Minimalist or Maximalist? Scandinavian Design Doesn't Make You Choose

Are you a minimalist or a maximalist? It can sometimes feel like you have to pick a camp when it comes to interiors. If you are a minimalist, you have a few possessions in a sparse space. If you are a maximalist, your entire house is wall to wall tchotchkes. Neither of those characterizations are very accurate.

For a long time, Scandinavian design has been put into the minimalist camp. It's easy to see why when most of the published images lean toward pale woods, neutral and all-white colors, and pared-down spaces. That can be a beautiful look, but Scandinavian design can also be more. You can be a minimalist, you can be a maximalist, or you can sit somewhere in between.

Looking Back

Design history in Scandinavian countries is as varied as anywhere else. There is a long tradition of bringing color, pattern, and decoration into everyday life. Norwegian rosemaling covered furniture, trunks, and everyday objects with flowing floral patterns and strong color. Swedish kurbits painting brought fantastical flowers, foliage, and decorative forms to furniture and interiors. In Finland, the traditional ryijy textile developed from a practical bedcover into a richly patterned and highly decorative textile for the home. In Denmark, decorative craft found expression in everything from painted furniture and textiles to richly decorated ceramics and porcelain. These traditions were about craftsmanship, creativity, and making everyday surroundings beautiful.

That spirit continued into modern design. Josef Frank, one of the central figures of Swedish modernism, designed furniture with clean, functional lines alongside textiles filled with dense, exuberant botanical patterns. Finnish design company Marimekko became known for large-scale patterns and unapologetic color, bringing bold textiles into modern homes. Scandinavian design has always had room for both simplicity and exuberance.

Lagom

There is a Swedish word that comes up when talking about Scandinavian design: lagom. It is often translated as "just enough" and is used to describe everything from physical amounts to social behaviors. The word is sometimes mistakenly used as a synonym for minimalism. That isn't really true. At its heart, lagom is about finding the balance that works for you. It embraces comfort and decoration.

What feels minimalist to one person may feel maximalist to another. One person might feel perfectly at home with a sofa, a chair, a lamp, and plenty of open space. Someone else might need books, artwork, ceramics, plants, and collected objects around them to feel that a room is complete. Both can be lagom. The point isn't how much you have. It's whether what you have feels right to you.

Simple forms in a maximalist space

A lot of people who love modern design are collectors. They buy a piece because they love it, then another, and another. The hunt for good modern finds can become a whole personality. And it is fun. I've seen well collected spaces chock full of modern pieces that look amazing. Form and quantity are separate decisions.

Where to start

Skip deciding which philosophy to commit to. You might love the calm of a beautifully edited room and still want your favorite things around you. You might appreciate an empty surface one day and fill it with ceramics the next. Scandinavian design gives you room to do that. The furniture can be simple, the materials can be beautiful, and the shapes clean. And then you can add the art, books, collections, & color. You don't have to own less to appreciate good design.