table to brighten dark mornings. Or candles may supplement electric lighting on chilly evenings when the snow falls silently outside.
When the light starts to fade, why not add a few strategically placed candles to your own home to soothe the soul? Dot them around your living area, enjoy a candle-lit dinner on a regular Tuesday or simply brighten up an otherwise dark corner and feel the stresses of the day fall away.
Jovi Waqa/Unsplash
The lagom way with candlelight
Morning coffee by candlelight Some days the sun simply doesn’t want to come out (especially in the winter). At my daughter’s nursery, they often eat breakfast by candlelight – creating a calm and cosy atmosphere to start the day. Why not add a natural glow to your mornings, too? Who wouldn’t enjoy coffee by candlelight?
The art of arranging candles According to etiquette, you should use at least two candelabras or four single candles on a table. But rules are there to be broken, right? I think it’s beautiful to dot small tea lights in random formations along the entire length of a table. On warm evenings, hang jam jars with tea lights from branches to give a lovely rustic touch to dining al fresco.
Candles in unexpected places Candles don’t need to be confined to the sitting and dining rooms. Think about putting them in unusual places like by the sink in the downstairs bathroom – guests will be pleasantly surprised to powder their nose under the soft glow of a candle.
A warm welcome The next time you have a dinner party or celebration, place simple large, outdoor candles on either side of your front door for an extra warm welcome.
KEEP IT CLEAN
Whenever friends or family come to visit, they marvel at how spotless Swedish homes are. There’s rarely a speck of dust, never mind a cobweb or trail of mud, in sight (my messier Swedish friends may guffaw at this, but I stand by my observation).
The art of being a domestic god or goddess in the cleaning department would require an entire chapter to itself (and given my more, shall we say, ‘relaxed’ approach, I wouldn’t be the best person to write it!). But there are two particularly ‘clean’ Scandinavian practices that have inspired me:
Look, no shoes!
If there’s one big no-no in Sweden, it’s entering a house with shoes on. Whether you’re nipping in for a cup of coffee or a formal evening reception, there are no exceptions. Arrive at a house party and you’ll see neat rows of shoes lined up at the door and people mingling in their socks.
If you think about it, it makes sense. An independent study by UK firm Rug Doctor6 took swabs from a cross-section of shoe soles and found a large number of disease-inducing bacteria, such as E. coli and salmonella, as well as traces of gut and faeces bacteria from humans and animals. Not to mention mud, grime and everyday germs.
Removing shoes is also a good way to preserve your flooring and carpets, and if you live above someone, they’ll be extremely thankful not to hear the clip-clopping of heels overhead, too!
How to banish outdoor shoes indoors
But how do you ensure that everyone leaves their shoes at the door? There are some fun ways to solve the situation.
Why not create a designated place for people to place their shoes as they come in, and put a basket of cosy slippers and thick woolly socks by the door to change into? Not only will your home stay nice and clean but your guests will feel more comfortable, too.
Out with the carpet, in with the rug
The one thing you’ll never see in a Swedish home is wall-to-wall carpet. ‘But they’re cosy,’ I lament. ‘They’re so unhygienic!’ Swedes grimace. And they do have a point.
Your best shot at keeping a carpet clean is a good vacuum cleaner or a specialist deep-cleaning agent. Rugs, on the other hand, can be beaten outside, put through the washing machine or taken to the dry-cleaner. Plus, they’re easy to move around and exchange at will – win-win!
The humble rag rug
Look around a Swedish home (particularly a rural dwelling) and you’re more than likely to come across a trasmatta, or rag rug. This traditional rug is usually handmade on a loom from scraps of worn-out clothes and old rags. You can easily find a trasmatta in the shops, but why not give your old textiles a new lease of life and create your own? They’re great fun to make, and if you don’t happen to have an old loom knocking about, you can use a crochet stitch – there are plenty of YouTube videos showing you how.
A treat for your feet
If you like having something soft underfoot but also like a clean and dust-free home, how about layering rugs to create a complete floor covering? Stick to similar tones but with different patterns to create your very own floor art.
plainpicture/Johner/Ulf Huett Nilsson
The lagom guide to soothing the soul
Sleep is nature’s way of helping us to de-clutter the mind and restore our body and soul. Without enough of it we function less effectively, damaging our health and well-being in the long run. But it’s not just a great night’s sleep that creates a balanced state of mind. While I’ve lived in Sweden, I’ve grown to appreciate that slowing down and enjoying humble activities – like relaxing in a sauna and being outdoors – allows you to to switch off, live in the moment and enjoy the small things in life. I’ve also learnt that a back-to-basics holiday, requiring little planning or budget, can be the antidote to a world that’s constantly stressful.
SLEEP
There’s a lot to be said for a great night’s sleep. You know, those mornings when you wake up rested and raring to go? I’m told there are several key factors involved in creating a calming pre-bedtime ritual, and in my mind the Swedes do a whole lot right in the bedroom department (after all, they’re the ones who start the day eye-wateringly early).
So, what’s their secret? Helena Kubicek Boye, Swedish psychologist and author of The Art of Sleep and The Three Balloons (a sleep story for children), says you need to prepare yourself both physically and mentally before going to bed.
‘A ruffled mind makes a restless pillow.’
Charlotte Brontë
© Niki Brantmark
Giulia Bertelli/Unsplash
