Our Designer Lighting Guide: Scandinavian Lights

Our designer lighting guide explores Scandinavian lighting and how to use them in your home. Scandinavian design focuses on function design, efficiency of use, and hygge, which can be translated as coziness.

This mix of ideas create a distinctive look where metal, organic materials, warm and neutral tones combine into unique features and a peculiar style. 

Scandinavian lighting design evolved from the Bauhaus movement, which began in the 1920s and prioritised both purpose and performance. Scandinavian lights, like the Bauhaus, aim to make designer lighting accessible to everyone. It emphasises simplicity and simple forms, as well as how light spreads throughout the areas to create truly liveable spaces.

Styles, materials and colours

But how do you choose the right light for your home? 

To answer this question we need to go back to their purpose and functionality. Since each rooms has particular features, it is crucial to define its context, each Scandinavian light will contribute to create that Hygge feel and create a cozy space. 

Scandinavian Bedroom Lights

The main idea behind the bedroom decor is to create a space where you can disconnect, relax and rest, hence why we typically pick neutral colors giving a sense of serenity where mind and body can truly recharge at the end of a busy day. Scandinavian designer lights options here are countless, wall lights or table lamps for your bedside, task lights with white or black accent, leather details and warm glow will help you to finish that book you have been wanting to finish. The is the last light you often see before bed and a Scandinavian light is the best option to keep your mind at ease with soft forms and clean lines.

Are you interested in bedroom lights? Check out our curated bedroom light collection

Cyls Table Lamp Cyls Table Lamp adds an architectural flair to any interior. The cylindrical head rotates 360o, and the stem can be adjusted back and forth to provide the best lighting for your daily tasks. Cyls' minimalist and efficient design is ideal for your bedside table, creating a sophisticated atmosphere while lighting up the pages of your favourite book before your well-deserved rest. Its functionality and geometrical simple form make Cyls the best Scandinavian Table Lamp for your bedroom.

Contina Wall Light The alluring design and functionality of the Contina Wall Light are merged to create a unique lighting fixture. A spherical opal white glass dome conceals the bulb and radiates a soft shadow-free light into your bedroom. Contina's brass finish is elegant and minimalistic, adding warmth and a hygge feel to the space. The black version is ideal for modern, clean-lined Scandi-styled bedrooms. The wall lamp challenges the conventional notion of bedroom wall light with its long flexible arm allowing Contina to be used as both a wall and ceiling lamp, making it an ideal ambient and task light.

Scandinavian Bathroom Lights

Your bathroom is a sanctuary, a place to refresh, it’s often where you start your morning through routines such as applying make-up and shaving, a great planned bathroom lighting will elevate your interiors while ensuring functionality and soft shadow-free light for precise tasks. Read our bathroom lighting tips and bathroom wall lights guide for more details. Scandinavian task wall lights will help you to create that sought-after feel of comfort while providing soft even illumination. 

Are you interested in bathroom lights? Check out our curated bathroom light collection

Terra 00 Wall Light Terra 00 flush wall light plays with the idea of contrasting elements, two half domes, one made of a slip-cast ceramic shade and the other of hand-turned FSC-certified timbers, create a beautifully crafted Scandinavian wall lamp for your bathroom. The soft and simple forms are enhanced using a variety of colour combinations, including slate, sage, and vanilla bean for ceramic shades and ash, walnut, bleached, or blackened ash for the timber dome. The lovely Nordic design is completed by an opal glass shade that softens the light and provides a glare-free glow ideal for precise tasks such as applying makeup and shaving. Because of its IP44 rating, this Scandinavian bathroom wall lamp is ideal for mounting on either side of a mirror. Highly versatile it can also be used as a downlight.

Scandinavian Kitchen Lights 

The kitchen is a multifunctional place, where the family will gather together to dine, hangout and spend time cooking. Scandinavian indoor wall lights, pendant lights and ceiling lights can truly help in creating a harmonious place where decluttering and keeping things organised is a priority. Think of functional adjustable wall lights with long stems to help direct lighting in a certain area, or simple cluster of decorative pendants over your kitchen island. In the kitchen, decorative lighting is often overshadowed (literally) by task lighting but ambient decorative lighting can create an inviting atmosphere, see below our curated list of decorative Scandinavian kitchen lights. 

