Scandinavian Rugs

A Scandinavian rug means a pale ground (cream, beige, pearl grey), a discreet geometric motif and a soft material, in a palette of two or three colours. Casemira has selected 17 designs, from €299 to €699, in three families: handmade New Zealand wool (3400 to 4500 g/m²), handmade viscose (4800 to 5000 g/m²) and machine-washable at 30°C (1000 to 1300 g/m²). Sizes run from 160 × 230 cm to 200 × 300 cm, plus rounds and ovals.

How to recognise a Scandinavian rug

Born in Swedish, Finnish and Danish homes where winter light is scarce, the style favours whatever reflects that light and whatever warms a room. Five markers define it:

• a dominant pale ground: cream white, natural beige or pearl grey
• light geometric motifs: diamonds, chevrons, fine lines, dots
• a pared-back palette of two or three colours, with no harsh contrast
• touches drawn from nature: sage green, glacier blue, a light black
• soft textures: short, medium or looped pile, never an extreme shaggy

Wool, viscose or washable: which material?

New Zealand wool (Sentiero, Minho, Nieve, Vektor): the long-lasting choice, warm underfoot, 3400 to 4500 g/m², from €349 to €359. It lasts twenty years and is cleaned dry.

Viscose (Alpina, Grandio): the silky sheen of a light-filled room, 4800 to 5000 g/m², from €549 to €699. Keep it to quiet rooms: it does not like water.

Machine-washable (Gobi, Vesuvo, Borneo, Nimbus, Solar): the answer for families and pets, €299 to €349, machine wash at 30°C, dry flat. The same Nordic design, without the worry of a stain. See also our washable rugs collection.

What size for a living room or a bedroom?

In a living room, the front feet of the sofa sit on the rug and it extends 20 to 30 cm beyond on each side: 160 × 230 cm for a two-seater, 200 × 300 cm for a three-seater. In a bedroom, the bed sits on the last third of the rug, leaving 45 to 60 cm on each side. Scandinavian round rugs suit a reading corner or a round table. The full detail is in our guide, the Scandinavian rug: pared-back Nordic style.

What furniture to pair it with

Pale woods (oak, birch, ash), white walls, black accents (frames, light fittings) and plenty of green. Complementary textiles: raw linen, ecru cotton, wool. One patterned rug per room, no more. The style stands apart from the Berber rug, which is rawer, and from the modern rug, which is more graphic: the Scandinavian stays soft and textured.

To check the exact shade of a cream or pearl grey ground before you decide, Casemira sends 20 × 30 cm samples to your door, refunded when you order the rug. Free returns for 30 days from delivery.