Simply Scandinavian

Portland, United States

4.6

Closed now

10 reviews

Accepts Credit Cards

Contacts

QR code, vCard

Telephone:
+1 207-874-6768
Website:
www.simplyscandinavian.com
Address:
19 Temple St, Portland, ME, 04101
Old Port
Nearby public transportation stops & stations:
1.7 miPortland
Categories:
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Bussiness info

Accepts Credit Cards
Yes
Parking
Garage, Street, Validated
Bike Parking
Yes
Wheelchair Accessible
Yes

Today

Today 11:00 am – 5:00 pm
Closed now
Local time (Portland) 18:11 Saturday, 21 June 2025

Business hours

Monday –
Tuesday 11:00 am – 5:00 pm
Wednesday 11:00 am – 5:00 pm
Thursday 11:00 am – 5:00 pm
Friday 11:00 am – 5:00 pm
Saturday 11:00 am – 5:00 pm
Sunday –

Description

Specialties

Just about EVERYTHING (just kidding) from Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Finland and Iceland. Tabletop, foods, crystal, candy, apparel, linen, jewelry, stemware, footwear, art, books, music, flags, candles, mobiles, flatware, home décor, toys, handicrafts from names like: Orrefors, Maribou, Kosta Boda, iittala, Dale of Norway, Läkerol, Marimekko, Leksands, Stokke, Abba, Baby Björn, Helly Hansen, Stelton, Design House Stockholm, Ekelund, Freia and so much more.

History

Established in 1998.

Tomas, AKA Sven, being a native Mainer, whose roots being Swedish/​Norwegian on the mother’s side and Scottish/​English Canadian on the father’s side, felt that Northern New England was in need of a unique Scandinavian import business. Growing up in the countryside of Northern Maine (New Sweden, Stockholm, Westmanland, Woodland and Caribou) helped due to exposure to strong work ethics and rich cultural background. Having worked the potato harvest for 11 seasons, then onto retail sales helped planted the seed, so to speak. Furthering an education in business, that coupled with 20 solid years of work experience in retail sales, banking and investments, along with employee benefits made ‘slinging lingon’ a true reality.

Meet the Business Owner

Thomas G.

Business Owner

Swedish/​Norwegian/​Scottish/​English/​Canadian Heritage

Creative Fiber Artisan

Innovative Interior Design Sense

Passionate for his and other’s cultural differences.

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Nearby

Near this location:
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10 reviews of Simply Scandinavian

No registration required
Place rating: 5
Jacksonville, FL
A great store that lives up to its name. The man in the store (I believe the owner) was very helpful and knowledgable about what he was selling. He also provided his card in case could provide assistance from afar.
Place rating: 5
Brooklyn, NY
Awesome store in a great location! Fun to stop in whenever I’m downtown to see what new wares have hit the shelves, always something new and lovely.
The owner is sweet and very knowledgable about his products and proud of their craftsmanship and quality.
I usually leave with at least something for my home (hello gorgeous table runner and stunning China!), a yummy treat and good luck getting me out of the childrens section. It’s all adorable and so well made. Love hearing about it all from the owner, truly a delightful experience. Something for everyone!
Place rating: 5
South Portland, ME
The owner is a smartly-​dressed man with funky, dark-​rimmed glasses, blond hair, and bright blue eyes. Very scandinavian, of course. I believe he actually co-​owns the place with his wife, but I haven’t met her.
The wall of windows that serve as the front of the store provides a bounty of natural light for the place. Paired with the very high ceilings, it has a great wonderful openness and sense of space to it.
The products range from crafts, including some high-​end items, to clothing, books, kitchenware, and authentic Scandinavian food items. There’s even a loft up a set of stairs with child and baby items made by Scandinavian companies.
Last time I visited I ended up buying a great Finnish children’s book for my toddler based on the character Moomin. I had never heard of Moomin before, and the owner took a great deal of timing discussing the author, as well as other Scandinavian authors and the books their books. I always, always appreciate it when people in stores are this knowledgable and willing to share their knowledge with me.
All in all Simply Scandinavian is a pleasure. It’s clear that this store has been created and curated with care.
Stop in and say «hej»!
Place rating: 5
Wakefield, MA
Absolutely the best Scandinavian store I have been in! An awesome selection of treats, jewelry, baby items, and household items. The prices were not bad at all. Trust me, some stores really up their prices way beyond what it costs to import the item and make a profit. Not this store. The owner was extremely friendly and really chatted with us and made us feel like old friends. My friend is from Norway so naturally they had a lot to chat about! I purchased a beautiful felt heart pendant from Sweden, and we bought some candy. Later, I decided I wanted to purchase a similar item but in pin form for my mother and when I emailed Thomas (the owner), he was very helpful and was actually able to send me a photo of all the felt jewelery and work with me to take an order for me and an order for my mother (shipped separately). Awesome customer service. I can’t wait to visit Portland again and stop in, and I definitely recommend it!
Place rating: 4
Providence, RI
I stepped into this store with a friend on a recent trip to Portland and was delighted with the variety of products and prices available in such a small shop. There was literally something for everyone, from stationery to food stuffs. They have a few Baby Bjorn items which, of course, are expensive, but they also have hard-​to-​get items like Swedish lanolin facial soap for a very reasonable price.
Their displays are gorgeous, and the store is sleek and well-​kept, very modern, very Scandinavian.
Place rating: 4
Boston, MA
very cool Scandinavian design at a fair price (i checked some items on Amazon afterwards, and they were only a few dollars more — which is reasonable tradeoff for the «have it now» factor.
The friendly owner was no pressure, and has a good range from Ittalla tableware, vases and candle holders, to clothes and other trinkets, all designed with the Scandinavian minimalism.
Think IKEA, but better made.
Place rating: 4
Boston, MA
I really like this place. So many Scandinavian delights to peruse! This store is affirmation that the Nordic people have superior design senisibilities. It must be because they have nothing to do for 9 months a year and are trapped indoors.
Regardless, this place is a gem. Great selection of gifty merchandise: Orrefors, Kosta Boda, Iittala, etc… The only reason this place didn’t earn the coveted fifth star is that I would have loved to have seen some of the Scandinavian foods here as well. Even if just a small section, it would be nice. As an out of towner with no car, going to the food store is out of the question.
Otherwise, this place is pretty great for cool Scandinavian stuff.
Place rating: 5
New York, NY
Wonderful little shop, especially well suited for finding a gift for a new mom/​good spot for finding a unique housewarming gift.
Really friendly owner (plus 2 ADORABLE dachshunds!)
Place rating: 5
Greenwich, CT
Run by the same operation as Simply Scandinavian Foods, this shop focuses mostly on clothing, crystal, furniture, etc.
Growing up with a Swedish family has taught me many things… Bilar tastes like styrofoam packing peanuts, but you can’t stop eating them, Santa Lucia somehow made it through the years without setting her hair on fire, Julmust is gross, and Kosta Boda makes some of the prettiest crystal I’ve ever seen.
Not only does this store carry a lot of the things that I grew up around, it is also run by a really nice guy and his two liten rod hunds (dachshunds), Anders and Anna. That’s an additional 10pts right there.
Place rating: 4
Brooklyn, NY
A great place to snag all types of Nordic goodies — everything from dolls to greeting cards to candies. My favorite find? The cologne regally entitled «Power of Norway.» Now that is pretty badass, smelling like a country! The owner of the shop is all smiles and introduces herself to customers as they browse. Overall a nice shopping experience.