Scandinavian style can be pared back and at the same time completely detail-oriented; it can make spaces feel super contemporary but also totally timeless. And nowhere are these design principles clearer than in Scandinavian lighting ideas — an important element in a part of the world where summers can be very bright, and winters pitch black.
If you’re planning to update your home lighting scheme with inspiration from Scandinavian design, why not look to the fixtures coming out of cities like Stockholm, Oslo, and Copenhagen? The latter’s recent 3daysofdesign 2025 festival saw the presentation of new Scandinavian lighting ideas from brands including &Tradition and HAY that we’re sure will become instant favorites.
For further inspiration, we asked ten top interior designers and style experts to share their favorite ways to incorporate both classic and contemporary Scandinavian lighting into your home. Below are their brightest ideas.
1. Make Your Lighting a Piece of Art
Circular wall lights take on a sculptural look in Muuto’s exhibition space.
At 3daysofdesign in Copenhagen this year, Muuto’s space encouraged us to think of lighting more sculpturally. The Finnish lifestyle and furniture brand proved that, whether they’re switched on or off, the right fixtures can become the focal point of a room.
2LG Studio’s Jordan Cluroe and Russell Whitehead agree. “Wall lights can be functional, but used in a way that’s more like art or decoration. For impact, we love experimenting with placement and love the idea of using them asymmetrically.”
“We love the scale of the wall lights here,” they add of the unique living room lighting idea. “This space completely resonates with the fact that our own clients are becoming bolder in their use of lighting in residential projects.”
2. Embrace Natural Materials
Wood takes center stage in many Scandinavian interiors, and the material can be used to create eye-catching contemporary lighting fixtures.
Interior designers in the forest-rich countries of Scandinavia love incorporating natural wooden materials into their projects, including for light fixtures. The brand to know? Secto Design, who use sustainable birch from Finland.
The sustainable material has a light, pleasing shade. “It’s a natural fit for Scandinavian-inspired interiors,” explains Martin Waller, founder of Andrew Martin. “It keeps spaces feeling fresh, warm, and inviting.”
“These pendants add a moment of real sculptural interest, with the wood transforming the fixtures into a real design feature, diffusing lighting softly like a Nordic dusk.”
3. Blend Cultural Influences
A dainty pleated shade adds a classic look to one of HAY’s contemporary lamps.
“What I love about Scandinavian lighting is its ability to blend softness with architectural intent,” reveals interior designer Carina Raymond, founder of Studio Raymond.
One of her favorite pieces of Scandinavian lighting is HAY’s Matin lamp (available at Heal's), which features colorful shades made from sustainable cotton and a bent-steel wire frame.
“It captures that sense of duality beautifully, with the pleated shade that nods to tradition while the base’s clean lines and graphic look give a modern edge,” she says. “The light adds personality without overwhelming the calm clarity that defines Scandi interiors, making it perfect on desks and bedside tables.”
4. Make It Blend In With the Room
&Tradition’s Flowerpot lamp is a thoughtful addition to this Denmark sitting room.
For a calm and restful space, choose Scandinavian lighting ideas that resonate with your space rather than dominate it. Case in point? Tollgard Studio’s Danish Summer House project, located on the island of Fanø, off the coast of South-western Denmark.
“We embraced a soft, natural, tone-on-tone approach here,” reveals Monique Tollgard. “It was all about creating a sensory connection to fuse inside and outside as seamlessly as possible. The Flowerpot Lamp, designed by Verner Panton, was chosen for its timeless design and sculptural softness.”
“The light’s muted color was carefully selected to complement, rather than contrast with, the surrounding materials in the space. It blends effortlessly with the timber, textiles, and other soft finishes in the space, reinforcing a sense of calm and tranquility.”
Monique Tollgard leads an award-winning studio and has, over her two-decade career, worked on projects ‘from the Algarve to Saudi Arabia and from Formentera to Fitzrovia’. Her passion is to realize her client’s dreams.
5. Double Up Your Scandinavian Lighting Ideas
A clever combination of light fixtures mean this bathroom can change use throughout the day.
While overhead lights can meet essential functional needs in a bathroom, they’re not exactly flattering. One solution — which feels more like a spa bathroom lighting idea — is to introduce independently-controlled wall light fixtures, especially around a mirror.
Take your cue from The Darling, the art and design-focused guest house in Copenhagen. “In all of our bathrooms, we’ve used Louis Poulsen lights,” says one of its founding partners, Jens Løkke.
“In this space, the Ring Crown wall fixtures are beautiful as well as functional. The opal glass gives off a warm, atmospheric glow, and we installed dimmers to create just the right mood for every moment of the day or night.”
6. Create a Light Show
If you’ve got amazing windows, consider a statement light fixture to match. Our suggestion? Louis Poulsen’s Artichoke pendant.
If you’re lucky to live in a space with oversized windows that's flooded with natural light, you might not need light fixtures during the day, but they’re an essential element come night. Opting for a wow-factor design classic can mean your lighting is as scenic as the view outside.
“The iconic Artichoke lamp [from Louis Poulsen] is a beautiful way to create a striking focal point,” says interior designer Kashi Shikunova, director of the Scandi-focused Yam Studios. “In this space, the sculptural piece creates a natural gathering point that draws people together.”
