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How to Decorate A Room for Christmas in Mid-Century Scandinavian Style

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Decorating a room in mid-century Scandivian style is one of the cheapest ways to go if you want a look that is unique for Christmas. Basically it entails buying almost everything that you need from Ikea and the color scheme is very simple: black and white with touches of red. It is a simple Scandinavian take on the “Tuxedo look.”

Start with a completely white room. Paint everything white including the floor, fixtures and add a faux white fireplace frame to the room. Put a black and white striped carpet on the floor and accent it with black and white vases, freestanding plastic tables and bit black utilitarian look chairs in either black or Christmas red. Lamps can be made of paper and freestanding or pendant style. White candle holders can be set on the mantelpiece for a chic yet cheap effect.

As long as they are all identical little glass tea light olders in black and white lined up along the mantel greatly compliment this look. You can alternate black and white holders or get striped candles.

At Ikea you can get the landmark white pedestal tables designed by Finnish designer Eero Saarinen. His pedestal has a base of cast-aluminum .Originally designed in 1956 it is still fashionable today and gives your room a bit of a space age effect.

Pendant lamps in plastic can also make amazing looking fashion statements. Look for lamps designed by Paul Henningsen. His many layered Snowball pendant swinging lamp has been around since 1924 and is much imitated by many designers. It looks like e a large white pine cone. He also designed another model that looks more like a round artichoke that has had it’s leaves open. Both are very festive in spirit and landmark objects of art that are also very functional.

To complete the look be sure to place big wool Christmas stockings in black and white along the edge of the fake fire mantel. Inside the fireplace feature presents wrapped in all white tissue paper wrapped with red and black ribbons. Above the mantelpiece you can put a giant minimimilast wreath. This can be unnatural or fake but the idea is that it must look as trim and compact as possible to compliment the mid-century Scandinavian look. A company called Fresh Florals makes an all black wreath that is wrapped in black ribbon that is made out of twigs. Make sure that the twig wreath that you choose is quite thick and well twined or it may not suit this style.

Decorating With Nautical Style Knot Decor

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Decorating Items With Nautical Style Rope
One of the easiest ways to give a room a nautical flare is to decorate with rope. Objects made out of rope can also help recycle old vases and lamps that seem like they could never have a second life.

One nifty idea is to take bright white nylon, blue nylon or yellow nylon rope and wind it around the base of a lamp. You simply use a caulk gun to glue the rope as you coil it around and around the lamp until it is completely covered.

You can also dress up an ordinary pillow by taking a handworked clothesline and sewing it to a pillow. You buy white nylon rope and then make it into a series of slip knots. The next step is to hot glue it onto a pillow or pillow case and then give it some hand top stitching to make sure that it is secure. Pillows that are navy or cherry red look with this type of “braiding” attached as trim.

You can also give tablecloths and lampshades this type of treatment as well. Simply make the slip-knot trim out of rope and then glue it to the top and bottom edges of the lampshades.

Yet another way to decorate your home with nautical style rope is to make a Sisal-Lattice Bulletin board. This is a board that is covered with diamond lattice into which you can stick photographs, cards, reminders or whatever is necessary.

The best type of board for making this type of bulletin board is homasote board which can be ordered online if you can’t find it in stores. You then cover it with fabric and sisal rope that is spraypainted gold. This sisal rope is hammered into the fabric covered homasote board with brass upholstery nails.

Another rope project is a Sailor Knot Trinket Box. This is a twine-edged box that stows cufflinks and other odds and ends. It is a very male looking storage box because the handle is made from knotted twine that is affixed to the top of a simple wood box that is stained in the color of your choice. You can then also paste the rope in a design on top and on the edge of the box. For an added bit of kick you can also line the inside of box with a bright red or blue gingham fabric.
If it has a rim, you can line it with rope. Try using your creativity and imagination to attach rope to the rims of garbage cans, jars, pencil holders and whatever else you think could use a bit of a hint of the Maritimes in your décor.