HOW TO BE HAPPY

THE NEW NORDIC WAY

Forget hygge and its cosy connotations — the Swedish concept

of lagom seems so much more fitting for modern-day living.

Wildflower speaks to Scandi devotees on how to embrace the

“not too much, just enough” idea for a life of contentment

Words: Angelina Villa-Clarke

B ack in 2016, the concept of hygge reached our shores and we all went crazy for the Danish philosophy of

all things cosy. From our interiors — think cashmere throws and roaring fires — to the way we live — staying in for early nights tucked up under blankets — hygge seemed to touch a collective nerve.

Two years on, however, and the landscape has shifted and with it comes another Scandi way of life that seems slightly more apt for our times. The Swedish ethos of lagom, which translates as “just the right amount”, embraces moderation, balance and contentment, and it is slowly knocking hygge off its lifestyle perch

Niki Brantmark, the writer behind the award-winning interior design blog My Scandinavian Home, moved from London to Sweden 14 years ago, in search of a simpler way of life. Her book Lagom: The Swedish Art of Living a Balanced, Happy Life (£9.99, Harper Thorsons) gives a taste of the philosophy behind lagom, revealing how to include some of the principles into our daily lives.

“Since moving from London to Skåne, which being by the sea, has a slow pace of life, I have been inspired by the Swedish ability to take time to do things right,” she says. “My book is about achieving a balance, easing the pressure and finding more time for the things you love without denying yourself anything.”

Food expert, Louise Hurst, based in Marlow, Buckinghamshire, is another Scandi aficionado, Inspired by her Swedish mother’s approach to cooking, she has created Nordic Kitchen Stories, a blog and Instagram account to showcase her own Nordic-style recipes (see p50 for her seasonal recipes exclusively created for Wildflower).

“To Swedes, lagom evokes contentedness: not too much, not too little, just right. The idea can be applied to anything in life but, when it comes to cooking, the focus is on simplicity and nourishment,” she reveals.

“The approach to food in Scandinavian countries focuses on seasonal ingredients, local produce and foraging. I found this out first hand, when, every summer I was packed off to my grandparents in Stockholm where I was taught to pick ingredients. We foraged for berries, gathered raspberries and spent afternoons fishing, often smoking the fish to eat for our supper. I am now fortunate enough to

WILDFLOWER | WINTER 2018 | 45

INTERIORS

have a base in Stockholm and I am still a regular visitor.”

Meanwhile, making waves on the culinary scene — while encompassing a lagom sensibility — is Ekte Nordic Kitchen, a new restaurant by Danish-born chef Soren Jessen, who is already renowned for the hugely successful 1 Lombard Street in London. Found in the City’s latest dining destination, Bloomberg Arcade, the eaterie offers a no-nonsense approach to all-day dining, dictated by seasonal produce.

Serving up traditional Scandinavian dishes — from open smørrebrød to cured fish — the chef reveals how his northern-European roots have dictated his way of life and cooking. “It has taught me respect for my surroundings, the environment and other people,” he says. “I have reflected this in the design and atmosphere at Ekte — the interiors are made from durable-quality and locally-sourced products. We treat our staff well

“lagom evokes contentedness: not too much, not too little,

just right”LOUISE HURST

SIMPLE LIFE: SWEDISH HOME

STYLE FROM NIKI BRANTMARK

(ABOVE); EKTE TAKES A NO-NONSENSE

APPROACH TO DINING (LEFT),

WITH TRADITIONAL SCANDI DISHES

SUCH AS SMØRREBRØD

(BELOW)

WILDFLOWER | WINTER 2018 | 47

and, in return, they spoil our guests. That, for me, is the ethos of lagom.”

Treating others well is also the basis of St Albans-based Aerende, an online interiors store that off ers “life-improving homewares”. From stoneware cups and saucers to fi nely-crafted elm chopping boards, the beautiful items for the home are all made in the UK by people facing social challenges.

“The Nordic philosophy to buy less, but better underlies almost everything we do at Aerende,” says founder Emily Mathieson. “We believe that it’s possible to shop in a way that makes a positive diff erence to the people who make the products, to the consumer who buys them and to the world, hence our strapline of ‘life-improving homewares’.

“Rather than following trends, our products are designed in timeless shapes and neutral shades to go with everything and to be loved and cherished over a lifetime, not just a season. Natural materials, craft techniques and an ability to evoke sensual pleasure are all key themes in Nordic design as they are for us. And even our name, which is Olde English for care or message, has a similar meaning in Danish,” Mathieson explains.

Based in Haddenham, Buckinghamshire, café and interiors shop Norsk also brings a touch of Nordic inspiration to local homes. Believing in a laid-back yet stylish approach to interior design, Norwegian-born founder Cathrine Tjore sources a range of Scandinavian brands — such as Iris

INSIDE INFORMATION: AERENDE OFFERS “LIFE-IMPROVING

HOMEWARES” THAT AIM TO MAKE A

POSITIVE DIFFERENCE

INTERIORS

“The Nordic philosophy to

buy less, but better

underlies almost everything

we do at Aerende” EMILY MATHIESON

LIFELONG LOVE: FROM CUSHIONS TO CHAIRS, AERENDE’S

PRODUCTS ARE DESIGNED IN TIMELESS STYLES AND SHADES

TO LAST AND BE LOVED OVER A LIFETIME

Hantverk’s wooden utensils and Klippan blankets — to improve the look of our spaces.

“Nordic style to me is very relaxed,” she says. “The idea is to encapsulate that eff ortlessly cool approach. Scandinavians are good at mixing old and new furniture, and having a good blend of expensive, cheap and homemade items. It’s all about having a unique touch. When it comes to my personal style, I use diff erent textures, like concrete, wood and tiles, and blend earthy colours with classic white. Vintage leather furniture is juxtaposed with wool blankets, faux furs and tactile accessories to make it balanced and cosy.

