Scandinavian Design

I have a very specific design preference and have for a long time. I didn't know exactly what it was called until about three years ago when I entered Ikea. I love Scandinavian Design. It is clean and simple and doesn't involve a lot of layers to look good. I know some people feel it is a bit cold, but I think it feels comfortable. Maybe that is because I feel anxiety and an inability to breathe properly when I am overwhelmed by clutter. My favorite stores to window shop are Dania, The Scandinavian Design Center, The Sweden Shop, and The Danish Design Store. I can't afford anything from these shops yet but someday I will. For now, Ikea all the way.

Scandinavian design has a very modern feel. When we went to Sweden and Denmark last summer we went to the design history museums in both countries. It was fantastic to see how Scandinavian design has changed in the last 400-500 years. There was a large Chinese influence in the first few hundred years and then they started moving towards what they are now. It was also fun to see people in Sweden taking boxes from Ikea onto the train.

I think Jason enjoys Scandinavian design as much as I do. He appreciates the clean feeling and currently loves the economical aspect of it. He also has specific design preferences that I don't agree with, but go along with for now. He doesn't like rugs, curtains or throws. I would love to get a white shaggy rug for our living room but I just can't convince Jason that it would make the room seem larger and a little softer. I also don't understand his distaste for curtains. I thought maybe it was the type of curtains he is used to seeing, but after showing him a bunch of modern options I concluded it was just curtains in general. Thankfully he isn't averse to window coverings in general. I do enjoy wood blinds and am willing to compromise on that one. And throws are also another thing I don't care that much about.

I think the hardest part about loving Scandinavian design will come when we have kids. There are a lot of beautiful cribs etc. that would look great with our style but they are incredibly expensive. It's awful. I certainly can't have a modern / Scandinavian house with a very traditional nursery. I guess there's always Ikea. Plus, I've got plenty of time.