From Hygge… To Lagom! 2017’s Hottest Trend

If 2016 was all about Hygge… it looks like this year will be all about Lagom! But what is it? We’re on the case…

Last year we were all whipped up into a frenzy by the Danish super-trend of Hygge – which basically involved us all trying to slow things down and make everything as cosy as possible. Think cups of hot coffee, warming fires, cuddly blankets and good times with friends.

And while Hygge is still something a lot of us can identify with and strive for, it looks like it will be all about another Scandinavian buzzword in 2017. This year, we’ll be aiming for a bit more Swedish Lagom!
Lagom roughly translated means “not too little, not too much, just right” and it’s a concept that goes hand-in-hand with Sweden’s reputation for pleasant minimalism and a generally less complicated life.

“In a world where we now have access to anything any time, lagom represents a welcome antidote,” Dr Jessamy Hibberd tells The Telegraph. “Lagom is a break from the business or constantly checking our phone, driving forward and being ‘on’. Time to unplug and switch off is so important for us, for our well-being, our relationships and our creativity.”

“Whether you are looking at flooring, lighting, heat or choosing taps – there are plenty of products around to help you live the lagom way with a focus on sustainability”, Sarah Ward from InteriorsBySarahWard told the Daily Mail.
But how do you get a little more Lagom in your life? And what exactly does Lagom actually look like?

Here are ten tips to help you get started:

Strip things back to be functional (but still beautiful). Lagom is definitely not about ‘fussiness’

The simpler you can make your living environment, the better. Do you really need two sofas, bookshelves full to the brim with books you never read and magazines that are two years old? Cut back so you can let your favourite possessions really shine.

Incorporate multi-functional rooms and objects in your life – it’s all about being economic with your space!

Lagom is about making things simpler, so try to keep this in mind when planning out your living space. If your living room can double-up as a work area when you need a desk to sit at, then perfect. If you can mount your bike up on the wall out of the way, even better!

Keep your decor simple but warm – you want to avoid anything opulent or ‘over-the-top’. Bringing in natural light is key!

Just because lagom teaches about keeping things simple and stripped back doesn’t mean your home needs to be cold, quite the opposite! Use natural light, warm and neutral colours and minimal but comfortable soft furnishings to create your calm space.

Planning out your meals (or meal-prep as the kids call it) is a very Lagom thing to do. It stops you having to worry about what you’ll be eating all week!

It can be really therapeutic to know you have several days worth of meals all made up in the fridge ready for when you need them, and by buying and cooking in bulk you’re less likely to waste food that you would otherwise have bought ad-hoc throughout the week.

Along the same lines, keep your home super-organised – starting with your fridge!

If your fridge is usually a mess of out-of-date items, forgotten leftovers and the like, have a big clear-out and do everything you can to keep it organised. This way you’ll waste less food and you’ll be able to enjoy your time in the kitchen even more.

When picking your furniture, choose items made from renewable sources of wood – like bamboo. One of the key philosophies of lagom is sustainability!

It’s worth looking into where exactly your furniture comes from, especially if you want to make an ethical choice about your purchases. Bamboo comes with the lagom seal of approval!

On top of this – if you can pick out furniture that’s been up-cycled and restored from a previous use, all the better for your lagom aesthetic!

Check websites like Gumtree, Freecycle and other similar brands for items in your local area going cheap or even free, that you can then ‘upcycle’ into a beautiful new piece of furniture for your home. Not only will you feel good about recycling something otherwise unwanted, but you’ll have a unique item none of your friends will have!

If you can spare the space then experiment with growing some of your own food. A simple way to do this is to create a window box of herbs you regularly cook with

Bringing nature inside and to the forefront is a big part of the lagom aesthetic. You may not have the space for a full-blown vegetable patch but we’re pretty sure  you can pop a few pots of herbs along the window ledge – and you’ll save money not having to pick these up at the supermarket.

 If you’re truly serious about being good to the environment then one of the ultimate Lagom accessories is giving your home solar panels to help cut down on those nasty electricity bills

It’s perhaps not something to invest in off-the-cull, but do a bit of research and you may find the rewards outweigh the effort of having them fitted. Do it for the planet!

 And finally… declutter every room. The less things you have out and on show in your home, the more the items left on display will shine and add to the ambiance. With lagom, less is definitely more!

Go room-by-room and sell, give away or toss anything you haven’t used in years and are unlikely to use again. You’ll end up with so much more space in your home and you’ll hardly miss anything you’ve gotten rid of. Trust us!

Now go get some lagom in your life!