It’s tempting to spend long winter days hibernating at home – and that’s a good thing!
If hanging out at home is your delight, why not do it with a little comfort and luxury? The Danes have the market cornered on mastering the upside to winter: it’s called ‘Hygge’ and it’s the lifestyle concept that is trending this year.
Hygge (pronounced ‘Hue-Gah’) is a Danish word that means the feeling and glow that comes from good food, friends gathering and getting cozy.
Often referred to as ‘Nordic Zen’, the concept is just that: picture a roaring fire, thick fuzzy socks, a cashmere throw blanket, and a mug of mulled wine.
If you want to get a little ‘hygge with it’ (yes, we went there), there are a couple of things you can do with your home decor to create that feeling of warmth and coziness that is essential to a good old fashioned winter snuggle.
Add Some Color
There are so many ways to add color to your space that will ratchet up the warmth factor. The psychology of color is simple: warm colors make you feel warmer.
You can go all out with this notion by painting your sitting room or den in a warm shade that makes you think of the hot haze of a Mediterranean summer: mustard yellow, dark orange, red of any shade.
Or you can introduce color more subtly by adding accent seating in a gorgeous shade of red, like the Lanai Accent Chair in Red from WHi. It’s oversized and plush, in the perfect shade of red to add that pop of warmth to any space.
Lanai Accent Chair in Red from WHi
If shades of red and orange aren’t your style, another option is to go for very natural shades, with aim of bringing the outdoors inside. The spring outdoors, that is. Greens and browns are natural, soothing colors, and all it takes is adding some simple accents like house plants or small trees to breathe life into an indoor space.
Add Some Fuzzy Texture
The word ‘cozy’ evokes images of warm socks, a pashmina shawl, a throw blanket and pillows. Lots and lots of pillows.
Mongolian Lamb Pillow Covers from West Elm
Fuzzy faux fur pillows are a fun way to add some of that warm texture to any space. You can take seating up a cozy notch with !nsipre’s Angelica Double Bench with the luxurious faux fur top and warm gold finish legs. It’s an old world feel—like hygge—with a modern twist.
Angelica Double Bench in White by !nspire
Furniture That Hugs You
To keep in line with the cozy factor, furniture that is soft, that feels like a warm embrace, is ideal for the winter months. A club chair with wings envelopes you when you settle into it with a blanket, a book and a cup of something warm and soothing. An antique detailed sleigh bed, like the Kensington by !nspire, gives that same feeling, so much so that you might have a hard time getting out of it in the morning.
Kensington Bed, available in 60” or 78”, Beige – from !inspire
The button tufted head and footboard and the micro-corduroy fabric are elegant and warm; just the thing to snuggle down into on a cold winter’s night.
Do like the winter experts do in Norway: embrace the season by making it cozy and special. And share with us how you get your ‘hygge’ on!