pieces, but I love a good mid-century danish modern table. Oh, and I love IKEA...but who doesn't?

But even though I'm into bold & color, I am also very drawn to light & airy...things like Belgian linen. White-washed furniture. Blues and greens. Vintage chandeliers. Apothecary-style bottles. It makes me go "ahhh."

At first glance, it seemed my tastes were disparate. But upon further research, there is a definition for this soothing style that also happens to claim its roots in Scandinavia. The "Gustavian" (as in King Gustav III of Sweden) style was Sweden's response to the popular Louis XVI style of the time. The elements are similar, but the Swede interpretation was more indicative of their natural surroundings...a much lighter version. Distressed furniture, lots of blue & white and a bit of sparkle define the style. I was so inspired that I put together a little mood board:

I finally have a design style...Scandinavian!! It makes me feel much less schizo knowing that at least all of the looks I love hail from the same region of the world. I guess sometimes you need someone else to connect the dots for you.