If you're looking to create a more calming, simple and natural feel with your decor this Christmas season, our collection of beautiful Scandinavian Christmas decor ideas will surely inspire you.
With an emphasis on the beauty of natural materials, pleasant, tactile textures and a calming, neutral colour palette, Scandinavian decor is synonymous with simplicity and incorporating this Nordic style into your Christmas decorating ideas will give your home a wonderfully elegant, rustic and relaxed feel over the festive period.
From beautiful natural decorations with leaves and flowers to handmade ornaments and lots of candles, Scandinavian Christmas decor focuses on evoking a peaceful hygge feeling of coziness and comfort.
Create a simpler seasonal aesthetic with Scandinavian Christmas decorations
Whether you're looking for more minimalist Christmas decorating ideas or inspiration on how you can complement your existing Scandinavian-inspired scheme, the clean, simple look of Scandinavian Christmas decor can create a wonderfully refreshing atmosphere.
1. Decorate with a neutral, muted color palette
(Image courtesy of Layered Lounge)
When it comes to choosing the right colour palette for your Scandinavian Christmas decor, soothing, warm neutrals and natural earth tones are always a winner.
“For Scandinavian Christmas decor, go for natural, neutral colours – for example, hues found in pine trees such as deep forest greens and earthy wood tones – and avoid harsh, bright colours,” says Dan Mazzarini, president and creative director of ARCHIVE by Dan Mazzarini.
“But there are also red accents in more natural palettes, such as styling a space with seasonal red berries. Warm jewel tones like merlot and plum also make great accent colors to pair with a soothing neutral palette. I also love copper; it's neutral, yet has a festive and sophisticated feel, making it a great choice for Christmas decor.”
This 100% cream cotton design will not only enhance your Christmas hosting spirit, but it's also wash-resistant.
With its sleek, traditional yet minimalist style, the brass tapered holder is a versatile and elegant addition to your Christmas table.
Metal Bell Place Card Holder
A creative take on a traditional holiday detail, the metal bell sits flush against the surface of your dining table and even includes a slot for a paper card.
And Mazzarini
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Principal Director of BHDM Design and Founder of Archive by Dan Mazzarini
Dan Mazzarini is an award-winning interior designer, Principal Director of BHDM Design and Founder of Archive by Dan Mazzarini. With an extensive portfolio of residential projects across the United States, Dan has worked with many notable brands, including Harvard Club of New York, Google, Ralph Lauren, Kate Spade, and Calvin Klein.
2. Embrace the simple beauty of natural materials
(Image courtesy of Madeline Harper of The Identitè Collective)
From Christmas trees to Christmas wreaths and Christmas garlands, many of the most traditional Christmas decorating ideas are centered around beautiful Christmas foliage and seasonal flowers, helping to create a charming indoor-outdoor ambiance.
Interior designer Jill Kalman says, “For an authentic Scandinavian feel, incorporate natural materials like wood, pine cones and green plants. For Christmas decor, there are lots of natural wood options on the market, like blonde wood nutcrackers, wooden trees with beautiful clean lines from West Elm and wooden bead garlands. Using pine cone ornaments and twigs adds an organic element and adds texture.”
Rustic Christmas decorating ideas and Scandinavian Christmas décor always go hand in hand. If you're not keen on decorating your space with real leaves but still want to achieve a similar natural look, there are plenty of beautiful faux designs to choose from. Look to Afloral for stylish artificial flowers and stems, or shop our other top picks below.
Anthropologie's Christmas wreaths are the best this year. This wreath is truly timeless. The faux pine gives it a homey feel, and the vibrant colors of the red berries complement it.
Red leaf Christmas wreath
Add a lovely seasonal touch to your indoor space with this Leaf Christmas Wreath. This light-free artificial wreath is covered in red leaves and winterberries, adding a colorful natural accent to your holiday decor.
Adding a timeless and natural character to your Christmas display, this faux olive 6-foot garland gives your faux greenery a luxurious and whimsical feel.
Jill Kalman
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Interior Designer
Jill Kalman is a Westport, Connecticut-based interior designer known for her cozy, down-to-earth approach to interior design.
3. Incorporate tactile textures into your space
(Image courtesy of Pottery Barn)
“Texture is key in Scandinavian Christmas decor,” says interior designer Artem Khropovinskiy. “Small items like pillows and soft blankets are more than just decorative items – they're essential to creating a hygge atmosphere of peace, relaxation, warmth and coziness.”
Jill Kalman also supports this: “Create lots of cozy nooks in your home during the holiday season. Drape couches and chairs with fluffy blankets and chunky knit pillows, and add warmth and texture underfoot with a plush rug, all working together to evoke the warm vibe of hygge. Plus, adding a Scandinavian touch to stockings using natural materials like sheepskin or sherpa is guaranteed to feel cozy.”
Decorating your home with new throws and pillows is a super easy and subtle way to refresh your space in the run up to the Christmas season. From the cosy cushions on your Christmas table to the blankets on your Christmas living room sofa and armchairs, pay attention to the places where you'll be spending the most time sitting over the festive season and make sure these places feel lovely, warm and inviting.
