Iconic Scandinavian Design - Ikea et al

Last night I finished what a good friend started, and we are now sleeping on a bed frame for the first time in 12 years! We finally decided that enough was enough and bought an Ikea flat pack bed frame and headboard and our bedroom looks 'finished'.

While I was putting together the drawers (my good friend spent 3 hours constructing the vast bulk of the frame) I thought about the week we spent in Sweden and how much I enjoyed looking at the decorative arts of the lived in spaces. From tea towls, to chairs, to bicycles, they all had a cultural stamp that made me perk up. I wish I'd spent more time at Lund's Kulturen museum investigating the nooks and crannies. What makes Scandinavian design iconic? Bold, saturated colours, graphic florals, birds, white and blonde wood, wool!