The Nordic Christmas is probably the ‘original’ Christmas for some of us. Santa Claus is coming from the Big North, after all. The Scandinavian style is famous for its simple and natural look which reflects in the Christmas decorations. Inspiration is taken from natural elements: berries, trees, logs, snowy landscapes. The nature brings complexity which is often simplified by the nordic designers, and elegance and calm are included in the interiors through a contemporary yet traditional vision. Modern materials are reproducing natural themes that are talking about the Scandinavian view on the world.
Let’s have a look together at my personal selection for a Nordic Christmas!
Christmas bauble glass by Iittala
These glass baubles are simply perfect to decorate the Christmas tree… but what do you think of an alternative use for them? They look like berries on a table and will look fabulous collected in a bowl.
These ceramic pieces are bringing the forest and the snow in your house. And the discreet lights are turning on the magic! Amazing decorations for a window sill, a side table or a shelf. They enchanted me, it was love at first sight!
If you wish, they are available here. (worldwide shipping – info)
Tall candle by Pluto
You are in a forest, and the candles between the branches of the trees are leading the path to Santa’s cabin. Designed out of metal, with a touch of elegant modernity, these candle holders are the perfect complement to your Nordic Christmas decor.
Available to purchase here. (worldwide shipping – info)
Aalto vase cranberry by Iitala
One of the most famous design pieces of all times can be found now in its Christmas version! The vase from Aalto is now available in Cranberry! With a simple sprig of mistletoe it happens to be the perfect Christmas decoration for the house of any design lover! Nether-less to say that this evergreen piece will be a decoration for your house all year round!
Have a look here if you wish to purchase. (worldwide shipping – info)
Monili Christmas tree decoration by AYTM
Reproducing the shapes of traditional patterns, these decorations for the Christmas tree are nothing less than pure gracefulness. Tinted glass and brass-plated iron chain. They look perfect all year round!
If you are all for pure elegance, buy them here. (worldwide shipping – info)
Winter birds pillowcase by Ekelund
There is nothing better in a cold winter day of being all comfy and warm on the sofa drinking hot chocolate in front of the fireplace. Made of ecological cotton (Scandinavian countries are leading the eco-friendly revolution for a reason), this pillowcase is simply adorable. Decorated with typical Nordic Christmas patterns, it will give your rooms a cosy and soft feeling.
This is an absolute beautiful piece of design in itself. No need for Christmas to enjoy this candle holder. But there is something in its lines and sense of symmetry that reminds of old Christmases, where elegance and simplicity come together to instils peace in us gathered around a flame to celebrate the magic of that night. Too poetic? Perhaps, but this is a stunning item. nothing more to say.
Possible to buy from here. (worldwide shipping – info)
Decoration tree marble by Ferm
Quite unusual decoration for Christmas, but the natural beauty of the marble and the simplified geometric shape of the tree are doing the magic. for those of you who prefer minimal design and are seeking a contemporary feel for their Christmas.
You can find it here, coming in a pack of three with different shapes and colours. (worldwide shipping – info)
Annual Christmas tree 2019 by Royal Copenhagen
The Nordic Christmas would not be the same without the annual Xmas tree by Royal Copenhagen. Amazing collectible, year 2019.
This ceramic collectible accompanies the Royal Copenhagen tree every year. The 2019 Santa looks adorable and brings childhood memories with it. Delicate handmade piece that you cannot miss.
You can buy it from here. (worldwide shipping – info)
Star Christmas tree rug by Ferm
Snowflakes or stars? This dreamy rug is perfect for the bedroom. It replicates a starry winter night, when snowflakes and stars cannot be distinguished. A simple decoration that brings magic and softness in your room.
If you want, have a look here. (worldwide shipping – info)
Snow globe by DBKD
How cute are these snowmen? Mommy-snowman is likely to be teaching the snow-children how to make a perfect snowman! Adorable and funny decoration for your living room or for your children bedroom! They will unleash their imagination to invent all sorts of stories with these buddies as main characters.
