The complete guide to: Scandinavian style

Stripped pine? what has that got to do with travel?

Stripped pine? what has that got to do with travel?

Whether it's architecture, furniture, cars or homeware, there's a lot more to Scandinavian design than clean lines and pared-down shapes. Scandinavia is culturally and geographically diverse, but the region's design industry is a lot more stylish than the sum of its parts. Cool Nordic minimalism may be the stereotype, yet in a region that's as rich in quirky humour as it is in design innovation, it's certainly not the only blueprint. True, you can find plenty of Scandinavian style without even leaving the UK, but that would be a missed opportunity: not only are prices generally higher here but you'll also pass up an excellent way to get to know the region.

Where should I start?

In Stockholm. Ever since Wallpaper magazine's founding editor, Tyler Brûlé, went to the Swedish capital to pick up ideas for the style-led magazine's offices, it has maintained a reputation as one of Europe's design centres. And rightly so: the city has an obsession with innovation. Pick up your glass in a restaurant, flip it over, and it will probably double as a candle holder. Buy a postcard and it might function as a CD, too.

If it's this kind of thing you're looking for, head to interiors store Design Torget, whose several branches include Kulturhuset (00 46 8508 31520) and 31 Gotgatan (00 46 8462 3520, www.designtorget.se). A few doors away, at 25 Gotgatan, 10 Gruppen (00 46 8643 2504) offers bags, bibs and other accessories made from retro-style fabrics. For sleek Swedish interiors, head to David Design (7 Nybrogatan, 00 46 8611 9155) and, for upmarket folk crafts, Svensk Slojd (23 Nybrogatan, 00 46 8663 6650). For furniture, don't miss Room (20 Alstromergatan, 00 46 8692 5000; www.room.se).

To see the products in action, hog some bar space at Nouveau Riche (4 Birger Jarlsgatan, 00 46 8545 03560), designed by Jonas Bohlin. The surroundings are as groovy as it gets, with chandeliers made from upside down wine glasses. And to make sure you're up to date, pick up a copy of Stockholm New magazine (www.stockholmnew.com), the local style bible, from a newsagent. Alternatively, drop in to Svensk Form, a design centre and café on Skeppsholmen island (2 Holmamiralens Vag, 00 46 8463 3130, www.svenskform.se).

I want to get out of the city

Travel south to Smaland. Aside from its picturesque lakes and thick forests, this area is best known for being the home of both Ikea and the country's finest glassworks, including the internationally renowned Kosta Boda and Orrefors brands. Most of the factories are open to visitors. In addition, the lively Smaland Museum in the town of Vaxjo offers a crash course on the area's glass-producing history. For more information contact Smalands Turism (00 46 3635 1270; www.visit-smaland.com).

If you want to have a go yourself, the traditional works at nearby Bergdala offers glass-blowing weekends from around SKr2,500 (£178) per person (00 46 4783 1650, www.svenskaglasbruk.se).

Has Sweden sewn up the eurovision style contest?

No. For design-conscious travellers, the new cool destination is Finland. Just as Sweden isn't all about Volvos and Ikea, and Danish invention doesn't stop at Lego, there's more to Finnish design than Nokia.

Hang on, Finland isn't part of Scandinavia

Technically, that's correct. But here we're talking design styles rather than geographical boundaries and, stylistically, Finland has far more in common with the countries to the west than it does with Russia, to the east. So it counts (working on the same ethos, Iceland – technically part of Scandinavia – does not appear here, since in design terms as much as geography, it sits some way apart from the Scandinavian mainland).

Now back to Finland. A country famed as much for its architecture as its homeware, here the post 19th-century Scandinavian look is pared back to its functionalist basics, especially in the capital, Helsinki, which is giving Stockholm a run for its kronors as the region's most fashionable destination.

Finnish design is craft-based, which makes perfect sense when you see the lakes and forests that make up the rural landscape. But the 21st-century designers have plenty of fun. You can buy a stress-relieving snowball made of plastic, which crunches like the real thing when you squeeze it, at Kiasma, Helsinki's Museum of Contemporary Art. It's at 2 Mannerheiminaukio (00 358 917 336 501, www.kiasma.fi).

What can I buy besides snowballs?

