Home improvements: Balance is the key

In 2016, “hygge” (pronounced hue-ugh, which translates as cosiness in English) was the Scandi home trend burning up everyone’s social media feeds. Now there’s a new trend: “lagom”, which translates as “just right, not too much or too little”.

Finding balance is key to this concept. It infuses all aspects of life, from attitudes to health and exercise to socialising, and dates back to the Viking era, when bowls of food and drink were passed around the table for everyone to share.

To embrace lagom in your home, conserve energy, use sustainable materials, think about form and function, and take a more minimalist approach – clean white palettes, worn wooden accents and natural textures. Reusing and reclaiming old items is another way to add a little lagom to your home. For dining-room seating, why not buy an old wooden set second-hand – revamp it with a bit of sanding and a touch of chalk paint. It will give your home an organic, characterful and overtly Scandinavian aesthetic. Perhaps even try reupholstering.

Courtesy of The Rug Seller, www.therugseller.co.uk