UK Edition
Are you ready for the next Scandinavian lifestyle trend?
First, there was hygge, the Danish term for cosiness, well-being, and a fuzzy feeling of contentment. Next came lagom, the Swedish word meaning “just enough”, which espoused living with less, shopping mindfully, and decorating sustainably. Now there’s a new Scandinavian lifestyle trend in town, and its name is umage (pronounced “oo-may”), which loosely translates from the Danish as “make a bit more effort”.
Not, on the face of it, such an appealing concept. Where hygge was about pulling on a pair of cashmere leggings and lighting a candle, and lagom evoked visions of wafting elegantly around a clutter-free home, umage calls to mind HIIT classes, ironing bedlinen and working late. Yet, perhaps there’s something to be said for making a bit more of an effort with your interiors. We all have that part of our home that isn’t quite working for us, whether it’s the cupboard door that won’t shut, a chaotic bookshelf, or the paint colour that hasn’t quite lived up to expectations. By addressing these niggles, and putting a little work in, we could end up with a home that helps us to feel more relaxed when we’re in it.
Danish designer Soren Ravn Christensen is so on board with the concept, he has changed the name of his furniture and lighting company, formerly Vita Copenhagen, to Umage. For him, it’s a key element of the Danish character, particularly when it comes to design. “It’s in our DNA,” he says. “Denmark is a small country with few natural resources, so we’ve always had to go above and beyond to make things. Growing up as a Dane, you learn that you have to be better than the rest.” This, he suggests, is what helped to propel Danish furniture design to the forefront of the Scandinavian modern movement from the 1930s on: think of a design classic, and it’s likely a chair by Hans J Wegner, Arne Jacobsen or Verner Panton will spring to mind.
Christensen’s take on the concept is to make a new collection of flatpack furniture – and that, you might think, is the very essence of making an effort. Yet the pieces are simple and quick to put together, he insists, and come with extra design details, for example chairs without visible screws. Its USP is that everything is flexible and multifunctional, so the furniture itself works harder for your home, making the effort on your behalf.
“Our philosophy is that if we’re going to make another piece of furniture, we’ve got to bring a new angle, a new functionality to it,” he explains. The collection includes a coat hook that doubles as a shelf for holding keys and wallets; a coffee table with a leather “hammock” beneath, into which you can quickly shove any detritus when you need to clear the surface; and a comfortable three-seater sofa, with seat cushions that can be flipped over to reveal trays, and accessories such as side tables and reading lamps that can be clipped on. Other clever ideas include side tables with concealed charging hubs; a curvy cabinet with a tambour sliding door that can either reveal or conceal its contents; and chairs with interchangeable upholstery, so that you can change the look if you get bored of the colour.
Elsewhere, the Danish pavilion at the London Design Fair in Shoreditch this weekend (londondesignfair.co.uk) is based around the concept of a typical Danish living room, and will provide plenty of inspiration for those wanting to emulate the lifestyle, including furniture from Warm Nordic, Fritz Hansen and BoConcept. Central to the design aesthetic of each, and indeed of most Danish brands, is the use of materials such as wood, metal and leather, which will improve with age and patina, and craft techniques that add an extra layer of quality. As the Danish product designer Henrik Soerig, who is exhibiting this weekend at 100% Design in west London, puts it: “Design is successful when the product continues to surprise and provide pleasure long after the purchase.”
All of which suggests that when thought and care is put into a piece of furniture, the results are hardwearing, long-lasting pieces that add beauty to an interior. A philosophy that, when extended to the design of a whole home, will surely result in a comfortable environment that feels good to be in. So maybe it’s worth putting in that extra effort after all.
How to be more umage
- Take your lead from another Scandi design tip, and have different textiles for different seasons – cushion covers, throws, etc, which can be easily stored when not in use. Changing your textiles in autumn and spring will instantly refresh a room, without you having to do (or spend) too much. Some Scandinavians even change their curtains seasonally – but that might seem a bit *too* umage.
- Make a list of any small jobs that need to be done in each room of your house – e.g. redoing a patch of damaged paintwork, or clearing and organising a kitchen drawer. Then, set aside a day each month to do one or two chores on the list.
- A surefire way to make a difference to a room is by adding greenery. A tall, floor-standing plant will add height to a seating area, while a smaller, trailing plant adds interest to a shelf. Depending on which plant you choose, it might take a bit of looking after, but the aesthetic and air-cleaning benefits are worth it.
- Create a shelfie. Writer and stylist Martha Roberts has written a book on the subject (Shelfie: Clutter-clearing Ideas for Stylish Shelf Art), and maintains that clearing and then reorganising a mantelpiece, bookcase or kitchen shelf is a calming, relaxing experience in itself. Plus, once you’ve done it, you’ll be looking at a thoughtfully arranged collection of objects, rather than a stress-inducing jumble.
- You don’t have to buy something new to change your interior. Think about moving your furniture around from time to time; rearranging it can completely transform the look of a room.
- Put things up on the walls; again, pictures instantly add character to a space. Frame a collection of inexpensive prints, family photos, even children’s drawings, then lay them out on the floor to come up with an arrangement you like, and use masking tape to delineate where on the wall to hang them.