The Live Lagom movement has its roots in IKEA’s ongoing sustainability strategy, but since the launch in 2014 it has transcended the Swedish furniture giant to take on a life of its own.
Each year, IKEA stores recruit a new group of wannabe Lagomers via their IKEA family database. There are no other criteria for selection other than the desire to want to live better with less and make a positive impact on the planet.
Lagomers are from all walks of life. We all have different living arrangements, daily routines, demands from work, family life, skills, backgrounds. Without the Lagom programme, we might never have met. However, the Live Lagom scheme has brought us together through a shared goal and fostered a community where we can share our ideas and experiences.
Outside of the program, everybody is invited to join the Live Lagom Facebook group which is full of lively conversation and advice on how to live a more sustainable life. There’s also a growing number of blogs from Lagomers past and present.
If you’re looking for inspiration to start your Lagom journey, I can’t think of a better place to start.
Less Stuff
‘Easy changes to make life simpler’
Bristol-based Lagomer and designer Lisa Cole is a regular on the Lagom Facebook group. She shares practical ideas and achievable challenges to help us all to live with less clutter.
Her ‘Less Stuff‘ site is a great source of inspiration if you’re interested in switching to more sustainable behaviours but you don’t have the time or you’re just not sure where to start.
From free printable charts to help us to understand our plastic consumption and food waste to realistic guides on what to do about it, Less Stuff is packed with everything you need to start making those small changes that inevitably add up to a big impact.
Feed me Good
Nureen Glaves has been part of the Live Lagom family at the Wembley IKEA since 2017 but her passion for sustainable eating extends far beyond this.
Nureen has over 18 years of experience in food, nutrition and health. She strongly believes in the power of food to improve health and wellbeing and strengthen communities.
She set up ‘Feed Me Good‘ to ‘teach people about food and health in the simplest form.’
Take a tour of Nureen’s Lagom kitchen.
Live Lagom with Em
Emily stumbled upon Live Lagom by accident when she was browsing the IKEA site to kit out her new home. She was inspired by the Live Lagom blog to make purchases that would minimise both her bills and her impact on the environment.
LED bulbs, reusable bottles, metal straws, insulating fabrics, she was already off to a great start, but she wanted to do more. For example, why did she need so many harmful chemicals in disposable plastic to clean her home?
She was accepted on the Live Lagom program 2018/19 and she uses her blog to document all the changes she’s putting in place and how they’re impacting her life. A great insight into how to apply the Lagom principles in the real world.
Living the Lagom life
Not a blog in the traditional sense, but this Facebook page is still well worth a follow. It’s run by Sarah and Wes who have a young daughter called Layla (little Lagom). They use the page to share their discoveries and tips for introducing Lagom into family life.
They began their Lagom journey by eliminating as much plastic waste as possible from the bathroom and now there’s no stopping them. They’re posting almost daily, sharing their successes in reducing their waste around the home.
The Lagom Life family have been trying all sorts of sustainable products and posting pictures and reviews. If you see anything you like, they might be able to save you a bit of money too since they also share discount codes from the new brands they try.
Cornish Exile
If you ever wanted to see what the complete year in Lagom looks like, as well as life beyond the program, this blog is the place.
Cornish Exile began the program way back in 2017 with the intention of conquering the heaps of random chaos that had accumulated in the area around her washing machine. How? By making waste management recycling easier and by organising the space more effectively.
She also decided to take action to reduce energy use with rechargeable batteries, draft-excluding curtains and low-energy lightbulbs. It didn’t take long to see a massive saving of £26.76 over 6 months on gas and an estimated £110 a year on electricity.
Lagom living didn’t end when the year-long program was up though. You can also see how Cornish Exile has continued putting into practice the principles of Lagom and hopefully be inspired by some of her ideas.
The Eco-Friendly Student
Bethany Saul is part of the 2018/19 cohort at my home branch of Ikea in Southampton. As a student with a limited disposable income, she appreciates that living an environmentally-friendly lifestyle can seem expensive and therefore inaccessible to many.
She joined the Lagom program to broaden her understanding of what we can all do to live sustainably whatever our personal circumstances. The Eco-Friendly Student blog is where she shares her learnings on Lagom for all, as well as ways you can influence change in the wider world.
Curiously Conscious
Besma was inspired to start her blog when she was living in Paris in 2014. During her time there she was immersed in the French ways of doing things, which in many cases seemed more sustainable. For example, shopping for food locally and buying timeless ‘investment pieces’ rather than ‘fast fashion.’
The good habits she picked up in France have stayed with her even now that she is living in London. According to Besma, an ethical lifestyle as an investment in your own life and wellbeing. She writes about businesses and organisations that have committed to understanding and minimising their impact and also shares useful tutorials, tips and recipes.
Girl Industries
Scottish Katy Penman is an advocate of shopping local and supporting small businesses. Her etsy store is full of cute upcycled stationary supplies and she is also the founder of ethical kidswear business Mimi and Will.
As well as updates on her lagom journey, Katy shares stories from all aspects of her life, from running an ethical business to tales from her travels.
Pinks Charming
Mum-of-two Katy Pink created this blog to share her experiences of living a more sustainable lifestyle. Since buying a 1970s house, she has been documenting the journey of transforming it into a home and she has loads of great ideas for upcycling and styling that won’t literally cost the earth.
Follow Katy for tips, tricks and reviews on clean beauty, food and interiors. Make sure you check out her dreamy Instagram too – it’s full of inspiration.
Disclaimer: I am not paid by IKEA, although they have kindly helped me on my Lagom journey with free merchandise.
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