“The Nordic way of life is closely connected to nature and the majority of Scandinavians are into healthy eating, exercising and family values, often combining these three things into a natural part of

MAKING SPACE: NORSK BRINGS

NORDIC STYLE TO UK HOMES WITH ITS MIX OF COOL SCANDINAVIAN

PRODUCTS

their daily routine. This idea of a good life balance appeals to modern-day Brits, who are in search of that for themselves.”

Whether you join a Nordic walking session in the Chilterns or make a pitstop at Ikea (its “Live Lagom” project aims to make sustainable homewares aff ordable), a little bit of lagom goes a long way in giving meaning and depth to our lives.

Having the last word is Kristina Karlsson, founder of stationery brand kikki.K, which has a store in High Wycombe. She’s also the author of the just-published book Your Dream Life Starts Here (£18, available instore and online) and says: “Kikki.K blends the Swedish design principles of form and function with the ability to inspire people to live their best life, every day.

“And that is the very essence of lagom.”

DETAILS

AERENDE

aerende.co.uk CHILTERNS NORDIC

WALKERS

chilternnordicwalkers.co.ukEKTE NORDIC KITCHEN

ektelondon.co.uk IKEA ikea.com

KIKKI K

kikki-k.comMY SCANDINAVIAN

HOME myscandinavianhome.comNORDIC KITCHEN

STORIES

nordickitchenstories.co.uk

War

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eetroot

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nd Creamed Goats’ Cheese

IngredientsServes 41kg fresh beetroot, medium in size, mixed colours if possible olive oil50ml water 50ml apple cider vinegar 25g caster sugar ¼ tsp salt 3 very thin slices dark rye bread 50g walnuts, toasted 250g kale 75ml whole milk 200g chèvre cheese, rind removed Salt and pepper to season

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 200°C/fan 180°C/gas 6. Wash the beetroot. Cut a large piece of foil and place all but two of the beetroots on the foil, drizzle with a little olive oil, 2 tablespoons of water, salt and pepper and wrap and the beetroot up into a parcel and place on a baking tray. Bake for 35 minutes in the centre of the oven. Open up the parcel and continue to bake for 25 minutes or until cooked through. 2. Meanwhile, prepare the remaining beetroot: wash, peel and slice very finely (if you have a mandolin, this will do the job perfectly). Mix the water, vinegar, sugar and salt and stir until dissolved. Place the beets into a non reactive bowl and pour over the pickling solution. Leave to pickle for at least 25 minutes. If you’re using different coloured beetroot you’ll have to pickle them separately as the colours will bleed.3. Brush the rye bread with a little olive oil, roughly

INTERIORS

Ingredients

190g white spelt flour 1½ tsp ground cinnamon ½ tsp freshly ground cardamom (you can substitute this with ginger) 2½ tsp baking powder Pinch of salt Grated zest of half a lemon 2 small dessert apples, peeled, cored and diced 160g blackberries2 large eggs160g caster sugar 1 tsp vanilla extract 135g unsalted butter, melted and cooled to room temperature 65ml whole milk

For the crumble 50g unsalted butter 80g white or wholemeal spelt fl our 40g light brown sugar ½ tsp cinnamon 50g chopped cobnuts or hazelnuts

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 180°C/fan 160°C/gas 4. Grease a 20cm (8in) spring form cake tin and line with baking parchment. 2. Make the crumble topping: in a bowl, rub the butter, flour, sugar and cinnamon together with your fingertips until the mixture resembles coarse breadcrumbs. Add the nuts. Put to one side. 3. Sift the flour, cinnamon, cardomom, baking powder and salt into large bowl. Mix the grated zest of the lemon with the prepared apples and blackberries. 4. In a food mixer, beat the eggs, sugar, vanilla extract and cooled melted butter until really thick and creamy — this will take about 5 minutes on high speed. With a large metal spoon fold in the flour mixture, alternating with the milk,. Don’t over mix as this will result in a tough cake. 5. Spoon the mixture into the prepared tin, scatter the apples and blackberries on the cake mix, pushing them down a little. Now sprinkle with the crumble mixture, bake in the preheated oven for approximately 50-60 minutes or when a skewer inserted in the centre of the cake comes out clean. 6. Cool the cake in the tin for about 15 minutes, then remove. Serve warm with cream.

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Nordic recipes It’s not just about the style — when it comes to cooking, the Scandinavian focus is on simplicity and nourishment, according to Nordic Kitchen Stories’ Louise Hurst. Here, she creates two exclusive recipes for Wildfl ower that encompass the very best of lagom...

Spelt, Apple, Blackberry and Cobnut Crumble Cake

“The approach to food in Scandinavian countries focuses on seasonal ingredients,

local produce and foraging”LOUISE HURST

chop the walnuts and bake in the oven until crisp and the nuts golden, approximately 5 minutes. 4. Put a pan of salted water on to the boil. Wash and de-vein the kale and cut into approximately 4cm pieces. Blanch for 3 minutes in the boiling water, then plunge into ice cold water. Drain and squeeze out any excess water, unfurl the leaves and place onto a piece of kitchen paper ready to sauté.5. In a frying pan, add a little olive oil, heat to high and add the kale, season and fry for a couple of minutes. 6. Pour the milk into a saucepan, heat to boiling point then reduce the heat to low, crumble in the chèvre cheese and whisk vigorously.7. Spoon the chèvre cheese cream on to a plate. Cut the roasted beetroot into quarters or sixths, depending on the size, and arrange on top of the chèvre cream along with the kale and then the slices of pickled beetroot. Top with the rye crisps and roasted nuts. Serve warm.