Refresh Your Home (and Life) with Friluftsliv

What is Friluftsliv?

Say “Hallo!” to the Norwegian concept of friluftsliv, which translates to “open air life” in English. It’s a way to create a year-round outdoor gathering space that’s going global. Pronouncing it seems hard  (but not really, see below) but utilizing it in your home is not! Intrigued? Let me tell you more…

Friluftsliv Definition

Friluftsliv is all about incorporating the outdoors into your life where possible with accessible, comfortable areas outside; and incorporating the outdoors into your indoors. That means decorating with plants and utilizing patterns, items, and smells that invoke nature, so lots of greens, blues, and whatever reminds you of being outside. 

The past few years have shaken things up for us all (you know what I’m talking about), so friluftsliv can’t come at a better time. That’s because it’s all about creating inviting outdoor spaces (like your patio) to gather with people whose comfort with an indoor hang may not be as high. With friluftsliv, you can make this space a desirable place to be even when it gets a bit chilly, although let’s face it, in SoCal, that means when the weather dips into the 50s.

Friluftsliv Pronunciation, Saying it is Easier Than You Think

How to pronounce friluftsliv

Before we go any further on friluftsliv, you’re probably wondering how to pronounce it and it’s surprisingly easy to do so. Phonetically it’s free-loofts-liv. Simple right? Just don’t ask me to do it with a Norwegian accent, OK? 

How to Incorporate Friluftsliv Into Your Home

For your outdoor space, gone are the days of your parent’s uncomfortable patio wicker sets. Patio furniture sets are becoming more like indoor living room sets than ever, with fabrics that resist UV fading and water damage while remaining comfortable. Set up some solar-powered twinkle lights and a fire pit or chiminea to bring light and warmth to your space. Friluftsliv makes the most of your outdoor space for a trendy but lasting update.

For indoor spaces, let your green thumb go wild (or get some realistic fake plants because you never run the risk of overwatering them.) Also, consider painting your walls a calming forest green (or some nature-inspired removable wallpaper if you’re not the commitment type), and put up prints of the great outdoors. Bonus points if they’re pictures that you took yourself on an adventure.  

Friluftsliv is Everywhere Right Now

Friluftsliv is everywhere right now, even in paint color trends. Check out what Farrow & Ball recommended as the hot colors right now: saturated blues, yellows, and greens are in for 2022, such as Breakfast Room Green. All colors found in nature, but probably more importantly, aren’t greige that color you saw everywhere for the past few years. 

That’s right, the relentlessly neutral palette of previous years is out, and rich colors that invoke nature are in, and I, for one, am all for it.

Let Friluftsliv Guide Your Interiorscaping

During the pandemic, many began adding gardens to their homes to ensure a source of fresh food in the face of supply chain interruption. This trend persists, making for great opportunities inside and outside the home to install green growth spaces (again, friluftsliv!) Plus, who can resist adopting each adorable succulent they stumble upon?

Besides providing food, interiorscaping–or landscaping indoors–makes for better air quality and higher humidity levels inside to help you beat the dry air that persists in the winter. 

Indoor greenhouses and herb gardens are quickly popping up with simple-to-construct kits. Coupled with a digital onslaught of videos that can teach you to propagate a succulent or grow a sweet potato vine, incorporating some green into the home has never been easier, so don’t be afraid to adopt this trend. 

Friluftsliv Meaning: It’s for Everyone

I think what I love most about this trend is that the outdoors can mean various things–the forest is undoubtedly different from the desert. That means it’s up to you to decide what natural environments you enjoy being around most and incorporate them into your space. Personally, I love the beach (hello, SoCal girl through and through), so for me, it’s about getting some great candles that smell like the ocean and finally displaying the shells I’ve found over the years in fun and unique ways. Plus, it’s the excuse I need to put a little more thought into the outdoor space and think about how I can use it when it gets a bit colder instead of waiting for it to warm up. Ultimately, friluftsliv encourages us to look at our surroundings and keep them practical to use year-round. I think that concept will never go out of style.