The mid-20th century was a golden, or rather stylishly monochromatic, era for Finnish design. At the forefront was architect/designer Alvar Aalto, producer of such iconic pieces as the swirly Savoy vase and zebra-striped arm chair. He also created many classic buildings throughout Scandinavia and beyond. At home, his most famous architectural legacy is Helsinki's Finlandia Hall (13e Mannerheimintie, 00 358 940 241; www.finlandia.hel.fi). This is a giant white marble concert space that clings to the edge of a city-centre lake. Across in Artek, the shop he co-founded at 18 Etelaesplanadi (00 358 961 325 277; www.artek.fi, it's the chairs and vases that modern-day visitors come to look at and buy.

More interesting still is Aalto's own house, on the outskirts of the Finnish capital at 20 Riihitie (00 358 948 0123). A domestic-sized version of his grander public commissions, it's filled with the kind of furniture and fittings that make you realise exactly where Habitat's design team look for inspiration. The house is normally open from 2pm to 6pm daily, except Mondays, with tours on the hour. Admission is a steep €10 (£6.60) for adults, or €2 (£1.30) for students.

If you're a true fan you might want to head north, to Jyvaskyla in the Finnish Lake District, to visit the Alvar Aalto museum (7 Alvar Aalto Katu, 00 358 14 624 809, www.jkl.fi/aalto/museum). Even if you're not a fan, it's worth making the trip to visit the world's biggest wood-smoke sauna at the Rauhalahti spa hotel and hostel in nearby Kuopio (8 Katiskaniementie, 00 358 1747 3473; www.rauhalahti.com). Entrance €10 (£6.40). It is big enough for you and 99 friends. Call first, though; because it takes 24 hours to heat up, and is expensive to run.

Take me back to the city

If you are determined to find some souvenirs, head back to the Esplanadi – two boulevards in the centre of Helsinki. Marimekko (2 Pohjoisesplanadi, 00 358 962 22317; www.marimekko.com), a fashion label famed for its distinctive, brightly patterned fabrics is a major draw (Jackie Onassis was a fan of their clothes); another is the kitchenware store Designor (25 Pohjoisesplanadi, 00 358 2043 93501), which stocks the three big Finnish names: Iittala, Hackman and Arabia. Another good bet for quirky presents is Design Forum Finland (3 Mannerheiminaukio, 00 358 962 9621, www.designforum.fi).

If you are not too laden by this stage, walk on to Uudenmaankatu, Helsinki's equivalent to trendy Shoreditch in London. Here, you can go on a spree at the designer clothes store Ivana Helsinki (15 Uudenmaankatu, 00 358 9622 4422; www.ivanahelsinki.com). Afterwards, sit back and recover with a cool Lapin Kulta beer or a warm glass of glogg at nearby Cafe Liekki (11 Uudenmaankatu, 00 358 9278 5903) or stroll on further to Sea Horse, about 10 minutes walk away (11 Kapteenikatu, 00 358 9628 169). Not only does the decor here have the Aalto touch but this is where artistes such as Dizzy Gillespie and Pablo Neruda have at one time sat and stuffed themselves silly with pickled beetroot.

If you have any energy left, nip in for a (naked) dip at the architecturally impressive Yrjonkatu Swimming Hall (21b Yrjonkatu, 00 358 9310 87401; entrance €4.50/£2.90). Or stop off at the Bio Rex arthouse cinema (24 Mannerheimintie, 00 358 9611 300). Even if you don't watch a film, at least stay to admire the spangly 1930s decor.

That sounds a bit trendy

Then head to Norway. Like the rest of Scandinavia, it has a spectrum of European architectural and design styles from monumental 19th-century buildings to soaring, modern towers of glass, steel and wood. But if you are interested in the region's distinct design roots, Norway is the easiest place to access Scandinavia's folk heritage.

The best place to get up to speed is the Norwegian Folk Museum in Oslo (10 Museumsveien, 00 47 2212 3700, www.norskfolke.museum.no). It has everything from quilted bedspreads to painted furniture, all in the telltale colours and patterns that crop up throughout Scandinavia. Among the collection of reconstructed traditional buildings outside, look out for the stave church, one of only 29 left in the country today. Stave churches are easily identifiable by the way that they were built with vertical rather than horizontal timbers.

Any great danes?

Of course. Denmark has spawned such design greats as Poul Henningsen and Arne Jacobsen – whose buildings include St Catherine's College in Oxford, as well as the SAS Royal Hotel in Copenhagen (1 Hammerichgade, 00 45 3815 6500; www.radissonsas.com). You could buy one of Jacobsen's chairs and mock up your own re-enactment of the Christine Keeler pose at the Rud Rasmussen furniture shop (45 Norrebrogade, 00 45 3539 6233; www.rudrasmussen.dk). This is also a good place to search for items by Hans J Wegner or Kaare Klint. For more contemporary furniture, head to Paustian (2 Kalkbraenderilobskaj, 00 45 3916 6500; www.paustian.dk). The store was designed by Jorn Utzon, who also drew up the Sydney Opera House.

