We Scandis like a tidy, fresh and clutter-free zone. A home that smells of flowers and sunshine and where the floor is so clean you could almost cut meat on it. Every season is Spring Clean time… But sometimes even a spring clean won’t do the job – we need a Scandi spring clean. Sometimes, no matter how hard you scrub the floor or dry clean the curtains, it’s just not enough. And you can’t figure out why everything still look a little bit…tired.
From Tired and Not-So-Cool to “Effortless” Shine
The look of “old” can linger even after dusting and scrubbing the floor. Well, we have a few thoughts on why your home might not look as shiny as you had hoped. Here are some tips on how you can fix it.
One of our absolute favourite trick to help give your home that clean Scandi look is: changing the knobs on closets and doors. Yes, new knobs really do make a difference. A tired-looking London apartment – even though it was newly decorated by developers! – got that very special Scandi makeover.
We replaced dull-looking 80’s style aluminium handles on kitchen cupboards with simple white ceramic knobs. Or use plastic knobs to save money – the difference barely shows. The result was amazing – the cheap-looking steel bar-handles were big and attention grabbing. By replacing them we focused attention away from the doors which gave the room light and an unfussy feel.
Scandi spring clean – it’s About How it Makes You Feel
The simple trick transformed the kitchen area. Indeed, if you want the handles and knobs on cupboards and closets to be focal points, there are many super chic samples on sale in DIY stores, crafts shops and online. Details such as cupboard and door handles are perhaps more noticeable in the minimalist home, and have a greater impact.
But that is what defines the Nordic design aesthetic and lifestyle: it’s not so much about how a room or a house looks – it’s about how it makes you feel. It’s the little details that make a big difference. We have nine more super tricks that most people don’t think of when making home improvements.
Close the Gaps and Let the Eye Glide Rather than Stumble from Object to Object
Another favourite trick to tidy up the look and feel of your home is to replace sealants around kitchen worktops, bathtubs and sinks… It’s an effort to pull off, but it is more than worth it. Builders, who normally finish off worktops and bathtubs with sealants, do not all share our aesthetic and eye for detail. Sealants are often the last part of the job and therefore sometimes get done rather hastily. This means smudge strips along the kitchen table or around the bathtub: however clean it may be, it makes the area look dirty.
After a few years the sealant will start looking dusty and dirty or even discoloured. Scrape it off with a filling knife, clean the surface while ensuring it’s completely dry. Then squeeze on the new sealant – with a steady hand – along the gap that needs sealing.
Use as sparingly as possible for a tidy finish. Top tip: When using non-white sealant (as used around most bathtubs) pick a shade that is slightly darker than the surface, be it bathroom tiles or a wall….a lighter shade makes it look like a rush-job…
We use sealants for other purposes: see below at “before and after” images of two shelves. The first image is taken just after they were fastened to the wall, showing showing gaps between the shelves and the uneven wall. The second image is taken after sealant has covered the gaps, giving the space a neater, cleaner and more soothing appearance, a proper Scandi spring clean.
