Get Your Hygge On This Holiday
It’s almost 2020, and “hygge” is not losing steam as an aspirational buzzword. This Danish loan-word, pronounced “hoo-gah,” represents the coziness of home, family, and comfort. Never is there a time of year more conducive to some super hygge than the holiday season, when friends and family gather all together and enjoy good food, great company, and carols, stories, and beloved memories. Danes are said to be some of the happiest people in the world, and it all stems from their focus on intimacy, simple living, and appreciation of the things they have. Want to make your home more hygge this December? I’ve got the tips you need.
Light a Candle… Or Ten
When asked what they most closely associate with hygge, the majority of Danish people say “candlelight.” The warm glow of wax candles adds an atmosphere of coziness and warmth to any home, plus they are a source of light, which is also hygge (more on that in a bit). On a cold winter evening, with snow on the ground and the temperature beyond freezing, lit candles on the table while serving your friends a tasty dinner is the coziest thing imaginable.
Bring on the Lighting
Because winter is such a dark time for Danish people – there are very few hours of daylight – light is something that they prioritize. It wards off seasonal depression, and it delineates between sleeping hours and working/playing/entertaining ones. A hyggelig home would ideally have plenty of natural light, but also an ample amount of hanging and recessed lighting to brighten the spaces of your home. Use the placement of floor lamps around your tables and couches to create pools of cozy light.
Get in Touch With Nature
Very little greenery grows in the freezing chill of winter, making this a perfect time to invest in a few hardy houseplants to bring the outdoors in. Pops of color not only add brightness, but they make your home seem fresher and cleaner. There’s also a reason why so much hygge decor is made of wood – it’s another way of adding touches of the natural to your space. Choose wooden end tables, tchochkes to add interest, and even toys for your children.
Book It
Bookshelves overflowing with books are another common element of hygge. Curling up with a good book during a dark winter’s evening is a cozy pastime, and one completely in line with Danish philosophy. Consider your space before you decide how much of it to dedicate to book-room. Can you afford one floating shelf, a whole wall, or even a whole room? The smaller the bookcase, the neater and prettier the books should look. Of course, they are meant to be read, but they should also function as decor.
Build Nook Space
Another common element of hygge is the nook – a cozy place, loaded with blankets and pillows, where you can sip your hocho with extra marshmallows, read one of those good books on your shelf, and generally feel like you are getting away from the world. Nooks can be created with strategic placement of couches, or in special little spots like a window seat. The nook is so important to hygge that it has a name – the hyggekrog.
Choose Warm Tones
Hygge is all about cozy, and you can achieve this most easily with the use of a warm color palette to make your home glow with warmth when lit up. There’s no need to run out and paint to achieve this goal – a few strategically-gathered throw pillows in a rosy tone or throw blankets that make you just want to cuddle up can all contribute to the tone of the room and how hygge it feels.
