Travel Lately

I’ve been traveling a lot lately, and as always when traveling, I love to delve into the design aesthetic of the places I visit through local shops, restaurants and cafes, hotels, and architecture. Both of these countries were firsts for me, and both Northern countries and islands, which geographically speaking, influence their design aesthetic and availability of materials. Weather and lighting also play a huge role in their design choices and color schemes, particularly in the harder winter months. (I’ve recently finished reading a fascinating book on this concept of enduring winter and tougher times by Katherine May called “Wintering.” But I digress… ) Both countries I visited have a strong tweed culture, with sheep and rams dotting the countryside and strong wool industries influencing materials and food supply, and one country has health and wellness at it’s heart. Have you guessed where I’ve been?

Iceland and Scotland: they are many similarities, like tweed, lamb as a main source of meat and Vikings inhabiting both islands, but this is where the commonalities end. The Vikings brought their horses to Iceland, which remain a pure horse breed to this day and a very strong part of their aesthetic and way of life. Also, the language of Icelandic is essentially the Old Norse tongue, another gift from the Vikings. But unlike Scotland, there are very few architectural remains to be seen in Iceland. Most of the fascinations can be found in natural curiosities, like volcanoes, natural thermal springs, lava fields, Eurasian tectonic plates, and the Icelandic horses, which I am convinced influence the color palette.

In terms of design, you see nature influencing available products. As you can imagine, there are many lifestyle brands that promote Icelandic goods from Icelandic wool sweaters, tweeds, leather goods, sheepskins, lava accessories, as well as skincare. Iceland has a huge wellness movement with the lagoons, but also skincare products made from icelandic moss, lava salt, muds, thermal waters, wool woven onto soap for exfoliation, and a lifestyle that embraces being outside, whether that is through hiking, Icelandic horseback riding and farming and enjoying the thermal baths.

This, in concert with the Nordic influence, bring a subdued color palette and nature infused design. Though I did not have time to explore it, ceramics and pottery seem to have a strong presence in many shops and galleries. Most were very organic in shape and nature, giving them a raw quality not as celebrated in other parts of the world, but perhaps they are on to something in Iceland. Many crafted goods were enhanced with pieces of lava as the intrigue.

In terms of architecture and interiors, again you don’t have to look far to see the color palette drawn from the surrounding landscapes, and the raw materials which are in abundance as the inspiration and main feature. The local architecture, mostly newly built for the tourism industry, shows an appreciation for the land and natural materials. Many lagoons are formed naturally, with little enhancement of manmade structure. Take for example this incredible hike in Olfus, a 45 minute drive from Reykjavik. We hiked 1.5 hours straight uphill against the wind and then changed into our swimsuits to soak in the thermal stream at the top, while watching sheep graze along the stream! But this is not a well kept secret. By the time we left the stream, large groups of people were arriving and you would be pressed to find a pool to yourself. So start early!

At the base of the hike is a brand new visitation center complete with a shop and cafe. Icelandic style is similar to Scandinavian with the presence of warm woods and neutral colors, but I feel there is an added warmth to it. In this structure, the outside of the building was made of black painted lumber, somewhat blending into the landscape. I have no idea where they get the wood from, because you hardly see any tree growth on the island, as it is mostly covered in volcanic rocks and brush, or low lying hardy shrubs that can stand up to the wind that almost always seems to be present.

Inside the cafe, and many other buildings I entered, you were greeted with warm wood floors, stone of some kind, timber tresses, and sheepskins as well as tweeds everywhere. I have some examples below from Blue Lagoon, a cafe in Reykjavik, and around Iceland. You can see directly the color influence: lots of black lava equates to black walls and floors, lava as building material and sconce, and definitely the color palettes of the icelandic horses and surrounding landscape.

I thought it would be fun to put side by side, a bathroom “flower” arrangement with the colors of the landscape:

Here you have grays and browns in the wood and bark, as well as brush and sky, the warm wood tones, and the element of nature and growth.

Similar color palettes here on the exterior of buildings.

Again, the color palette: gray from the stone and earth, warmth of wood and brown, blue from sky and water, seen here in the accessories on the table, and often a green embellishment on the table surface, but not always. It is beautiful and soothing, clean and warm at the same time. Imagine the blue lagoon restaurant with a sheepskin pillow, and a green arrangment for the table. Very Scandi but with something else added to it.