Are you interested in kitchen lights? Check out our curated kitchen light collection 

Lampe De Marseille Wall Light Lampe De Marseille is a wall light developed by the acclaimed architect Le Corbusier's . In 1949/1952, it was created for the Marseille Unité d'Habitation. The Lampe De Marseille is fully adjustable thanks to two arm joints and a rotating wall mount. It produces direct and indirect lighting through a dual switch on the cable. This designer wall light in Scandinavian style will add style and elegance to any living room. It is offered in two sizes, in matt grey, white, or black with white internal diffusers.

Strap Pendant Light The combination of metal and leather in the Strap pendant light allows the light to dynamically engage with the surrounding space, especially in contemporary interiors, where mixing materials creates visual contrast and depth. The strap's narrow and elegant leather gives it a warm and natural touch, balancing a classic and industrial-style dome. It comes with two leather straps in brown and black. This Scandinavian pendant light comes in a variety of sizes and neutral colours, making it ideal for interacting with any colour palette in your living room or kitchen. Strap pendant light looks great in clusters over a benchtop or as a standalone pendant above the dining table in its larger models.

Scandinavian Lights for the Dining Room

The dining room just like the kitchen is a multifunctional place, where the family will gather together to dine, hangout and spend quality time together. Designer lighting within the dining room can transform the ambience of the space whether it's indoor pendant lights, wall lights, table lamps or ceiling lights. With Scandinavian design, simplicity is key but the minimalist style doesn't mean you can't make a statement, there is plenty of opportunity to enhance the mood in the dining room.  

Are you specifically interested in dining room lights? Check out our curated dining room lighting collection

Angle Pendant Light  Angle is a modern suspension light that can be used in any interiors. The name is due to the ability of this light to be oriented wherever you like for convenient control of lighting direction via the magnet positioned on the cord. Angle is available in 3 matte modern looking finishes: black, white, and grey.

Grant Pendant Light Grant pendant light achieves a balance of simplicity and elegance by removing all unnecessary decorations and emphasising shape and materials. The stunning white opal luminous orb glass creates a soft even glow that contrasts with the brass circular cap and thin stem. The canopy in brass adds an intriguing detail, reimagining the concept of Scandinavian pendant lighting in a new and elegant way. Grant looks great alone or in clusters, and it can be combined with the other pendant sizes in the series.

Scandinavian Lights for the Living Room

Our biggest advice when it comes to living room lighting is to layer up your lighting, what do we mean by that? We suggest using all three types of lighting - ambient, accent and task. The living serves multiple purposes whether it's hanging out with friends, watching a movie or lounging while reading a book you want to be able to control the light for different activities. Firstly, Indoor Floor Lamps and Table Lamps are perfect for directional task lighting. Secondly, ceiling lights or down lights can provide your room with an overall glow (especially when they are dimmable) Lastly, you have accent lighting such as pendant lights or wall lights. Accent lighting adds that decorative touch that gives a room its character. 

Are you specifically interested in living room lights? Check out our curated Living Room lighting collection

Sunset Floor Lamp Sunset floor lamp emits a soft, indirect light. The stylish shape is also functional; the lamp's curved head has been designed to improve light reflection on the walls. The light head is supported by a thin aluminium stem, which helps to create contrast. Sunset Floor Lamp will create interesting corners in your living areas with its simple yet refined Scandinavian style, a clear homage to the hygge lifestyle.

Lilly floor lamp Lilly is a highly decorative Scandinavian floor lamp that combines both simplicity and sophistication. The minimalist stem, combined with the elegant orb shades in opal white glass, creates a visually dynamic sculpture that produces soft, glare-free light. The layout of the glass shades creates a strong cohesive look while also providing 360-degree lighting all throughout the room, making it ideal for ambient lighting and layering with other Scandinavian lighting fixtures.

Conclusion