Luxurious faux fur double length hide
Crafted from cozy faux fur, this hide's warm winter neutrals offer rich, dimensional color and texture that looks straight out of a chic chalet.
This versatile cream throw blends seamlessly into any style space, and the design features a subtle grid motif and soft fringe, adding coziness and comfort to any bedding or sofa style.
This cozy faux fur stocking will add a wonderful tactile feel to your Christmas mantelpiece.
Artyom Khropovinsky
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Interior Designer and Founder, Arsight
Artem Kropovinsky, founder of New York-based interior design firm Arsight, has 10 years of extensive global design experience and has assembled a cohesive, collaborative team of passionate professionals working on interior projects across the U.S. and the world.
4. Use lots of cozy candles and lamps
(Image courtesy of &Tradition)
“Scandinavian Christmas decor tends to have a nature-focused feel and lots of cosy candlelight,” says interior designer Christina Phillips. “Candles and lamps in your windows create a beautiful glow that's visible from outside and makes everyone feel warm and welcome when they enter your home – perfect for Christmas window decorations.”
Nothing evokes a warm, hygge feeling quite like candlelight, so the more candles you have in your home during the holiday season, the better.
“Use plenty of the best candles, lanterns and fairy lights to create a seasonal warmth and cosy ambiance. I particularly love twinkling LED fairy lights. String lights can also add a warm glow to natural elements like garlands, wreaths and houseplants. Battery-operated candles are also a great help – many now look so good they're indistinguishable from the real thing,” adds Jill Kalman.
&Tradition Flower Pot VP9 Rechargeable LED Table Lamp
The Flower Pot Lamp was created by Danish designer Verner Panton. This modern and portable design can be easily placed anywhere in your home, creating a cozy, warm light.
Textured Glass Fireside Spruce 4-Wick Jar Christmas Candle, Green
Part of the Hearth & Hand™ Magnolia Collection by Joanna Gaines, this candle smells of spruce and bonfire.
Stargazer North Star Twin Light
Perfect for displaying on trees, mantels or entwined into garlands, twinkling string lights are a versatile addition to your festive decor.
Christina Phillips
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Interior Designer
Christina Phillips is the owner and interior designer of Christina Phillips Interior Design in Ridgewood, New Jersey. Pursuing her dream of a career in interior design, she completed the Interior Design program at the New York School of Interior Design. Prior to founding her eponymous firm in 2020, she was the principal designer and co-founder of K+K Interior Design for over six years.
5. Keep decor simple and minimal
(Image courtesy of Ferm Living)
If there are two design styles that work in perfect harmony, it's Scandinavian decor and minimalist decor.
A functionalist, 'less is more' attitude is undoubtedly at the heart of Scandinavian Christmas decor, and embracing a more minimalist approach to your festive decorating can help focus on more meaningful, specially curated displays.
By refraining from cluttering your Christmas tree with ornaments and zoning your decorations into a few key areas of your home, you don't necessarily need a ton of festive decor to create a beautiful Christmas display.
6. Make DIY decorations
(Image courtesy of Layered Lounge)
Scandinavian Christmas decorations are the perfect time to incorporate some DIY Christmas decoration ideas and add a unique, handmade touch to your festive decor.
“In Denmark, people love to express their personal style at Christmas time, myself included,” says Signe Kok Nielsen, interior stylist at Copenhagen-based brand BoConcept. “I get some curly branches and decorate with a mix of vintage Christmas ornaments and modern ones. The Danes are crazy about making their own decorations and have a long tradition of making paper ornaments, such as pleated paper hearts for Christmas trees.”
Jill Kalman supports this, saying, “Paper decorations beautifully complement wood and other organic elements, plus, DIYing your own paper decorations makes for a fun, festive craft project.”
If you want to try your hand at Christmas crafts, check out our featured article on how to make paper snowflakes.
Signe Kok Nielsen
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Interior Architect & Artist
Signe Kok Nielsen is a Danish interior architect and artist currently working for luxury furniture brand BoConcept, a Danish furniture retail chain with 337 stores in 65 countries around the world.
FAQ
How do you decorate a Scandinavian Christmas tree?
Simplicity is the key when decorating a Scandinavian Christmas tree: don't overdo it with ornaments, scatter them thoughtfully across the tree and allow leaves (real or fake) to show, creating a more natural, relaxed feel.
For decorations, choose wooden designs, like this wooden garland from Pottery barn, or paper ornaments (homemade or store-bought) for a subdued, rustic style, and use ornaments that incorporate a more neutral, natural color palette, like greens, beiges, browns, reds, and whites.
Decorate your tree with a woven wicker basket or a cozy tree skirt – we love this faux fur design from Balsam Hill.
If you're inspired by our collection of Scandinavian decorating ideas, explore a similar decorating style in our feature Quiet and Luxurious Christmas Decor, perfect for those who want a more natural, minimalist style but still want to create a luxurious feel.