What is Nordic nature wall art? Why it works in your interior

There is an art form that has quietly made its way into many homes across Northern Europe in recent years. This art form is called “Nordic nature” wall art, and it doesn’t feature loud colors or bold statements. Nordic Nature art cools the room. It opens a window to a colder, calmer landscape. The entire space feels more larger and calmer at once.

It is what people call Nordic nature wall art. And as someone who spent six winters working in Finnish Lapland and now makes a living illustrating that part of the world, I have a few thoughts on what it actually is, why it works, and how to choose pieces you will not be tired of in two years.

What Nordic nature wall art actually is

Nordic nature wall art consists of illustrations, photographs, or paintings that depict the natural landscapes of the Nordic countries: Scandinavia (Norway, Sweden, Denmark), Finland, Iceland, Greenland, and the Sápmi region (Lapland). It is not the same as the Scandinavian style, which is more about minimalist design. It is the Scandinavian essence: the actual landscape and weather that gave rise to that aesthetic in the first place. It consists of forests, fjords, snow, light, animals, water, and the sky.

There are a few things that characterize this style. The color palette is subdued: cool shades of gray, soft blues, off-white, and light green. The colors of cold light. Even when the green of the northern lights is visible in the sky, it fits into a calm composition, not a busy one. The compositions leave space: empty foregrounds, lots of sky, a horizon line that is given space to breathe. Nordic nature is rarely depicted as busy.

Light is treated as a subject in its own right: the pink glow of a frosty sunrise, the blue hour after sunset, the strange green glow of the Northern Lights on the snow. Northern light is unlike any other, and good Nordic nature work treats it as the main character. Wildlife appears, but quietly: reindeer, huskies, seabirds, whales, foxes, which are often depicted alone in their landscape rather than in a close-up as in nature photography.

And there is a strong sense of the seasons. The Sámi recognise eight seasons, not four, and much Nordic nature work carries that sensitivity. Each piece embodies a specific moment of the year, not a generic “winter scene.” It is the opposite of decorative clutter. It is what you hang on the wall when you want to look up and feel quieter.

Why this fits so well in your interior

Wall decorations featuring Nordic nature motifs fit well in a modern interior for the same reason that Scandinavian interior styles work so well: they don’t overwhelm the space. They blend into the room rather than competing with it.

The cool color tones (cool blues, warm grays, off-white, ..) and here and there a deep pink or an aurora pair perfectly with oak, linen, wool, leather, dark wood, and white walls. You don’t need to adjust your decor to match the art. Most well-chosen Nordic landscape artworks also give the impression that you’re looking out toward something, rather than at something. That’s a very different psychological effect than with a bold abstract piece or a busy print. It makes the space feel more open rather than filling it up.

It also never outdates. Trend-driven art quickly becomes outdated, the geometric pastel colors of ten years ago already feel like a thing of the past. Landscapes, light, and animals don’t have that problem. A reindeer in winter light won’t look like a work from the 2020s in 2035.

And it radiates tranquility. This may sound a bit vague, but it’s important. The color temperature of art depicting Nordic nature is, almost without exception, cool and serene. In a living room, bedroom, or workspace, this has a real effect on how the space feels at the end of a long day.

How do you choose artwork that will stand the test of time?

Here are a few practical tips I’ve picked up, both from creating these pieces and from hanging them in clients’ homes and hotels.

First, consider the light in your room. A piece of art with a lot of cool blue will glow in a north-facing room and look somewhat clinical in a south-facing room. A piece of art with warmer winter pink or aurora green tones does the opposite. Match the temperature of the art to the temperature of your room, not that of your couch.

Scale matters more than you think. A small piece of art on a large wall almost always looks out of place. Either choose a piece that’s large enough to dominate the wall, or group smaller pieces together so they form a single composition.

Choose works that originate from a real place. This is where my preference lies. There is a difference between wall art featuring Scandinavian nature motifs that has been generated, copied, or assembled based on references, and work that comes from someone who actually stands in the landscape in winter and looks at the light: Nordic Nature wall art. The first type often feels a bit strange in a way that’s hard to describe. The second type continues to reveal new things year after year.

And the material is part of the message too! A paper poster conveys a very different feeling than a piece mounted behind 5 mm thick acrylic glass with a back panel set back from the surface, or an aluminum plate with a matte finish. Especially with artworks depicting Nordic nature, the depth and clarity of acrylic often complement the subject well: light appears as light, not as ink.

Where My Work Comes From … what inspired me!

I spent six winters in Finnish Lapland, where I worked at a boutique hotel above the Arctic Circle. That experience forms the basis for the “Lapland 8 Seasons” collection, which follows the eight Sámi seasons rather than the usual four.  It is also the source of inspiration for the “Arctic Adventures” and “Into the Nordic Wilderness” collections.

Every illustration is based on something I’ve actually seen. The pink light of a frosty morning. The green reflection of an aurora on the water. The silence at −30 °C. I create the work and personally inspect each piece before it leaves the studio. If a Scandinavian landscape on your wall is the tranquility you’re seeking, that’s what I make.

If you'd like to follow what comes next ... a new piece, a new season, a story from the work, I send a letter every two months.

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Els
Aurealis Creatief