A guest bedroom wall-art update with NØRDIK

[Advertisement – this is a paid collaboration with NØRDIK, but all words and opinions are my own]

I’m very aware that I have quite a few readers in North America who love Nordic design as much as I do, but who often struggle to find brands that will deliver across the Atlantic. So, today I want to introduce you to US-based Scandinavian lifestyle store NØRDIK (don’t worry, European readers, they can ship to you too!).

NØRDIK was founded last year by former humanitarian worker Annika Caldwell, who was born in Sweden and raised in Finland. She decided to set up a business combining her two passions – sustainability and design – after settling in the US with her American husband. The result is a bricks-and-mortar store in Reno, Nevada, as well as an online shop selling a beautifully curated range of home accessories, textiles, tableware and gifts from the likes of Iittala, Ekelund and Lapuan Kankurit. All are chosen for their responsible approach and timeless qualities, and are intended to be passed down through the generations rather than being thrown away and replaced. In fact many of the pieces stocked are items which Annika has in her own home and which have survived multiple international moves, so she can attest to their durability!

NØRDIK is also one of the few North American stockists of up-and-coming Finnish artist Teemu Järvi, whose work Annika discovered at Helsinki Design Week. Inspired by the wilderness, his beautiful monochrome illustrations depict flora and fauna, from hares, fox cubs and seals to trees and flowers. They have a wonderful sense of movement and fluidity about them, and are printed on environmentally friendly, FSC-certified paper.

Thanks to NØRDIK, I now have Teemu Järvi’s ‘Pine Tree’ print in our guest bedroom, where I’ve created a serene, restful space that combines grey and white with warmer beige accents and lots of natural materials such as wood, paper and linen. I’ve displayed it in an oak and leather magnetic poster frame (also from NØRDIK) and hung it above the bed to form a focal point. I love the way it fits perfectly with the overall scheme and, given the positioning, I’m also pleased there’s no chunky frame that guests might bash their heads on when they sit up in bed!

As well as loving the way the print looks, I was very impressed with NØRDIK’s packaging, which is designed to be as sustainable as possible. Plastic use is minimised, and all boxes, labels, wrapping and tape are recycled and recyclable. What’s more, Annika takes part in a carbon-neutral programme to offset emissions produced by transportation and shipping, and ensures local deliveries are made with an electric vehicle. It was a joy to receive a compact parcel without any unnecessary wrapping, and I wish more companies would follow suit!

See NØRDIK’s website to view its full range – prices for the Teemu Järvi collection start at US$3.50 for a postcard and US$40 for a wall print. You can also find NØRDIK on Instagram at @nordikdesigns. 

All photography by Abi Dare