Scandinavia is a home to 5 out of 10 happiest nations in the world: Finland, Denmark, Iceland, Norway and Sweden all rank at the top of the list, despite long, dark winters and cold weather. Surely, good social support networks and healthy environments both contribute to the happiness and wellbeing of its citizens, but have you ever wondered how the Nordic nations stay in good mood on a daily basis?

It’s the lighting. With well planned lighting, candles and overall hygge atmosphere, people in Scandinavia stay happy despite bad weather. They are the masters of setting the mood with lighting.

However, with maximalism style being the number one interior trend in 2020, you might think that Scandinavian style is not for you. Who would mix maximalism with minimalism? Well, we are here to convince you it’s possible! You can incorporate elements of Scandinavian style to any interior with Scandi-style lamps, pendants and wall lights.

Read our 3 tips for adding a Nordic touch to your home with lighting:

1. Learn to love earthy tones and muted shades

Scandi decor style is probably most popular for its earthy muted palettes. If your home is filled with colour, consider adding some warm-coloured lighting, like our Triangle Pendant in Ochre. You can also add the fun and quirky Stoneware Lamp to your interior – the best thing about an earthy muted colour palette is that it fits any colour scheme.

If you have a Scandi-style home and want to add some maximalism inspired decor to it, consider shiny metal details instead of going for bright colours. We recommend the Matisse Pendant Light in white and brass – embracing the clean, strict lines of Nordic style with a bold, shiny detail.

2. Bring the outdoors inside with rattan lighting

Do we need to explain our love for rattan? The hottest interior trend of 2021, rattan furniture and lighting have gained this title thanks to Nordic style homes on Instagram. Nature-inspired lighting is now more popular than ever, as people are looking to bring the outdoors inside with natural home decor.

Scandinavian made rattan lights will fit right into your maximalist home. You can go for an oversized pendant like our Wicker Ball Pendant Light, or the ever popular Aruba Plug-in Wall Light. Need some new lamps? Our organic and sustainable Mariposa Table Lamp and Mariposa Floor Lamp are both handmade from rattan and will bring that fresh boho feeling into your living room or bedroom.

3. Add some Scandi texture with papier-mâché lights

Nordic style, just like the maximalist style, is famous for their layering with textures. Both styles have more in common than you might think. Texture provides visual interest, depth and dimension to a room. How to do texture in Scandi-style?

Add lighting made from papier-mâché – we recommend our bestselling Tropez Pendant Light available in 2 sizes, and the lovely Tropez Table Lamp. Both handmade in Sweden, they will bring more interest to any room, whether it’s maximalist or minimalist.

We often take lighting for granted when it comes to home design and decor. But lighting has a very powerful impact on our wellbeing: it influences our sleep cycle, productivity, and mood.

So even if you love colours, patterns and a bit of artistic clutter, you don’t need to give up Scandinavian style. Adding rattan or paper lighting in neutral colours will look amazing in any interior scheme. After all, to make your house a home, it needs to be filled with the things you love.