“As a tip, I prefer to suspend pendants low over dining tables,” Kashi recommends when it comes to the light height over a dining table. “It helps to create a sense of proportional balance, giving the piece room to breathe from the ceiling, which is always important when using such a strong lighting feature.”
Kashi Shikunova founded her own interiors firm in 2013. Since then, her aesthetic has been informed by Scandinavian design. As well as designing a property, she works with individual craftsmen and tradespeople to take the project through to final delivery.
7. Don't Forget the Floor
Scandi-designed floor lamps can serve multiple purposes in a space.
As this TriBeCa loft proves, floor lamps are perfect for reading corners. Who better than a Scandinavian lighting designer to blend function and form so expertly?
“We used powder-coated aluminum and steel for the frame,” explains Sofie Christensen Egelund, third-generation co-owner and concept director of Vipp. “Its perforated metal shade casts a soft, inviting glow while matte glass creates a very pleasant diffusion of light.”
One trademark of Scandinavian lighting ideas (and design in general) is practicality. This design features an adjustable arm, meaning the fixture can multitask and serve as focused lighting when needed and ambient light in downtime. “It is practical, functional, and timeless,” says Sofie. And utility lighting like this also happens to be one of the biggest lighting trends this year.
8. Go Portable with Your Scandinavian Lighting Ideas
Scandi brand Gubi designed this rechargeable lamp, perfect for cutting down on the visual clutter of cords.
Cordless, rechargeable lamps are enjoying a surge in popularity. “They’re a total game changer for modern living,” believes interior designer Melissa Hutley from Hutley & Humm. “They allow a sense of spontaneity in your lighting scheme, perfect for the middle of a dining table, on a bathroom ledge, or hallway console where cords and plug sockets might be difficult.”
The designs by GUBI capture Nordic design sensibilities perfectly, and in this sitting room vignette, their Multi-Lite lamp (available in a number of different finishes) is the star of the show.
“What I love about it is that it’s sculptural without being fussy,” says Melissa. “It’s classic, meaning it works in minimalist settings just as much as it does somewhere more playful.”
9. Layer Your Lighting Ideas
While an eye-catching piece of lighting can make or break a living room, it’s not the only one that matters.
A pendant light often takes center stage in a space. In this living room, created by &Tradition for Copenhagen’s 3daysofdesign, it certainly does — but it’s just one element of the overall lighting scheme.
“This is a wonderful example of how Scandinavian lighting ideas can create atmosphere,” says Andrew Griffiths, founder of A New Day Design Studio. “Bold, graphic, and architectural, the pendant acts as a statement piece, but it is actually the introduction of the other light fixtures that creates intimacy and versatility.”
“Layering is key to achieving balance. As a studio, we always recommend working with at least three sources of light — ambient, task, and accent,” Andrew suggests. “Don’t be afraid to mix sculptural forms with softer, more organic pieces. This contrast can make lighting choices feel curated and personal rather than purely functional.”
10. Lean Into the Japandi Aesthetic
This ‘Japandi’ wall light has a gentle, calming note in this bedroom.
When it comes to planning bedroom lighting, wall lights aren’t necessarily an instinctive choice for the bedside, but they make a surprising amount of sense. As well as saving on surface area (compared to lamps on an adjacent table), they can angle light away from the face as you wind down.
The fixture here was designed by the Danish design firm Norm Architects in collaboration with Audo Copenhagen. “The small size can fit almost anywhere without taking too much attention,” explains Nicolaj Friis Nøddesbo, their Senior Designer. “We chose linen for the shade to diffuse the light beautifully.”
“The design of the light actually originated from one of our many trips to Japan, but combining the look with Scandinavian principles suddenly makes it a much more versatile design,” believes Nicolaj.
FAQs
What are some modern Scandinavian lighting brands?
There are so many Scandinavian design brands worth knowing when it comes to shopping for Scandinavian lighting ideas. Some of Livingetc's favorites include:
- Normann Copenhagen - From futuristic floor lamps to wavy-edge LED mirrors, the design team brings a playful edge to Scandinavian lighting ideas.
- Pholc - Based in Sweden and founded in 2015, this lighting specialist produces designs that ‘take a stand against the expected’. Their pieces are minimal but moreish.
- GUBI - Shop here for design-forward lighting made from perforated metal, chic brass, and luxe marble. The brand’s pieces are always a highlight in a room.
- Ferm Living - The contemporary brand describes their lighting as ‘minimalist lamps with an artistic touch’, and we couldn’t agree more. Opt for their abstract designs in unexpected colors.
- HAY - The Danish lifestyle brand, founded in 2002, offers lighting designs informed by the classics but with a distinctly contemporary twist.
- Louis Poulsen - Established in 1874, Louis Poulsen regularly collaborates with notable Danish designers to create some of the region's most iconic styles.
Scandinavian lighting ideas are where beautiful forms meet an obvious practical function. From clever cordless designs to sculptural pendants made to stand out, these projects show that the right light fixture can transform any space.
Whether you’re considering illuminating your hallway or bringing a new glow to your bathroom mirror, the Scandi design ethos is one to take note of. Still searching for inspiration? Perhaps these mid-century modern lighting ideas are more your style.
