As the sister of hygge, friluftsliv (pronounced free-loofts-liv), may be the Nordic trend you may have never heard of. But it will be the only bedroom trend you need.
Reconnecting you with nature and encouraging you to embrace the outdoors (no matter the season), friluftsliv is not just a trend but a way of life. It is described as spending time in nature for your spiritual and physical health and appreciating the beauty of the natural world.
This trend is so popular that the term ‘friluftsliv' boasts 13 million views on TikTok. Likewise, searches for ‘Scandi bedroom' have spiked by 46% in the last year.
So as bedroom experts, we share how friluftsliv will boost your overall well-being and become the BIGGEST bedroom trend of the year due to its focus on natural elements.
10 tips for friluftsliv-ing your bedroom for a better night's sleep
The Scandinavian way of decorating your home has had us in a love affair for decades. So much so that, Scandinavian decor inspiration has grown by 80% in the last month on Pinterest.
Creating a calming environment is essential for good sleep hygiene (a healthy routine that promotes the importance of sleep), and your bedroom decor is a part of that.
With friluftsliv focusing on well-being, the outdoors and minimalism could be a great time to renovate and declutter your room. Studies have even found links between large amounts of clutter and sleep disturbances.
Friluftsliv trend in a small bedroom
1. Choose a pared-back, earthy palette to promote higher-quality sleep
Warm, neutral colours should provide the backdrop to your bedroom. ‘Earthy colours for bedrooms' searches have risen by 200% on Google over the first few months of this year, indicating friluftsliv is the only trend to watch out for.
As we say goodbye to grey bedrooms, the best colours for the friluftsliv trend - are green, warm white, light brown, blue and muted orange. These colours capture the outdoor world, bounce light around the room and can even help to make smaller rooms appear bigger.
Additionally, green colours (on your walls or even from your plants) can help reduce blood pressure, regulate your body's inner balance and even help overcome insomnia due to their calming qualities.
For those that wake up with sore backs or necks after work - or even struggle to achieve a good sleeping position due to lower back pains - it's possible that the green hue of your plants could help to reduce the pain in your shoulders and back.
2. Pick white, organic bedding that's breathable and creates calmness and tranquillity
Quite literally woven into the fabric of friluftsliv, you can't have a Scandinavian bedroom without organic textures. And it's a popular choice, with searches for ‘organic bedroom' rising by 300% on Google in the last 12 months, suggesting that organic bedroom will be popular.
Organic bedding is the next trend to sweep your bedroom. You want to opt for bedding made of 100% natural materials, such as cotton or silk. These materials will allow your skin to breathe, reducing the amount you sweat at night and disrupting your sleep.
When it comes to your bed linen, opt for white or muted colours complimenting your earthy palette and continue promoting feelings of nature and relaxation. White works perfectly with the friluftsliv trend; it is the best bed linen colour to sleep in. The colour is associated with calm and tranquillity, meaning you are more likely to fall asleep in them at bedtime.
It's also a trend that will certainly not wane in 2023, with searches for ‘white linen bedding' increasing by 30% over the last year.
3. Work in real wood decor to help regulate your nervous system
Furniture that echoes nature is one of the easiest ways to practice friluftsliv in your bedroom. We can also reveal that searches for ‘wooden bedroom decor' have spiked by 150% over the past year, indicating that friluftsliv is a rising trend without people knowing.
Wood is the most common and easily accessible material for your bedroom and boasts a very close-to-nature vibe. Plus, wood and floral smells can regulate your nervous system and get you to sleep quicker.
Smells such as cedarwood - with its organic, woody tones - and aromas from flowers and plants can help regulate your nervous system and get you to sleep. A study found that groups inhaling yuzu fragrance before bed went to sleep easier than those that didn't and even felt better the next day.
Wooden furniture offers you the chance to go a bit darker with your colour scheme if that is your preference. Pair the earthy bedroom walls with dark wood furniture to make your space feel cosy and outdoorsy. To go one step further, mix materials such as wood and stone to replicate the outdoors and stop your bedroom from feeling flat.
4. Become a plant parent
One of the key elements of friluftsliv is nature, such as bringing in plants from the outdoors. With a 23% rise in searches for ‘bedroom plants' in the first three months of 2023, this further highlights the importance of friluftsliv in 2023. But bedroom plants can do much more for you than just providing a stylish backdrop.
Plants in the bedroom can improve the air quality, reduce stress, add energy to your room and of course, help you sleep. Researchers discovered that just 15 minutes of interaction with your plants (watering them, moving them around your bedroom) could reduce sleep latency.
Interestingly, studies have found that inhaling the smell of coriander can reduce your REM latency, or the time it takes you to fall into your first REM sleep stage, which typically lasts around 90 to 120 minutes. REM sleep is essential for learning and memory. Without it, you can become sad, tired, unproductive and struggle to complete everyday tasks.
However, if you're not keen on coriander or the smell, other sleep-inducing plants include snake plants, spider plants, and gardenia.
