What’s new in Scandinavian living room interior design in 2025? We dive into the trends that are shaping and refreshing this popular style.
Scandinavian chic has long been a celebrated interior design style, praised for its commitment to simple beauty, functionality, and comfort. A staple style in Nordic homes and across the globe, Scandinavian interior design is a classic yet highly versatile and aesthetically pleasing design choice.
As Scandinavian interior design evolves to meet modern needs and changing tastes, we take a look at the new trends for living rooms that are shaping this contemporary yet timeless look. From textured walls to curved furniture, we’ll be exploring 14 innovative Scandinavian living room ideas for 2025 that blend tradition and functionality with exciting new concepts.
Whether you’re embracing a brand new look for your living room, or just browsing for new ideas, we hope to give you some inspiration for your next living room redesign.
Contents:
- Scandinavian lounge design–top trends for 2025
- Best practices for creating a Scandinavian living room
- Conclusion
Scandinavian lounge design–top trends for 2025
From transparent furniture to warm woods, we look at the latest trends in Scandinavian interior design and how you can incorporate them into your home.
1. Scandinavian Japandi fusion
Japandi is a combination of Japanese and Scandinavian interior design styles. It embraces the ancient Japanese ethos of slow living and simplicity and blends it effortlessly with the Scandinavian philosophy of coziness and well-being.
In 2025 we’re going to see even more of these two minimalist design traditions in stylish living rooms. Key components to look out for include clean lines and light color palettes taken from Scandinavian design, and low-profile furniture and ornamental stone pieces taken from Japanese culture.
If you’d like to try out this look in your living room, try to prioritize clutter-free spaces and natural light. The room should feel tranquil and airy and yet ordered, with the space facilitating relaxation without sacrificing functionality.
2. Maximalist wall art
Maximalism is an interior design approach that favors bold personal expression, playful experimentation, and diverse creative influences. Wall art, such as abstract paintings, graphic prints, or large-scale photography, is a key component of maximalist living rooms, injecting vibrancy and energy into a room.
Despite being known for its minimalist, neutral-toned aesthetic, Scandinavian interior design is embracing maximalist wall art in 2025, celebrating the striking contrast and warmth these dramatic pieces bring to neutral spaces.
For your own Scandinavian-style living room, balance maximalist artwork with natural materials, layered textures, and simple, functional furniture. These traditional Scandinavian design elements help to ground the visual energy in the room while providing the perfect backdrop to let the artwork tell its story.
3. Curved furniture
A striking trend for Scandinavian living rooms in 2025 is curved furniture. This organic, soft-edged alternative to traditional, straight-edged furniture styles provides a warm, comforting aesthetic that supports a natural flow of movement through the room.
From curved sofas and armchairs to oval coffee tables and curved sideboards, curved furniture brings a touch of modern luxury to Scandinavian minimalism. It also offers a refreshing contrast to the rigid, functional aesthetic typically found in Nordic homes.
When considering curved furniture for your home, embrace soft, plush upholstery in beige and pastel tones to create an intimate and cozy vibe.
4. Retro-inspired Scandinavian chic
In 2025, Scandinavian living rooms are embracing retro-inspired designs, vintage chic, and nostalgic flair. If you’re a lover of classic films or retro art pieces, this latest interior design trend in Scandinavian design is for you.
From classic teak wood sideboards, sculptural coffee tables, and rounded pendant lighting, to arc floor lamps, knitted throws, and bold accent chairs, retro pieces are bringing color, texture, and warmth to Scandinavian interior design.
The key to nailing this look in your living room is balance. Rather than overwhelming the space with vibrant retro pieces, use calming tones on walls and floors and decorate with selective pops of retro color.
For example, hang a vintage poster above an off-white couch, or place a mustard yellow armchair on a natural wool rug. Blending past and present in a carefully curated way will bring that retro-inspired look to your space without compromising the sleek, modern minimalism of your Scandinavian-style room.
5. Floating fireplaces
A bold, futuristic trend in Scandinavian living rooms in 2025 is floating fireplaces. Suspended from the ceiling or mounted onto the wall, these fireplaces promote an airiness that complements the minimalist and modern living room aesthetic that epitomizes Scandinavian chic.
