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Design Dilemma: Maximalism in Denmark

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Earlier this month, we took a look at a Danish home featuring severe minimalism. Everything was white — walls, furniture, floors. This time, we’re looking at a Danish home done up in the exact opposite style  Scandinavian maximalism!

What does that mean? Try walls painted dark moody colors, ceilings that have been stenciled in a pattern or wallpapered, floors that have also been treated the same, and plenty of art work, objects d’art, shaggy rugs and dramatic flourishes. It’s not a look that you often see in Scandinavia, but the owners of this apartment wanted to try something a little different from the all-white norm.

The owner, in fact, says she doesn’t believe in half measures. When you decorate, she feels you have to go all the way. It’s not enough to paint one accent wall a brilliant color and leave everything else white, as, in her opinion, there’s no consistency. So she’s worked toward consistency by stenciling her ceilings to match all the drama down below.

Here is the ceiling during the process:

And here is the finished product:

Opting for a dark color on the walls creates a moodiness that white walls can’t touch:

One of the most impressively maximalist features is a dining room wall papered with the image of a Spoonbill bird. The owner found the poster online for $500:

The bedroom ceilings have been painted as well, providing lots of color and pattern. The ceiling is painted gold and black and decorated with old playbills and Bjørn Wiinblad posters.

And here’s the kitchen:

Kudos to this homeowner for being brave enough to challenge the conventional Scandi all-white look! We think the moody coziness of the space is perfect for short gray Danish days and long dark Danish nights!