Keys for a Nordic Christmas decoration

Although it has been a trend for some time, more and more homes, mainly young and urban, opt for this style when it comes to projecting Christmas decorations. If this is your case, pay attention to the basic keys to take into account to feel this Christmas as if you were in Denmark.

1. The environment

Unlike Southern Christmases, which are more pompous and full of decorations, the Nordic Christmas is characterized by its simplicity, both in tones and in the elements used.

Just a couple of sheepskins placed on the usual chairs to enhance the winter feeling, a couple of hanging decorations such as small luminous strips or stars, and of course, a natural or wooden Christmas tree and voila! we have our little Scandinavian-style Christmas corner.

If we also have a fireplace in the living room (or, failing that, some candles), it's time to leave it lit, since fire also enhances the "winter effect" that we are trying to achieve. And if we are lucky enough to have one of those beautiful Swedish fireplaces, it's the end ;-)

2. The color

As it could not be otherwise, the Nordic Christmas must respect the shades of this style: an absolute predominance of whites and grays as a base, neutral colors by antonomasia and sweetened by the warmth of wood.

Once the base has been obtained, depending on the atmosphere you want to achieve, you can use small touches of black for a more elegant style, green for a more natural look, or red for a more informal and fun Christmas.

3. Christmas tree

The Nordic tradition is a bit different from the countries of the South in several ways... While they use advent calendars and drink mulled wine, we buy figurines for the Nativity Scene and eat nougat. However, there is one universal element common to all Christmases: the Christmas tree.

And yet here, too, there are differences. The Christmas tree in a Nordic style is usually simpler and more spartan than ours. Tinsel is conspicuous by its absence, and the classic glitter balls give way in this case to more everyday pendants such as bells, birds or just nothing :-)

In sizes, the thing is not clear. There are from giant size to small table trees arranged in pots. Of course, they are always natural, that's why they have the forests they have :)

And it's not that there are no artificial trees in the Nordic Christmas. It is that they are simply that, expressly and visibly artificial. They can be made from wooden planks, cardboard or paper to put on a wall, or simply painted on a wall, but they will never, ever try to emulate a natural tree with a plastic one. Nordic countries have nature in their veins and plastic trees are forbidden.

A curious and very particular variant of this style are the Christmas trees stripped of leaves. Dry trees, based on branches that are filled in this case with white, silver craft-colored complements to emulate the snowy exteriors, where the snow barely lets you see the green of the trees.

4. The complements

The accessories are really the kings of a Nordic Christmas. It is through them where this style reflects its maximum expression. A multitude of simple elements scattered around the house bring that Scandinavian Christmas air that is so much its own.  Let's see the most characteristic ones:

a) Animal figurines

We have talked about the presence of animals in the decoration, but in this case they are confined to a typical Christmas atmosphere: deer, reindeer and birds, classic inhabitants of the forests of northern Europe, conquer the Scandinavian houses bringing movement to the decoration.

b) Corporeal letters

In the same tone of wood or in different shades, the corporeal letters with Christmas terms abound on shelves, coat racks, dressers or chests of drawers to remind visitors of the dates in which they find themselves.

c) Stars

One of the most present elements in this type of Christmas. The stars of 5 and 7 peaks are the most common as hanging ornaments, being able to be illuminated inside or not.

Another variant is the Jewish star or Star of David, formed by two equilateral triangles giving rise to 6 peaks. It is especially suitable for decorating walls, and it is very common to accompany it with small strips of lights supporting the rest of the lighting.

d) Candles

Of course. A universal tradition that in the Nordic case is almost exclusively confined to white or silver candles. Big, small, wide or narrow, it doesn't matter. The important thing is that they do not stray from neutral tones.

e) Natural elements

We have already mentioned the importance of nature in the Nordic landscape and that is why dried pine cones, logs, branches, moss or small leaves reign in the jars, vases, trays and small corners of a clearly Nordic decoration.

Doesn't it make you want to fill your house with this atmosphere? To summarize: neutral tones, presence of wood, luminous strips and simple or natural accessories are the basis of a Scandinavian style decoration that makes more than one fall in love, including those present ;-)