You can buy them here. (worldwide shipping – info)
Spruce tree by Skagerak
The spirit of Nordic Christmas design is symbolised in these timber pieces of decor. Simple trees as table decorations that are themed to go together with wooden leaves and pine cones on your tree. Natural looking, simplified shapes. this is what the Nordic Christmas is about: celebrating the relationship with the nature and the season!
Buy from here if you fancy. (worldwide shipping – info)
Christmas tree top by Pluto
We could not conclude this list without a tree top, am I right? Elegant, simple, shiny, with a Xmas story to tell… what can you ask more to a tree top?
If you want to buy you can do so from here. (worldwide shipping – info)
Hope that you enjoyed this list and I managed to share with you a bit of my enthusiasm for the Nordic Christmas design!
If you liked this list, have a look at some of the other lists I prepared in my ‘Products’ category.
What are the more appropriate lights for elegant interiors?
Have you ever dreamed of living in a sophisticated house, that screams luxury and good taste in every room? Don’t worry, your goal is perfectly achievable! First and foremost, light is one of the main factors when comes to define the tone and ambient in a space. Indeed lighting design is something to consider when you aim to make the difference.
Sometimes all you need is to select lights that can attract the attention. Definitely picking the right colours and the right furniture is essential, but I want to show you how simple can be to decorate a room simply with a good piece of design, just a single lamp. To reinforce the idea of how simple it can be, let’s have a look at the room down here. It is an empty room, a window on one side, completely blank canvas. Now let’s try to insert a nice lamp. What about this famous piece, Allegro by Foscarini?
As you can see the room does not look empty anymore, and it is suddenly colourful and warm, reflects of gold are painting the walls. We only added a single light, and done nothing more than that. If you are not quite convinced yet, have a look at these lamps by Curiosa & Curiosa, and imagine one of them in our empty space. Nice and colourful, right?
Select your lighting strategy
But, before even picking the piece you prefer, the first thing to do is to decide what is the right strategy to achieve the desired effect. In fact, the room can change completely based solely on your light design. What are the perfect lights for elegant interiors?
Do you want to give focus to a specific area or create a dramatic effect at the centre of your room? A big ceiling lamp or a chandelier can do the trick.
Diffuse light is particularly suitable for the spaces designated to relax. Table lamps and floor lamps, in particular, are appropriate for bedrooms and living rooms.
If you need more light in a specific area or want to create interest, spotlights and small pendants will do the trick! Perhaps it is too dark to crop the carrots, or to work at your desk. No problem, there are lamps for any taste.
Your ceiling is too low and you want to have a feeling of space. Directional lights and uplights are perfect to provide vertical emphasis and lift the space.
What materials should you use?
Once you have decided on what strategy to enact and what light effect you want to achieve, you can select the materials that suit your furniture better. In fact, the lamps should compliment the design and work together with the furniture to shape the room.
We want to create an interior which reflects elegance so brass, gold, copper, aluminium, marble and glass are all materials that give that luxury and sophisticated feeling we re looking for.
Personally, I love glass pendants and have a special passion for translucent marble and alabaster. Particularly, the latter, can be difficult to insert within a space without creating an overachieving and heavy design. But if correctly used, they are a big win and difficult to forget. Glass is easy to insert in any design, with an exception for extremely colourful ones. Metals like brass, copper and aluminium (gold or silver coated) are not very difficult, but they require a bit more of effort to match the rest of the room. The metal lamps come in so many styles and shapes that you need to pick the right fixture to bring the design together.
My favourite lights to create the perfect refined space
This is my personal selection of 10 lights for elegant interiors. Please, enjoy scrolling through!
Materials : Mouthblown glass – porcelain (ceiling rose and bulb holder) and fabric cord. Available in different colours (clear glass, silver glass and gold glass). This very elegant lamp is perfect for the living room or over your dining table. I can guarantee a very tasteful effect if applied in a row over the kitchen island.
Materials : Blown glass opal diffuser. Available in brushed brass or chrome steel. With a deco feeling, this lamp is perfect in corridors. It will give a nice soft and clear light which contrasts with the brass of the arm, for a refined space.
