It is almost easier to explain what kind of art is Not suited to the Scandi boho chic home than what is best suited. Placing art in the Scandi Boho chic home is Not about filling blank spots on the wall or finding something to place on an empty table or stand. Neither is it about a certain “style” or “a look” – matching colours or symmetries. It is far removed from the perfectionism of minimalism or “less is more” as Scandi decor and interior design have become famous for. Art for the Scandi Boho chic home is more about the heart and mind than the eye. Everything has a story, a meaning, whether it “fits in” or not.

Old family photos in antique frames, mirrors, paintings and prints are firm favourites. Our grandparents hung grainy photos of their parents on walls above the couch and crips new shots of their grandchildren.

Chic paintings and Prints in the Scandi Boho chic home…

Family photos are hugely popular amongst Scandi Bohemians. Former supermodel and original Boho Chic’er, the Danish Helena Christensen displayed her photos prominently in her starter apartment. Her Paris flat featured in coffee table book publishers Taschen’s Paris. Hers is the ultimate boho home with framed family photos above the fire place.

Home grown artists are on the rise and the choice is hugely varied. Particularly avant garde graffiti and conceptual artists have thrived as demand for more thought provoking art increases. But Scandi Bohos are cool – they don’t always follow trends and are less concerned with design rules. To read more on our Scandi Boho decor style click here. The feeling they get from a picture and the story behind it are far more important. The personal touch and relevance are key.

Scandi Boho chic is particularly popular among the younger generations. Young professionals are moving away from the severe minimalist look – not least for financial reasons. But also because minimalism is high maintenance. It required tidiness and time consuming curation.

The art they chose is therefore often “make do” – pieces which are affordable and relevant to their experiences.

Boho Wall Art UK – Where to find Affordable Art

The beauty of Scandi Boho is that it is not expensive. It’s about how the pieces make you feel rather than how it looks or hangs together. So collecting works of art for the Scandi Boho home is a hobby most people can engage in. Most Scandi Bohos collect pieces on their travels, but paintings inherited or handed down are also popular. These can be Scandi flowers, landscapes or family portraits or motifs representing experiences from travels abroad. Tribal art or brilliantly coloured pieces from foreign cultures are perfect in the Scandi home setting.

Best shopping for boho Art

• Travels – paintings or sculptures which remind you of your holiday or stay in that country
• Car boot sales
• Small auction houses – or bigger ones but the art is likely to suit the Scandi haute boho home…
• Online through sales platforms such as Etsy
• Local art exhibitions – your nearest town hall sometimes hosts exhibitions by new or emerging artists in the area
• Charity shops – this is a terrific source of cheap and affordable art, particularly prints and water colours as well as ceramics and mini sculptures
• Flee markets – there are famous markets in most cities, ie the Portobello Road and Brick Lane markets in London and the Saint-Ouen in Paris, the world’s largest and oldest flee market going back to 1885

There are virtually no musts and must-nots when it comes to art in the Scandi Boho home. The style, as it were, is a mix of styles set off by the white background. A white floor, white walls, minimal furniture and a practical layout – on top of this you place the collectables, including the art. That is what sets Scandi Boho apart from Bohemian. The Scandi Boho look can best be defines as “method in the madness”. That means it is a mix of personal items, colours and patterns curated on the famously white Nordic background.

Scandinavian artists to look out for when decorating the Scandi Boho home

Denmark, Norway and Sweden have a rich tradition in painting and ceramics. Collectors look out for paintings from the late 19th Century and porcelain and clay pieces. Skagen on the most northern tip of Denmark is famous for its late 19th and early 20th Century painters – known for their fishing community oils on canvas.

These artists are highly collectable and outside most people’s budgets. They include Martinus Rørbye, whose Fishermen in Rowing Boat as shown above. It is a classic alongside paintings by Anna Ancher and Vilhelm Hammershøi.

Their themes depict the hard conditions in the North of Denmark over 100 years ago. They also portray a melancholy among the working people and a sense of community of that period. They are considered old masters in Scandinavia, famed for the special natural light they reflect.