Floating fireplaces come in different sizes and shapes. While modern styles might be oval in shape and hang down on a long black chimney, traditionally styled floating fireplaces tend to have clean, straight edges and are built into a wall some feet off the ground.
Whether you opt for a contemporary, futuristic look, or a classic but suspended approach, most floating fireplaces work well in open-plan layouts, evoking a sense of luxury while providing ambiance and warmth.
6. Neon art installations
For those looking to inject a splash of color into their Scandinavian living room, a neon art installation could be perfect.
These artworks provide a refreshing pop of color against a backdrop of muted Nordic tones, with their glowing hues creating a playful and dynamic focal point for the entire household to enjoy. Neon art installations complement the functional design of urban-inspired or industrial-styled living rooms in particular
Whether you choose an inspirational quote, an abstract shape, or a geometric design, try pairing this edgy installation with natural materials to allow the neon to really stand out.
7. Transparent furniture
Transparent furniture made from materials like glass, polycarbonate, and acrylic perfectly complements the clean, airy aesthetic of Nordic design while contributing a fresh, modern twist.
Futuristic furniture pieces such as glass-topped coffee tables, acrylic lounge chairs, and tempered-glass side tables promote the flow of movement through minimalist spaces while allowing the room’s other design elements to make their mark.
In smaller living rooms, transparent furniture is great for giving the appearance of more space as these pieces visually expand the room, opening it up with their light-touch elegance.
8. Bold color accents
While it may seem contradictory to what we know of Scandinavian interior design, bold color accents in furniture and decor are growing increasingly popular in these traditionally neutral spaces. Scandinavian chic is evolving, indulging pops of rich, saturated hues among the soft, muted tones to bring lively energy into these spaces.
In 2025, deep blues, fiery oranges, mustard yellows, and emerald greens are on trend, particularly when used in accessories such as bold statement chairs, rugs, or throw pillows. Though it may be tempting to jump in with two feet, you’ll want to curate your bold color accents carefully. To maintain the uncluttered vibe that Scandinavian design embraces, inject your colors sparingly into the space with one or two key pieces or accessories.
9. Textured walls
From rough plaster finishes such as orange peel, knockdown, popcorn, and sand swirl to exposed brick or woven wall panels, textured walls are making a huge comeback in 2025 with Scandinavian interiors embracing this tactile approach to minimalist interiors.
Introducing subtle visual interest without dominating neutral spaces, textured walls bring warmth and organic charm to living rooms. As a simple way to add character to a room, textured walls work well with pastel tones, breaking up the uniformity of neutral color palettes and infusing a grounded feel. Experiment with different textures and finishes to see which effect best boosts the cozy yet contemporary atmosphere of your home.
10. Minimalist Scandi-boho
Blending the simplicity of Scandinavian design with the charm of a relaxed bohemian interior, minimalist Scandi-boho sees the fusion of clean-lined and functional Nordic furniture with eclectic accent pieces and handcrafted accessories.
In your living room, experiment by layering woven throws on the sofa and hanging macramé plant pot holders from window frames or beams. Vintage picture frames in mustard yellow or terracotta add personality while bouquets of dried flowers or grasses in ceramic vases contribute to the globally-inspired vibe while adding a dab of color.
11. Warm woods
Warm woods such as honey-toned oak and ash are popular in 2025, bringing an inviting contrast to the sleek modern lines typical of Nordic interior design. Enhancing a living room’s connection to nature, these woods are popular for low-profile coffee tables and accent chairs, softening the sharper edges often found in Scandinavian minimalist spaces without distracting from the overall effect.
If you want to really embrace warm wood tones in your living room, consider investing in wooden wall panels, beams, or floorboards. When you let these natural and sustainable materials play a more central role, you’ll have the perfect backdrop for other natural materials like stone, wood, and linen as accessories and decor. These sustainably sourced or found materials complement warm woods perfectly, while further promoting the earthy, rich feel of the space and boosting comfort.
12. Sustainable fabrics
Sustainability is a key part of Scandinavian interior design. This is particularly true when it comes to fabrics. From hemp and wool to organic cotton and linen, Nordic homeowners are embracing interior design solutions that are eco-friendly, durable, and low-impact without sacrificing style or comfort.