Outside the capital, Holmegaard Glassworks (00 45 3814 4848) in Naestved offers free, one-hour factory tours. The Royal Copenhagen porcelain factory (00 45 3814 9297, www.royalcopenhagen.com) in Frederiksberg also welcomes visitors, though here you have to pay DKr40 (£3.45). If you want to do your shopping all on one street, you'll find stylish products from these companies as well as Denmark's famous Georg Jensen silverware and a branch of Illums Bolighus designer department store next to each other between 4-10 Amagertorv in Copenhagen (00 45 3313 7181, www.royalshopping.com).

When should I go?

Any time is a good time, if you can cope with the winter cold or the summer insects. There are plenty of design-oriented events taking place this year, and two of the best kick off shortly. From 31 January to 2 February, the Copenhagen Modernism Show offers furniture, photography and art under one roof in Frederiksberg (00 45 3247 2000, www.copenhagenmodernism.com). And from 5 to 9 February, the Stockholm Furniture Fair takes place in Alvsjo (00 46 8749 4100, www.stockholmfurniturefair.com).

How do I get there?

The main airlines from the UK to Scandinavia are British Airways (0845 77 333 77; www.ba.com); Finnair (0870 241 4411; www.finnair.com); SAS (08706 072 7727; www.scandinavian.net); Maersk Air (020-7333 0066, www.maersk-air.com); and Ryanair (0871 246 0000, www.ryanair.com). If you book well in advance you can find return fares from £80.

The only direct ferry links to Scandinavia are offered by DFDS Seaways (08705 333 111, www.dfdsseaways.co.uk), with routes from Newcastle to Kristiansand in Norway and Gothenburg in Sweden, and from Harwich to Esbjerg in Denmark. Fares between Newcastle and Kristiansand currently start at £102 for a car plus £161 each per adult, if you book well in advance. Once you're in Scandinavia, Stena Line (08705 707070, www.stenaline.co.uk) offers routes from Denmark to Sweden and Norway.

If you prefer to travel on an organised tour, plenty of companies offer trips to Scandinavia, including: Bridge Travel Service (0870 727 5786, www.scan-travel.co.uk), Norvista (0870 744 7315, www.norvista.co.uk), Scantours (020-7839 2927, www.scantours.co.uk) and Travelscene (020-8424 9648, www.travelscene.co.uk).

Where can I find out more?

Tourist boards: Denmark, 020-7259 5959, www.visitdenmark.com; Finland, 020-7365 2512, www.finland-tourism.com; Norway, 0906 302 2003, www.visitnorway.com; and Sweden, 00800 3080 3080; www.visit-sweden.com.

Stay with the in crowd

Stylish places to lay your head

Palace Hotel

10 Etelaranta, Helsinki, Finland (00 358 913 4561, www.palacehotel.fi)

Designed by Alvar Aalto for the 1952 Olympics, it's been only slightly revamped since then. Rooms from €230 (£147).

Hotel Alexandra

8 HC Andersens Boulevard, Copenhagen, Denmark (00 45 3374 4444, www.hotelalexandra.dk)

Incorporating the best of both old and new Danish design, it was built as swish apartments but has been operating as a hotel for almost 100 years. Rooms from DKr1,095 (£94).

Imperial Hotel

9 Vester Farimagsgade, Copenhagen, Denmark (00 45 3312 8000; www.imperialhotel.dk)

Everything a modern design hotel should be: bright, innovative and comfortable but in an understated, Scandinavian way. Doubles from DKr995 (£86).

Hotel Birger Jarl

8 Tulegatan, Stockholm, Sweden (00 46 8674 1800; www.birgerjarl.se)

A dozen of the hotel's 240 rooms have been designed by Sweden's best known designers, including Tomas Sandell and Jonas Bohlin. Rooms from SKr990 (£71).

Ice Hotel

Jukkasjarvi, Sweden (00 46 9806 6800; www.icehotel.com)

Built each year with ice from the frozen Torne river and melted down by the sun again each May. You sleep surprisingly well on icy beds softened with reindeer skins. Rooms from SKr2,490 (£178).

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