What may sound like a morbid concept could actually be key to the New Year interiors refresh you need. Learn how döstädning is the perfect route to a calm, clutter-free home
There’s nothing like a new year to trigger our need for a refresh, be it within ourselves, or externally, through our surroundings. The way we live and how we feel is deeply influenced by our environment, whether that’s wider issues such as the impact of climate change or simply the state of our own homes. Over the past few years, while the world has been in turmoil, shows like Netflix’s Tidying Up With Marie Kondo acted as yet another reminder of the link between a healthy mind and a clean, clutter-free space. Here in Sweden specifically, this is reinforced by the concept of ‘döstädning’.
When translated directly, the word is a combination of ‘death’ and ‘cleaning’ and refers to the act of sorting through your personal belongings before your death. The idea being that rather than leave it to your loved ones to do post, well, popping your clogs, you will selflessly have started the process ahead of time. While we Swedes have always been familiar with the term, it was popularised in the wider world by author Margareta Magnusson, who explored the benefits of döstädning in her bestseller The Gentle Art of Swedish Death Cleaning: How to Free Yourself and Your Family from a Lifetime of Clutter. In the book, she defines döstädning as an essential part of life that should be considered as soon as you’re old enough to understand your own mortality.
Photo: Getty
“The concept of döstädning is incredibly nostalgic,” says Staffan Tollgård, co-founder of luxury architectural interior design service Tollgard Design Group. “It’s about ensuring all your belongings are in order before your final departure.” Although he admits the word “carries a kind of dark humour”, Tollgård believes that döstädning can be a seriously effective and compassionate lens for interior design.
Here, he provides three effective ways in which the art of döstädning can act as the blueprint for your interior decisions. If you’re keen to refresh your space and give your home a new lease of life, take note.
Begin with your red thread
"Our approach to Döstädning begins with another distinctly Scandinavian idea, the Röda Tråden or Red Thread. The search for the red thread begins with an in-depth study of your life. As we delve deeper, a distinctive voice begins to emerge that helps decide what stays and what goes. For instance, in our Danish Summer House project at Tollgard Studios, the Red Thread was the breath-taking landscape. Each creative decision was rooted in highlighting the natural beauty of the island."
Tollgard's Danish Summer House. Photo: Tollgard.
Seek to answer questions of living
"Armed with your red thread, the journey of döstädning continues as you ask yourself if each design decision seeks to answer your questions of living. Interiors share our evolutionary disposition; they too must adapt in order to survive. Throughout the design journey, we strive to balance form and function and create a space that feels as functional as it does beautiful. Ask yourself as you subtract, what role does this piece play in my life? In true döstädning fashion, you’ll find yourself drawn to those pieces that serve a purpose."
Tollgard's Amman Villa.
Pass down future heirlooms
"The final step in this journey focuses on the future. Döstädning allows us to take control of the legacy we leave behind and pass on treasures to loved ones. Taking the time to invest in these treasures today can prove to be incredibly rewarding tomorrow.
"I always encourage the design community and clients to invest in functional sculptures. Crafted by artisans across the globe, these treasures help pass down the story of our lives to loved ones – they echo the past, present and future. Family is at the heart of this practice: ensuring sentimental items get passed down early means no one gets left out. Create one box for each child with a childhood toy, a favourite book, and a blanket. This capsule collection of their lives evokes memories made together over a lifetime. "