Design Bits: Scandinavian Journey

I have long been a fan of antique Scandinavian furniture. It's simplified design and superior craftsmanship topped with that whitewash finish that we have all come to love has me curious about it's origins. I called on expert Tricia Mitchell owner of Avolli, Scandinavian furniture shop in Maine, to share some insight into these popular and beautiful antiques.

The superior quality of design and craftsmanship has a long history in Scandinavia dating back over a thousand years to the Viking warriors. These sailors, who became famous for their fierce pillaging, traveled to many parts of the world forming colonies as they went. Along with their fierce determination, they brought the Nordic talent for ship building and affinity for wood with them and applied these skills to furniture making. This period in history created the foundation of the Scandinavian designs of today.

Between the age of the Vikings and the paradoxical modern designs of today, a beautiful and elegant period existed in Scandinavia that represented a formal yet simplistic attitude. It began in the late 1700's when the fanciful lines of the Rococo style which had been popular between 1750-1770, came out of fashion and was replaced by the restrained, yet elegant lines of the Neo-classical style which was inspired by the classical architecture of Greece and Italy. The playful curve of the cabriole leg that was synonymous with Rococo was now replaced by the slim, tapered and often channeled leg of the French Louis XVI style, but with the characteristic restraint of the Scandinavian interpretation. This restrained elegance and unpretentious charm is expressed in the character of their country furniture and the strength of their delicately proportioned formal furniture. The quality craftsmanship, simplistic elegance, use of natural materials, and the paired down symmetrical lines resulted in a style which became the hallmarks of antique Scandinavian designs.