Materials : white painted aluminium structure and plastic material diffuser. The circular diffuser is available in different sizes with led strips along its entire length. The simple geometry of this piece is simply irresistible. On its own can create patterns and shape a space. Suitable for hall and living spaces, will go better on clean and wide walls.
Materials : Marble and Brass with brass ceiling rose. I mentioned my love for marble? Well, needless to say that I love this lamp. It is perfect to create a chic corner. The diffuse light will give a soft accent to any wall.
Materials : Blown dark glass and lacquered metal. Available in white too. The elegant design of this lamp, together with its geometry, will create the nicer contrast against pastel walls. Perfect as a feature piece, will go very well with furniture with simple lines.
Materials : Mouth-blown and hand-assembled glass bulb with brass ceiling pendant. The filaments inside are inspired by the Fibonacci sequence. How cool is that? The golden light they emanate screams luxury.
Materials : Opal and glass with a concrete base and brass details. This table lamp is perfect for a side table. Whether in the bedroom or next to a nice armchair, its luxurious design will always be a discreet touch of elegance in anybody’s life.
Materials : Hyper-polished pressed steel. Available in copper and steel. This is probably not suitable for every space, but it will be simply stunning accompanying furniture with a simple line and a minimal design. Love the incredible reflects and the mirror effect.
Materials : Blown glass opal diffuser and brushed brass. A perfect feature piece for side tables or bedside table, the spherical bulb is floating against the simple brass lines, for the most magic effect.
Materials : Polycarbonate globe and aluminium. Available in different shapes and finishes. The futuristic design reminds of the pure white of the interiors of the sci-fi movies from the ’60s. Inspired by a space helmet, it looks like something ready to land on the Moon. Ideal for minimal spaces, It can give the right touch to industrial interiors.
Hope that now you have a better idea and know the correct lights for elegant interiors.
If you liked this list, have a look at some of the other lists I prepared in my ‘Products’ category.
With the spring blooming all over us and the summer fastly approaching, I just fell in love with the acrylic and glass design. Indeed the only kind of furnishing that will transform the sun sipping through the curtains in pure magic. Let’s all welcome the transparent furniture season!
It is probably not a case that all over the internet it is possible to find all sorts of designs that use a minimalistic approach. They did serve contemporary society well for many years now. However, recent trends stretched the minimal approach to the next level.
Simple lines and clear design is not enough anymore. The world is transforming into a colourful mix of images and people are seeking for new sensations.
The struggle to impress is growing and designers are challenged with the task to create pieces that will satisfy the customers’ desire for an instagrammable life. And here it comes the transparent furniture!
Colourful gradients and pastel nuances are blending with light design to create ambients that, in their simplicity, can be of great suggestion.
Bolt colours and neon effect
The colours on this glass table are brightening the forms like neon lights. they create a dramatic effect that contrasts well against concrete or neutral surfaces.
Patricia Urquiola is not exempt.
In fact, the famous Spanish designer and architect created a collection in collaboration with Glas Italia, which was presented during il Salone del Mobile in Milan in 2015.
The laminated glass comes to life thanks to the changes of the gradients, donating a fresh look to vintage lines. The subtle mirror effect invites the light to play the main role, increasing the reflections and the chromaticism of the space.
The Crystal Series – when geometry emulates the natural world
The same idea permeates the creation of the designer Sae-rom Yoon. His tables are made of dyed acrylic resin in the attempt of emulating the bold shapes and lights of crystals.
What happens if we add artificial light to the equation?
We obtain these amazing lamps! Shadows and colours play together in creating evocative blends over the surfaces. Geometry and minimalism are absolute key players in the Day and Night Light design by Éléonore Delisse.
I completely love the effects the light creates on these pieces. But I have to say that I will not probably be buying any of them as they are likely to be a nightmare to clean (LOL). Just imagining the amount of fingerprints they would collect makes me throw in the towel. But let me know what you think.
Do you want to take part to the trend?
Kartell is probably the undisputed leader brand in the market of the transparent furniture, and some of their pieces – designed by some of the best in the world – are actually icons for all design lovers. Let’s have a look at some of the nicest items, .
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