In your living room, experiment with woolen throws on armchairs, woven rugs on the floor, organic cotton upholstery, or linen throw cushions. When used as part of a minimalist design, these sustainable materials create an elegant space that aligns with Scandinavian values of simplicity, durability, and low-impact living.
13. Multifunctional spaces
Meeting the diverse needs of a household is a challenge for every homeowner when designing their interiors. With its focus on functional and multifunctional spaces, Scandinavian interior design can help solve this tricky issue.
Prioritizing modular furniture, multifunctional storage options, and the efficient use of space, a Scandinavian-style living room can become an entertainment area, a work zone, or a tranquil place to relax.
To achieve this in your home, embrace flexible and adjustable furniture that can be adopted for different purposes. It’s also wise to incorporate built-in shelving and embrace furniture with hidden storage compartments as these will help you maintain an uncluttered, minimalist aesthetic.
14. Custom built-ins
To make the most of your space while retaining a curated and minimalist aesthetic, innovative storage solutions are essential in your Scandinavian-style living room. Custom built-ins are a great example of how to do storage seamlessly and stylishly.
Consider building floor-to-ceiling shelving, built-in seating, and integrated storage units in your living room. Design pieces like these will maximize storage, support organization, and help you achieve a clean, uncluttered look.
Whether you use wood, metal, glass, or a combination of materials, customization will give your space a personal touch that also supports your lifestyle and needs.
Best practices for creating a Scandinavian living room
What are the rules of thumb for creating and maintaining a Scandinavian living room? We’ve got four key best practices that will guide your design.
- Embrace neutrals
A dominant theme in Scandinavian design is the neutral color palette. Whether you choose whites, beiges, grays, or soft pastels, the idea here is to provide a versatile and calming canvas for the room that allows other design elements to shine through. If the neutral theme leaves you craving some brighter shades, consider adding a pop of color with a vibrant accent chair or a bold rug. You’ll find that accent pieces like these work especially well against the neutral background without overwhelming the overall tone.
- Keep furniture simple and functional
Functionality is absolutely central to Scandinavian interior design, with every piece of furniture earning its place in the room. With its minimalist roots, the Scandinavian design prioritizes furniture that has clean lines and a practical design, with multi-functional pieces that bring both style and purpose to the room being a particularly popular choice among homeowners.
- Focus on lighting
Getting the ambiance of your living room right means perfecting your lighting. Try to combine natural light from windows and skylights with soft artificial lights from pendant lights, floor lamps, or even candles to curate a warm and inviting feel. If the room is on the smaller side, position a large mirror opposite a window to reflect light and create the illusion of more space.
- Celebrate comfort
Blending plush, natural textiles and ergonomic, flexible seating, comfort reigns supreme in Scandinavian living room design. Segment areas of your space and add a tactile layer by using deep-pile rugs or decorate your sofa with soft, oversized throws that double up as cozy blankets on chilly winter evenings.
Conclusion
And that’s a wrap! We hope you feel inspired by these wide-ranging ideas and trends for Scandinavian living rooms in 2025.
As we’ve seen, Scandinavian living rooms are set to become more bold, versatile, and striking going forward while still retaining the style’s cornerstones of simplicity, functionality, and comfort. Whether you’re looking to make a few small upgrades to your current Scandinavian-style living room, or doing a complete overhaul of your living room’s interior design, remember to focus on balance. Incorporating one or two vibrant statement pieces that work well against a neutral and inviting backdrop is an effective way to keep your room both welcoming and effortlessly stylish without overwhelming the eye.
When this balance is achieved, you’ll have a Scandinavian living room that is not only on-trend for 2025 but also timeless and durable.
Next Steps
If you’d like to learn more about Scandinavian interior design, head back over to the AND Academy blog for more articles like this one. We also recommend you check out this project by AND Learner, Ishani Pati to get inspiration for your next interior design project.
In case you need further assistance, here are some resources to consider:
- Watch this session by Snehanshu Mukherjee, Founding Partner at T.E.A.M and Mansi Almadi, an Interior Designer at Studio Lotus
- Talk to a course advisor to discuss how you can transform your career with one of our courses.
- Check out our Interior Design courses - all courses are taught through live, interactive classes by industry experts.
- Take advantage of our scholarship and funding options to overcome any financial hurdle on the path of your career transformation.
Note: All information and/or data from external sources is believed to be accurate as of the date of publication.
