What makes a Simply Scandi home tour?

Ever wondered what it takes for a home to make the Simply Scandi cut? Editor Jen shares all…

“Choosing the homes for Simply Scandi is one of my favourite parts of editing the magazine,” says Jen. “I get to see so many great spaces… all with that all-important sprinkle of Scandi.”

Jen has over 24 years’ experience in interiors magazines, having worked alongside leading interiors photographers to style and write homes, and art direct shoots. “I’ve lost count of the number of homes and locations I’ve been to,” says Jen, “it must be upwards of 500! But the homes that have stuck in my memory, the ones that have inspired my own styling, all had a big dose of Scandi.”

And of course, seeing so many lovely homes can have one major drawback: “It’s best described as ‘house envy’,” laughs Jen. “Sometimes, after shooting a beautiful home, I’d go back to my house at the time (which was a project and far from complete), and I would be in such a mood. Luckily, when I saw the images from the shoot, I’d get excited again, and I couldn’t wait to write up the story and see the layout complete.”

So what makes a Simply Scandi home?

“I’m drawn towards calm, welcoming Scandi homes, full of hygge and warmth,” says Jen. “And of course they have to inspire me – this can be through a clever use of space, the way designer buys and flea market finds live alongside each other, how a house changes with the seasons, or something much more surprising – like Josefin's Danish summer cottage that’s so typically ‘Scandi summerhouse style’ on the outside, yet bold and colourful on the inside. We often associate Scandi style with those soft, muted colours and plenty of white, so when I see something the opposite, I think “yes” I need to show that in the magazine.”

With three homes each issue, Jen and the team love to show a range of Scandi styles. “I love that Scandi style can go in any direction: from contemporary to traditional, natural to industrial, rustic to boho, and anywhere in between,” says Jen. “Over the many years I’ve worked as an interiors editor, Scandi always shows up as a key trend at press shows each season, just with a slightly different bow on it.”

From selection to magazine, what happens?

Once Jen has made her homes shortlist, working with some of the best Scandi picture agencies, it’s over to Art Director Jo Craig to look at cover options. “When it comes to covers, often it’s a gut feeling,” says Jen, “and luckily, we usually have the same favourites.”

Jo then designs the beautiful layouts (and trust us, there’s never enough homes pages on the flatplan!). “I’d have a whole magazine of just homes if I could,” says Jen, who then edits the copy into house style before Chief Sub Editor, Emily Pointer, works her magic and it’s off to press.

Is it wrong to have a favourite?

“If you asked me for my favourite home from Simply Scandi so far, then it would be Sille van Loon's Danish villa. It’s from our digital Christmas issue, which we launched before our first press edition, late 2020,” says Jen. “I just remember Jo sharing her design vision for MY MAGAZINE and seeing Sille’s home laid out – I knew then that we were creating something beautiful that readers would love."