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+ Aloe vera plant
+ Fiddle leaf fig tree
More than just a plant
For many people, plants are more than just a bit of greenery – they’re a living friend. I’m a little embarrassed to admit that some of our plants have names, and according to friends I’m not alone. Our most treasured plant started life as a cutting from one of my grandfather-in-law’s shrubs. Sadly, he’s long since gone, but the plant lives on in his memory.
Why not get a cutting from a friend’s or relative’s plant, or give one as a present to mark an occasion? Not only is it free but it’ll also hold special memories. You never know, it might live on for generations to come!
Lauren Mancke/Unsplash
Keeping it simple
Instead of displaying a huge bouquet, think about placing a single flower in a vase. You’ll more easily be able to admire its delicate shape and colour.
Think outside the vase
Having a get-together? How about giving the wall a natural touch by sticking on blooms from your garden? It creates an instant seasonal display.
Or, for something more permanent, pick a selection of your favourite leaves and place them inside double-sided glass frames. These look beautiful on the wall or arranged along a windowsill.
‘Sometimes a single, modest bloom can say more than an entire bouquet.’
Ilkka Suppanen, Finnish designer at be&liv
THREE CREATIVE WAYS
TO TURN NATURE INTO MEMORIES
It’s wonderful to experience the great outdoors first hand, but if you’re stuck inside you can still reap the benefits. A study led by VU University Medical Center in the Netherlands found that simply viewing images of nature reduces our stress levels.3
These lovely ideas below not only help to combat stress (if the study is anything to go by) but also take us back in time to a magical place where we felt happy and relaxed:
+ Create a gallery wall using a montage of photographs of sunsets you’ve enjoyed on holiday. Make sure each one is labelled with the place and date to jolt your memory and transport you back in time.
+ Love to surf, paddleboard or simply chill on the beach? Why not bring back a small sample of sand, put it into a glass bottle and mark it with the name of the beach? The different colour sands make a pretty display and serve as a wonderful reminder of carefree days at the water’s edge.
+ Put up a picture of a landscape that you love – a seascape from your childhood, fields at harvest time or a forest you enjoy going to at the weekends.
LET THERE BE LIGHT!
Living in a country as famous for its midnight sun as its long, dark winters, it’s little wonder the Swedes are obsessed with light. Whereas warmer countries design homes around shade, Scandinavian architecture and decor focus on maximizing light and drawing it inside.
Windows are left unobscured, and curtains are often sheer so as to slip in as much natural light as possible. White or pale grey walls help light to bounce around the home. And it seems the Swedes are on to something. A slew of studies has shown that access to natural light can help reduce depression,4 aid recovery, increase job satisfaction and enhance performance. So let the sunshine in!
Let there be darkness, too!
With all this natural light streaming in through the windows 24 hours a day in summer, you might wonder how Swedes get any sleep at all. But look closely at any window and you’ll usually see a tightly rolled blackout blind, ready to be unfurled at night (desperate for light they may be, but Swedes would never deprive themselves of all-important sleep!).
Christophe Morr/Unsplash
Lighting-up time
Walk around a Swedish town at night and you’ll notice restaurants, cafés and people’s homes lit with a lovely warm glow, which is as inviting as it is flattering to the eye and soothing to the soul. Swedes’ innate ability to light a home with a soft, golden hue takes time and dedication, but there are a few shortcuts you can take. If you’re looking to dial down the lighting in your home – or are entertaining a Swede anytime soon (get it wrong and they’ll wince and grimace like a bear waking up after winter) – there are simple steps you can take. We’re focusing on ambient or mood lighting, designed to create a warm and inviting atmosphere. Candlelight is akin to 1,500 K (kelvin) and overcast daylight is around 7,000 K, so you’re looking at a 2,700 K light bulb to achieve a warm tone similar to the beautiful, flattering golden light you find at sunrise.
The good news is most LED light-bulb packaging is marked with a colour temperature chart, where reddish-yellow light suggests soft, ambient lighting and blue indicates a colder, more intense light used for specific tasks.
Once you’ve got your light bulbs down to a tee, here’s the trick: keep upper walls relatively dark and then use low, soft ambient lighting in strategic places. Or go a step further and hide the ambient lighting so there’s no visible source, yet the lower walls and corners of the room are still lit in soft, warm light, to create an intimate feel with a touch of mystery.
Colour temperatures on the kelvin scale
Practical lighting
Don’t forget that Swedes are highly practical, too. It’s therefore important that a room’s lighting is adequate for all tasks. Think carefully about the way each section of the room will be used and ensure the correct blend of task, overhead and ambient lighting. Exchanging static switches for dimmers5 is a great way to use the same light for more than one purpose. Dial down the intensity for mood lighting, or ramp it up for tasks that require something more intense, like reading.
Candlelight
Who doesn’t love the romantic glow of a flickering candle? This soft, warm light is neither too dark nor eye-glaringly bright and perfectly highlights the contours of a face. It’s little wonder that candlelight is used in restaurants or on special occasions all over the world.
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