what apartment design is in fashion now, design 2018

Despite the harsh northern climate, people living in Denmark are very happy with their lives: in the ranking of the happiest countries ordered by the UN, Denmark has been in the lead for a long time, and now it is in second place (losing to Norway on March 20, 2017). At the same time, it rains for six months in Denmark, 4-5 months falls in winter, and summer lasts only a few weeks. What is the Danes secret, how do they manage to stay happy and positive in such harsh conditions?

Perhaps the whole point is in their philosophy of life hygge. It is built on a very simple statement: it should always be cozy and warm around a Dane. The idea is not new, but it was the people of Denmark who achieved absolute perfection in its implementation: it is difficult to come up with something more comfortable and cozy than an interior decorated in the hygge style.

How to make a hygge?

Any Dane will shrug and say: just do hygge (hygge is Danish for “cozy”). And this is really so, the main thing is that you feel warm and comfortable in the created interior. But you can give quite specific recommendations: for example, be sure to light candles.

Candles are present in absolutely every hygge interior: the Danes are sure that only live fire can create a truly warm and relaxing atmosphere at home. By the way, in Danish there is a word lyseslukker – “the one who spoils all the pleasure.” And literally it translates as “the one who blows out the candles.”

IMPORTANT: Candles should be mandatory, but they cannot be used – the room should not be dark! For Hugge, they usually create an even and warm light map: use a chandelier, wall lamps, floor lamps – the room needs to be lit evenly and softly. A fireplace will give a very good accent (an electric one is also quite suitable).

And also hygge is:

– wooden, unpretentious, furniture;

– natural decorations and accessories: flowers, compositions of branches and cones, animal skins, etc .;

– cozy ceramic dishes;

– vintage interior items;

– soft pillows and blankets.

Expressed textures, rude simplicity, soft materials, subdued light and absolute harmony of a person with his environment – that’s what a real Danish hygge is!

The path to happiness chosen by the inhabitants of Denmark is not the only one: in Sweden the level of the satisfied population is slightly lower, and the approach to interior design – and to the construction of their lives in general – is completely different. Where the Dane surrounds himself with dozens of atmospheric accessories, the Swede will strive for verified minimalism.

The Swedish trend is called lag (lagom is Swedish for “golden mean”) and it is built on the concept of simplicity. Simple things, simple design solutions, discreet colors and maximum space. Practicality, conciseness, moderation are the three main principles on which the lag is based.

How to lag? To get started, just throw away everything that is unnecessary. All useless souvenirs, all bulky furniture – everything that unnecessarily takes up space in the house. At the same time, it is important to understand that bare walls are also not a lag: the Swedes do not demand to remove everything from the room in general, except for the table and two stools. They simply advise to do with a reasonable minimum of things.

Lagom assumes:

– natural and durable materials: furniture made of wood and natural fabrics, discreet woolen rugs, etc .;

– lack of ostentatious luxury: the design should be restrained and discreet;

– muted colors;

– a lot of natural light;

– maximum free space.

The only thing for which the minimalist Swedes make a small exception are soft things. At home, it should still be warm, so animal skins, very lush bedspreads, and many pillows can be present in the interior. It is they who make the harsh lag cozy in their own way.

The third trend of 2018 came from the other side of the world and is as far removed from Danish or Swedish philosophy as possible. If the cozy hygge seems cramped and overwhelmed to you, and the verified minimalism of the lagoma looks too cold, we advise you to try wabi-sabi.

In general, the concept of humility of spirit is very popular in Japan: the conscious acceptance that perfection is unattainable and a person must accept the world as it is. This concept is reflected in the wabi-sabi style (wabi – “simplicity, unpretentiousness”, sabi – “patina, a touch of antiquity” from Japanese). Conscious poverty, humility and harmony with the outside world are the key features of wabi-sabi.

How to make wabi sabi? The basic principle is simple: choose simple and unassuming things – antique (for example, clay cups from the century before last) or skillfully aged. Something can be found among loft furniture, something in European rusticism, something in Scandinavian interiors.

Wabi-sabi is:

– natural colors and surfaces, no paint;

– furniture can be covered with matte varnish; a slight touch of antiquity: small scratches, a little rust, a chipped edge near the cup – these are the details that create the characteristic aesthetics of “Japanese poverty”;

– soft diffused light that does not give harsh shadows and bright accents.

Wabi-sabi is a hymn to imperfection: a room in which nothing is striking, but each object has its own story. At the same time, any modern things left in plain sight kill the charm of the interior, so we recommend hiding the TV inside a cabinet built into the wall, taking the computer into a separate room or covering it with a screen from the rest of the room, and so on.