How to Hygge
Happy new year friends! Welcome 2022....what will this new year bring?
In all the bringing's, lets bring some Hygge!
What is Hygge? Hygge is a Danish word meaning " a quality of coziness and comfortable conviviality, a feeling of contentment and wellbeing and togetherness". Is that not the coolest word?? Hygge is all about creating this feeling in your home and lifestyle. Hygge is about the small things in life. Like warm socks. A dim lit room. A hot cup of tea in your favorite mug. Hygge is like Nordic Zen. I'm half Scandinavian and grew up in Minnesota for most of my life, so I get this.
The holidays are now over and the new year has begun but for most of us the winter is still a long cold reality. Hygge is a lifestyle, but I think especially mid winter it's a great way to brighten up the winter gloom.
I've put a list together of 8 ways to add Hygge to your surroundings and savor the small things of life in a big way.
1) Textiles
I LOVE throw pillows. They are a major game changer for the home. Adding textiles to a room through throw pillows and cozy blankets creates a space that allows you to relax. Adding textiles is like a big hug and creates warmth. In the winter use bulkier fabrics like cable knits, wovens, velvets and furs etc. And in the summer just lighten it up with linens and lighter weight fabrics.
2) Candles
I can't think of a better way to add hygge than with lighting. You can add candles, a string of lights, lower lamp lighting or lighting up the fireplace. Make sure the rooms that you unwind in or gather as a family has a few of these elements to create a glow that makes you want to stay. And by all means make sure to have fun with it!
3) Plants & fresh flowers
I'm obsessed with this one. I have house pants or foraged branches in vases in pretty much every room of my house. It brings me joy and I love changing the branches out with fresh ones for an ever evolving fresh new look. If you're feeling adventurous, just bring some clippers with when you take neighborhood walks and you'll be surprised what you find!
4) Diffusers
Have you ever walked into a home and it just smells fresh and maybe even organic? Diffusers are a great way to add goodness into the air with essential oils. They are stress relieving and I love how it freshens up the air in our home during the winter when it tends to get stale. One of my favorite essential oil combinations is lavender and lemon eucalyptus.
5) Coffee bar
Whatever your drink of choice is, make a beautiful and convenient spot for it in your home. Make a coffee bar set up with your favorite set of mugs and find pretty containers for everything. Or do the same with tea, matcha or hot cocoa. Give that favorite drink in your home a moment of it's own.
6) Music
This one is a no brainer. Music is one of the best ways to calm yourself or put you in a great mood. We all have that playlist of songs that makes us happy and lifts our spirits. I'm so glad turntables are getting the spotlight again. They're good for the soul and look amazing displayed in the home adding a fun vintage vibe. So keep those good tunes playin in the new year.
7) Natural elements
Anything that you can do to add vintage, or elements of nature to your home will bring more soul and more hygge. If everything is new in a home it doesn't feel alive or storied, it just feels fake and cold. Imperfection IS perfection people! In a world that surrounds us with technology and digital everything, I don't know about you but I crave some vintage to balance it out.
8) Togetherness
And lastly gathering with the people you love is hygge to the core. You don't have to be the hostess with the mostest to create this in your life. It's all about cherishing the simple shared moments. Whether it's intimate with just a few friends or a large festive gathering, it's these moments that we look back on and feel a sense of wellbeing and contentment.
I hope this helps you spread some relaxing hygge vibes in your homes this winter and many years to come.
Cheers to 2022!
Katrina