Window dressing – the standout piece that sets the tone for the rest of the room are the curtains. Or, simple, well-made shutters that give the room more of a cottage look. Create Scandi Boho luxe with curtains to up the ante and give your living room a formal and glamorous feel.
Generous helpings of material teamed with richly coloured tiebacks are powerful promoters of the Scandi Boho Luxe look. Here we show you how to achieve the perfect Scandi Boho Luxe curtain look, even on a budget.
We stick to the Scandinavian aesthetic by choosing a simple white material. Although what appears to be a simple white cotton is instead a rich, elaborate white herringbone patterned material. The curtains pair with gloriously coloured tie backs – a very Scandi look. Here we show white floor-sweeping curtains (a 90s trend that has made a fabulous comeback) held back by equally simple white tie-backs.
But those white tiebacks have since this post was originally written been swapped for glorious, chunky, grand green and cream tassled tiebacks. They are a find from a charity shop. Those tiebacks cost £180 in the shops but we got them for £16 – and they almost exactly the same. Read about how we scooped up a number of amazing interior pieces from different charity shops in another post here.
Curtains and Tie backs-Holdback – go for minimal opulence…
There’s a wealth of luxury tie backs on the market – the only challenge is finding them. And they are rarely sold in department stores but are instead the reserve of interior designers, often hand made and expensive.
Best Accessories – Invest in Statement Accessories
Don’t be afraid to splash out on tie backs. You’ll never tire of them, or if you did… you could sell them on for decent money on platforms such as eBay. Good, opulent, rich tie backs are statement pieces almost as much as the curtain itself.
But even the tie backs need to be held back – instead of an unsightly hook in the wall, find a gorgeous holdback as shown in the photo here below.
There are very ornate holdbacks on the market, but like tie backs they are not cheap. We found the cheapest luxury holdbacks at £30 a pair – they went out of fashion a couple of decades ago and have yet to make a serious comeback. But they look fantastic.
Going back to luxe curtains in the Scandi Boho tradition, they create Scandi boho luxe almost as well without the tie backs. However, they’ll need to be long enough to flick back – and stay there – without them. And with a complimentary lining at the back they can look particularly chic.
Here we show off white curtains lined at the back by beige…very effective and very Scandi – we love our white rooms…. The buyer of this flat insisted on keeping the curtains…and paying for them.
Read the glossy British magazine Country Life, Nov 16 2022, for more, historical facts on glamorous curtain tiebacks. Luxurious bespoke curtain dressings and tassels are much alive.
But some are so complex – particularly some made for Napoleon II and Russia’s Nicholas II – that they may never be made again.
Mirror Mirror – how to create Scandi Boho luxe – that laid back Style
And the rug for the Scandi Boho Luxe look is also a step up – more grand, elaborate, fine and colourful. A beautiful Persian rug completes the minimal Scandi Luxe style and here we show some styles that define the Scandi Boho Luxe look.
Every home has to have a mirror and the Scandi Boho Luxe look relies on fabulous mirrors. If only to reflect the interior. Placing a large mirror is very much Scandi Boho style, but to create the SBL look a mirror must have oomph.
A serious frame, gilded but not too “gold”, ornate if in a minimalist room or simple if featured in a “busy” room. And the more “age spots” and authentic looking the better. Above is a above-the-fireplace mirror bought at auction 20 years ago. One of our favourite influences in home decor at the moment is the seaside look.
The Nordic countries are seafaring nations (ie the Vikings) and currently the porthole mirror is “everywhere”. And there are some stunning pieces on the market which are very Scandi Boho Luxe. Look around, but also see this beautiful, atmospheric nautical mirror – perfect for bathrooms, conservatories and halls – CLICK HERE to view our pick or browse similar ones.
Bohemian Chic Rugs – Scandinavian Style Flooring at its best
Scandinavians love rugs. We used them to cover parts of our wooden flooring and add a respectable amount of colour to the minimalist palette.
And there are rugs which are distinctly Scandinavian in look – the pastel block colour look for one.
But the beauty in Scandi Boho is the complementary effect of other cultures and their styles to the Scandinavian aesthetic. Therefore a different rug is required for the chilled chic boho feel.
And the rug for the Scandi Boho Luxe look is also a step up – more grand, elaborate, fine and colourful to create Scandi boho luxe. A beautiful Persian rug completes the minimal Scandi Luxe style and here we show some styles that define the Scandi Boho Luxe look.
Dining Table – Key Player in how to create Scandi Boho Luxe
The dining table is the soul of the boho home. The piece of furniture and decor around which we get together, eat, chat and the source of what we know as Scandi hygge.
Scandi Boho is famed for its vintage pieces – often with a table cloth thrown across. But the Scandi Boho Luxe dining table needs no table cloth. Beautifully cut wood and craftsmanship add authenticity to the dining experience. They minimise the need for other decor pieces which might just make the room look too busy.
Photo Frames – the charming Accessory to Glam up the Room
An age old tradition in Scandinavia is family pictures in photo frames – often on the wall like paintings. Frames as shown above, from niche British home furninshings retailer India Jane add solid Scandi glamour to the side table – eve though they are not made in the North.
