How to Inject a Masculine Touch Into Nordic-Style Interiors
We explain the fundamentals of Nordic design so you can incorporate masculine elements while sticking to the style
A white-washed palette, soft and cosy textiles, pastel accent colours and a healthy dose of rose gold or copper trinkets make for beautiful Nordic-style design, which is traditionally considered to be a feminine-leaning aesthetic. But what about any men who live in these spaces? Here’s how to add a touch of masculinity to a Nordic interior so everyone feels at home, at home.
Layouts
Furniture placement traditionally allows for breathing space between pieces, and makes the most of natural light and the environment.
Principle: Nordic interiors never clutter a room with too much furniture or big, bulky items. Layouts are centred around natural sunlight that falls through windows and doors.
Add a masculine touch: Furniture and social spaces throughout the home are best arranged in a way that uses natural light to the best advantage, such as the way this sofa is arranged. Avoid cramming intimidating chairs into dark corners or banishing beautiful arrangements to the darkest wall. Pop storage or drawers against the wall, and bring the things you love and use into the light.
Furniture placement traditionally allows for breathing space between pieces, and makes the most of natural light and the environment.
Principle: Nordic interiors never clutter a room with too much furniture or big, bulky items. Layouts are centred around natural sunlight that falls through windows and doors.
Add a masculine touch: Furniture and social spaces throughout the home are best arranged in a way that uses natural light to the best advantage, such as the way this sofa is arranged. Avoid cramming intimidating chairs into dark corners or banishing beautiful arrangements to the darkest wall. Pop storage or drawers against the wall, and bring the things you love and use into the light.
Furniture
This style combines fine craftsmanship with simple, clean lines that are functional above all else, and often have a sculptural element.
Principle: Nordic furniture focuses on natural materials and smooth shapes in comfortable designs.
Add a masculine touch: Adhere to the concept while adding contrast in the form of tan leather and steel. Armchairs, side tables and ottomans are excellent products in which to show off these materials, and will lend a grandfatherly feel to a Nordic room. Leather, wood, steel and linen have textures that work beautifully together, and whose natural colour ways are an easy way toward a more masculine style.
See more Scandi-style interiors
This style combines fine craftsmanship with simple, clean lines that are functional above all else, and often have a sculptural element.
Principle: Nordic furniture focuses on natural materials and smooth shapes in comfortable designs.
Add a masculine touch: Adhere to the concept while adding contrast in the form of tan leather and steel. Armchairs, side tables and ottomans are excellent products in which to show off these materials, and will lend a grandfatherly feel to a Nordic room. Leather, wood, steel and linen have textures that work beautifully together, and whose natural colour ways are an easy way toward a more masculine style.
See more Scandi-style interiors
Accessories
Nordic design takes a less-is-more approach to accessories. Bright accent colours are introduced via artworks or gallery walls.
Principle: Accessories should never crowd tables or shelves, and statement or pop colours should be the eye-catching centrepiece of the room.
Add a masculine touch: Think like a gentleman. Utilise handsome books, crystal decanters and stoneware in a cohesive palette for centrepieces, or creating vignettes atop shelves or credenzas, such as in the room above. Be bold and invest in works of art that make a statement in colour and content.
Don’t shy away from strong red or burgundy, and make the artwork your focus for the room. A gallery wall of bright pieces works well with grey, charcoal or muted blue-grey interiors. Think of these accent colours as the defined bicep muscle of the room; they’ll immediately capture your attention.
Nordic design takes a less-is-more approach to accessories. Bright accent colours are introduced via artworks or gallery walls.
Principle: Accessories should never crowd tables or shelves, and statement or pop colours should be the eye-catching centrepiece of the room.
Add a masculine touch: Think like a gentleman. Utilise handsome books, crystal decanters and stoneware in a cohesive palette for centrepieces, or creating vignettes atop shelves or credenzas, such as in the room above. Be bold and invest in works of art that make a statement in colour and content.
Don’t shy away from strong red or burgundy, and make the artwork your focus for the room. A gallery wall of bright pieces works well with grey, charcoal or muted blue-grey interiors. Think of these accent colours as the defined bicep muscle of the room; they’ll immediately capture your attention.
Bring it all together
This living room is a more gender-neutral example of Nordic design overall.
Principle: At the core of this trend is the appreciation of nature and natural textures, a love for the handmade, and inviting yet practical, functional spaces that promote peacefulness in your home.
Add a masculine touch: Create a calming colour palette, mixing texture, colour and print in such a way that it doesn’t jar the eye, and furnishing a room with only the necessities to make it comfortable and liveable. Inject your personality by way of shelf-top vignettes and carefully arranged centrepieces on coffee tables or credenzas.
You will be looking for unfussy furniture designs that invite you into the home, but don’t overwhelm or clutter a space. Add some foliage into your home and don’t be afraid of darker hues.
Tell us
Have you made your home design more man-friendly? Tell us how in the Comments below.
More
Read more about decorating styles
This living room is a more gender-neutral example of Nordic design overall.
Principle: At the core of this trend is the appreciation of nature and natural textures, a love for the handmade, and inviting yet practical, functional spaces that promote peacefulness in your home.
Add a masculine touch: Create a calming colour palette, mixing texture, colour and print in such a way that it doesn’t jar the eye, and furnishing a room with only the necessities to make it comfortable and liveable. Inject your personality by way of shelf-top vignettes and carefully arranged centrepieces on coffee tables or credenzas.
You will be looking for unfussy furniture designs that invite you into the home, but don’t overwhelm or clutter a space. Add some foliage into your home and don’t be afraid of darker hues.
Tell us
Have you made your home design more man-friendly? Tell us how in the Comments below.
More
Read more about decorating styles
At its core, Nordic design focuses on exploring a monochromatic palette, most often in neutral tones.
Principle: Monochrome is the exploration of one colour in varying tones … but it doesn’t have to be all neutrals.
Add a masculine touch: Introduce darker colour ways; blues, greys, charcoal, and sage green all adhere to the muted, monochromatic approach, while darkening and cooling the scheme. Blond timbers are common in this design trend, but incorporating dark timbers in natural finishes holds to the Nordic focus on eco elements, while adding depth and dimension to a room.
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