ferm LIVING is a Danish design brand whose furniture, lighting, cushions and glassware are made for everyday life rather than for show. In this guide we explain what makes the look work and how to use the pieces we stock to build a calm, Scandinavian-style room that is easy to live in.
What makes the ferm LIVING look
Scandinavian design is often described as simple, but the best rooms in this style are not bare. They are edited. Each piece earns its place, materials feel good to the touch, and colour is used gently. ferm LIVING suits this approach well: its designs are practical, quietly characterful and easy to combine.
A calm room usually rests on three things: a restrained palette, plenty of natural texture, and soft, layered light. Get those right and the room will feel settled even when it is full of everyday life. You can browse everything we carry in our ferm LIVING collection.
Start with a quiet palette
Choose a base of soft neutrals: warm whites, sand, stone and muted greys. Then add one or two deeper tones, such as black, rust or a dusty green, to give the room definition. Repeat each accent colour at least twice around the room so it looks intentional.
Keep walls light and let furniture and textiles carry the colour. That way you can change the mood with a few cushions or a throw rather than redecorating.
Cushions and textiles for softness
Textiles are the quickest way to add warmth to a pared-back room. The Grand Cushion is made from a mix of 50% natural linen and 50% cotton, with understated patterns and colour combinations that merge tradition with the contemporary. The designs are made to be paired, so try two or three together on a sofa and mix a pattern with a plain.
- Vary the texture. Combine linen, wool and a heavier weave so the sofa does not look flat.
- Keep the count down. Three to five cushions on a sofa is plenty for a calm look.
- Add a throw. Folded over an arm, it softens hard lines and is useful on cooler evenings.
Find more ideas in our ferm LIVING cushions and throws.
Layered, gentle lighting
Lighting does more to create calm than almost anything else. Aim for several low pools of light rather than one bright ceiling fitting. A table lamp on a sideboard, a reading light by a chair and a soft pendant over a table will make a room feel relaxed after dark.
Look for warm bulbs and shades that diffuse the light. Our ferm LIVING lighting range is a good place to start. If you want a diffused glow on a side table, the Glo-Ball Table Lamp by Jasper Morrison for Flos has a hand-blown, etched opaline glass diffuser and sits comfortably in a Scandinavian scheme.
Furniture and glassware: fewer, better pieces
In a calm room, furniture should leave space around it. Choose a few pieces you love and give them room. Clean lines, rounded edges and natural finishes all help.
Glassware is an easy way to bring in light and colour. A tinted carafe and glasses left out on a tray, or a single vase on a windowsill, catch the daylight and feel considered without adding clutter. Take a look at our ferm LIVING glassware, and at the ferm LIVING Bevel range for pieces that work well grouped together.
- Group in odd numbers. Three objects of different heights look natural on a shelf.
- Leave empty surfaces. A clear tabletop is part of the look.
- Add something living. A plant or a few stems bring life to a neutral room.
Bringing it all together
Build the room in layers: palette first, then furniture, then textiles, light and finally a few well-chosen objects. Step back after each stage and take something away if it feels busy. Calm comes from restraint as much as from what you add.
Browse the pieces mentioned here online, or visit our shop in Somerset to see the pieces in person. If you are planning a room and would like advice, our team will gladly help.
