Scandinavian Design History - Part II Between the age of the Vikings and the paradoxical modern designs of today, a beautiful and elegant period existed in Scandinavia that represented a formal yet simplistic attitude. It began in the late 1700's when the fanciful lines of the Rococo style which had been popular between 1750-1770, came out of fashion and was replaced by the restrained, yet elegant lines of the Neo-classical style which was inspired by the classical architecture of Greece and Italy. The playful curve of the cabriole leg that was synonymous with Rococo was now replaced by the slim, tapered and often channeled leg of the French Louis XVI style, but with the characteristic restraint of the Scandinavian interpretation. This restrained elegance and unpretentious charm is expressed in the character of their country furniture and the strength of their delicately proportioned formal furniture. The quality craftsmanship, simplistic elegance, use of natural materials, and thepairedd down symmetrical lines resulted in a style which became the hallmarks of antique Scandinavian designs.