Style Spotlight: 4 Secrets of Beautifully ‘Lagom’ Spaces

At FibreGuard, we invite you to take a step back from the rampant cycle of endless consumption, to invest in well-made items that last. We strive to live with less, but better, both in our own daily lives and in the fabrics we produce.

Investing in higher-quality products that last longer and still look and feel utterly divine is at the heart of everything we do at FibreGuard.

Enter lagom.

In this post, we’ll be looking at how you can wield this small but mighty mindset-shift in order to bring a calm, high-grade lustre to your interior design projects.

We guide you through the key concepts of lagom through looking at:

• busyness as a choice (in life as in interior décor)
• modern minimalism and authentic design
• calming colour palettes that even maximalists can’t help but love
• working with natural textures and organic forms
• a shout out to the fiddle leaf fig tree

Yes, like its Danish cousin hygge, we can thank Scandinavia for lagom. Lagom is a lifestyle choice that has blossomed at the centre of many facets of life, from food and cooking, to design itself, interior décor, technology consumption and the work floor.

So what is it exactly?

Pronounced LAH-gum, lagom is a version of mindfulness that is all about practicing moderation, about stopping when you have enough. Lagom comes from the Swedish phrase 'lagom är bäst' and roughly translates to “not too little, not too much” or "just enough," and is driven by the art of slow living, self-care, and even a hint of stoic philosophy.

We’ve touched on intentional design and, well, at least thinking like a minimalist on this blog before, but today is our first deep dive into reaping the benefits of an enjoyable life and peaceful interiors by investing in resilient, gorgeous design.

Busyness is a choice, in both life and decorating

You’ll breathe a sigh of relief to read that lagom is not a philosophy of perfection. The rigid rules of this way of thinking won’t overwhelm you in their exactness. There’s enough overwhelm in daily life, right? Why have it in your interior décor?

Lagom, thankfully, is more about authenticity. It’s about making considered, informed choices.

By concentrating on the act of choice, lagom leads you towards designing a space to fit the unique needs of the people who will be using it. It also helps you play close attention to the architectural building itself that you’re working within.

This might sound basic, but the interior design industry is too-often caught up with trends and fads, sometimes forgetting that people will be using the rooms it has put together.

This post is a reminder to keep things simple.

At FibreGuard we’re all about beautiful design using high-quality materials, and keeping things simple. Life is complicated but living doesn’t have to be

Modern minimalist design, but softer

Focusing on the function of a space, such as a sleeping or dining area, means eliminating the unnecessary from it. This is especially true of public spaces such as hospitality settings or healthcare facilities. It’s easier to focus on the function of a space through carefully curating your pieces and style, aiming for a gentler form of minimalism than is, perhaps, the norm.

There’s no ruthlessness allowed here in lagom-land.

Modern minimalism takes a leaf from the lagom book in the sense that it is also focused on making better choices – in life as in décor – through careful consideration before buying anything. It is a way of thinking centred on rejecting fast fashion, opting instead for the best quality, most durable piece you can afford.

Perhaps that’s why, along with the saying “they don’t make things like they used to”, older, handcrafted pieces (such as wood pieces of mid-century modern furniture) are more popular than ever.

How do we reflect this?

We have looked long and hard at our own fabrics and production processes. We are always working to surpass expectations – both yours and our own.

This is why all FibreGuard fabrics undergo numerous textile tests in independent laboratories to ensure that they are all extremely durable, reliable, and of consistent high quality. More importantly, such extensive testing is carried out to certify our fabrics as surpassing worldwide standards, regardless of the market they’re being used in.

Calming colour palettes that even maximalists will love

Lagom, like the art of slow living, is reflected in our fabrics through some of our favourite, go-to colour palettes.

Infusing interior spaces with natural light creates a sense of calm composition, especially if you also layer organic colourways in beige, wood, and white shades throughout (seen throughout the pictures in this blog post).

Let the white tones amplify the daylight, adjusting the warmth and peaceful atmosphere of the room through curating the shades you choose. Natural wooden floors, or whitewashed surfaces, tie the look together.

Natural materials, textures, elements will bring your space to life

Speaking of conjuring up that natural feel, a sure way to bring the wow-factor to an interior is through incorporating natural materials and textures into your interior design look book. Working with organic shapes and low-key patterns gives an interior space the extra oomph it needs under the neutral-tone colour palettes.

Related read: A more natural approach: An introduction to organic certification >

Not only are these organic elements often tougher and longer-lasting than plastic counterparts, they’re gentle on the environment too. A quick tip for ramping up the lagom vibes in a tight space or under time-constraints is to work with plants.

It’s pretty clear by now that introducing leafy plants and greenery into an interior really influences the feelings of the people using it. In addition, they help clean the air as well as affecting wellbeing in a positive way.

Lagom to the max.

With wellbeing and clear air at the forefront of everyone’s agenda these days, houseplants are becoming a culture in and of themselves.

If you need a place to start, we personally adore the fiddle-leaf fig tree, aka the “it” houseplant of the past few years. (#fiddleleaffig is still dominating social media (with 176,295 uploads on Instagram as of today).

Lasting quality means making better choices

We hope you’ve enjoyed our quick guide to a better life and more relaxed interior space. Why not let a little lagom into your interior design journey? You might be surprised with how it makes a space feel.