How to master the Danish art of Hygge for your home

Hygge is the new buzzword in interior design and if you have heard it as well but don’t know what it means (or how to spell it), we are here with a complete guide.

Inspired by Danish interior design ideas and pronounced as hoo-ga, Hygge is more than just a style of design, it is a way of living life. It is about adding comfort-ability, sustainability, and cosiness in your life to infuse a sense of well-being.

Sounds confusing?

Here is a simple version of it – Hygge is about slowing down your life and enjoying the present instead of worrying about the past or future. It is about finding joy in the simpler things in life and filling your life with gratitude and warmth.

You don’t have to be Scandinavian to incorporate Hygge in your home; all you have to do is follow these very simple ways:

1.   Start with some candles

There is something about the warm and cozy glow of candles which can never be substituted by even the most relaxing artificial lighting. Add candles around your home for no other reason but to add lighting. Remember to only incorporate white and unscented candles to maintain purity.

2.   Create a ‘hyggekrog’

A hyggekrog is typically a cozy nook in your house where you can relax to have a cup of coffee while you enjoy a great book. Pick a corner which gets a lot of light, preferably around a big window sill. You can also add some cushions and blankets for comfort.

3.   Make the room clutter-free

You need to embrace clutter free space and come up with intelligent storage solutions to truly add hygge to your home. Everything should have a specified place in your home and there shouldn’t be things lying around. Only after creating a clutter free space can you truly achieve peace of mind.

4.   Showcase your treasured memories

Maybe you have traveled a lot or maybe you have some treasured pictures taken by vintage cameras – Take all of those pictures out that make you happy. Get them all framed and put them around your house to let the positivity and happiness shine through them.

5.   Embrace the old

Hygge is about sustainability and re-usability, and that is why no wastage is allowed. Find new ways to incorporate old objects into your home’s interiors. The great part about hygge is that it’s not about being perfect, it’s about sentimentality and cosiness.

6.    Keep your bed cozy and snugly

The way you keep your bed can make or break the hygge-ness of your house and your spirit. That is why, you should go with white, fresh, and clean organic bed sheets to induce a sense of calmness and cosiness.

7.   Add texture

Typically, hygge interiors are rather minimal with clean lines, but by adding different patterns and materials, you can add a new dimension to the whole space. You can start by adding some wool, wood, and leather to the space but make sure you are following a specific color palette to prevent any clash of colors.

8.    Go for lighter and pastel colors

Inspired by Scandinavian interiors, hygge interiors should have lighter, warmer, and pastel colors with white dominating most of the space. You don’t have to keep the color scheme too specific, but just avoid any loud or bright colors.

9.   Add a fireplace

Hygge is about achieving cosiness, and nothing says cosy like a little warm fireplace on a cold night. Instead of going the electric way, go the natural way, and get an au naturale wood burning fireplace. If you aren’t one of the lucky people who have a fireplace already set up in your house, you can get a small wood burning fireplace which are readily available in the market.

10.Choose a lamp for lighting, not its design

When was the last time you bought a lamp for its design? Let us guess – Every single time. This time when you go for interior shopping, buy a lamp for the light it gives and how it brightens up your entire room, not just for how it looks. As we mentioned before, stick to the color palette, and go for as simple lamp designs, as possible.

In conclusion

Remember that hygge is a lifestyle, you have to believe in it to live it. Most importantly, it’s not about keeping things perfect, so don’t worry if things don’t go exactly as you had planned.