5. Opt for plant-patterned wallpaper to elicit more positive emotions
Searches for ‘succulent wallpaper' have increased by 27% in the last 12 months. This type of wallpaper typically features many natural greens, blues and browns, among many other colours and replicates the beauty of the outside world. And there are even health benefits to this type of wallpaper.
Studies have found that exposure to the imagery of natural environments can elicit strong, positive emotions and lead to better relaxation than images of urban environments. This is another reason to consider nature when designing your room.
You can pair this wallpaper with muted greens and whites to dip your toes into the friluftsliv bedroom trends.
6. Or add artwork which is calming
In just three months, ‘natural artwork' searches have increased by 60%. It's little surprise, however, as the friluftsliv trend is perfect for those with smaller homes to add depth.
If you are still determining what artwork to add, think about matching it to the style of your home. So, if you live in a home by the river or your house is very bright and airy, consider incorporating beach artwork into your bedroom. If you live in a cottage-style home, go for art featuring forests and mountains.
For those who live in urban areas, any natural scenery will help, such as walking trails or woodland areas. The importance is having a form of escapism in your bedroom.
7. Add a handwoven rug to prevent noise disruption
You can buy handwoven rugs for your bedroom for as little as £30. And you won't be the only one opting for one, with ‘handwoven cotton rug' searches growing in popularity by 100% in the past 12 months.
Stick to muted colours for your rug, such as beige or brown, that will complement the greenery in your bedroom. Cotton is also one of the most breathable materials; however, shaggy rugs are the way to go if you have wooden floors and want to warm them up a little more.
Not only do these help the space feel cosy and comfortable, but they also drown out any disruptive noises. For example, if you add a rug to your bedroom, you're less likely to be woken up by a partner who comes to bed later.
8. Make sure your bulbs are warm-toned, therefore, encouraging you to produce more melatonin at night
If you have a small bedroom, you'll likely know how difficult it is to decorate your space without appearing cluttered and overwhelming. But, to make it appear bigger, you just need good lighting.
You can channel the outdoors with lighting. If you are short on space, choose ceiling lights and wall-mounted lights; at the eye level of your artwork to place them into focus. Or, to save space on bedside tables, you could opt for pendant lights on either side of your bed.
But, it's important to choose lighting that reflects natural light during the day but encourages you to wind down and sleep at night - otherwise, your circadian rhythm (internal body clock) will be confused. Therefore, the best option is to choose a bulb that is more warm-toned or one that can change colour and become warmer-toned as the night progresses. This, therefore, helps your body produce more melatonin, which makes you feel sleepier.
9. Pick on-trend mushroom motifs
There's nothing quite like the outdoors than mushroom decor, with ‘mushroom house decor' and ‘mushroom decorations for room' searches increasing by a huge 150% and 300%, respectively.
You can incorporate mushrooms and organic textures into your bedroom in several ways, from the colours, textures and styles of mushrooms - light brown to off-white - to the shapes of mushrooms with your ornaments or even bedside lamps. There are also mushroom art prints you can hang up, and you can even make spore prints by using real mushrooms to hang on your wall for an authentic feel of the outdoors.
10. Make your bedroom feel as open-air living as possible - or opt for white sheer curtains
Ultimately, friluftsliv is about outdoor living. By bringing the outdoors in, you can fall asleep faster. On average, we spend around 20 minutes attempting to fall asleep each night. Over the year, that could account for over 121 hours spent trying to sleep.
However, outdoor living and your plants could be the key to this. While we might not all be lucky enough to have bedroom doors that open to the outside, you can still bring your outdoor area into your bedroom space. Use sheer white curtains to reflect the light in your room and place a focus on the outdoors when they are pulled back during the day. But, if you do this, remember to use blinds at night to ensure your room is dark enough to sleep in.
Alternatively, opt for curtains in natural stone colours that blend into the wall and the window to blur the line between indoors and outdoors.
You can also paint the window frames in your bedroom in the same colours you have in your garden, for instance, to create a link to your outdoor space. If you have light blue furniture outdoors or blue flowers, paint your window frames to reflect that. And, of course, open-air living involves plants. Lots of plants.
How to bring the ‘outdoors in' for your child's bedroom
A lack of sleep in children can lead to decreased brain development. If you have children, you may be familiar with the struggle to get them into a stable bedtime routine or even sleep. Studies have shown that nature positively impacts children's well-being, with outdoor exposure also helping children sleep at night.
Friluftsliv is certainly not for adults, and you can incorporate nature into their bedroom to promote feelings of calm and relaxation, guiding them to sleep. You can do this by painting your child's room in calming, earthy colours and focusing on natural and dark light.
In addition, move their toys and electronics away from their bed and, instead, fill their room with bright plants and artwork resembling the outdoors. If you have particularly curious children, just place your plants on shelves or hang them on the wall where they can't reach them.
For more inspiration for your bedroom, read up on how to make your small bedroom look bigger.
Methodology
Google Keyword Planner, Pinterest and TikTok data sourced on 09/06/23. Data was tracked from Feb 22 - Mar 23 and from Jan 22.
