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By now, you are probably familiar with the Danish word hygge (pronounced hyoo-guh), but you may not know what it means. And even if you know what it means, you may not know how to incorporate it into your life. Never fear! We have 5 simple ways to cozy up your home this fall!
1.) Lighting
The simplest way to create an atmosphere of coziness is with lighting. The obvious option is to utilize your fireplace if you’re fortunate enough to have one. But for those of us who aren’t so lucky, there are a couple of other options. Candles, real or artificial, can instantly warm up even the starkest of rooms. Consider adding them to any dark corners or feature them in a tray on your coffee table. Additionally, something as simple as a jar filled with a string of fairy lights on your mantle can make your home feel more welcoming.
Fun Fact: Danes use more candles than any other nation
2.) Find Hygge In Nature
Generally, people think of hygge as getting all wrapped up and cozy indoors. But it’s also about connecting with nature. A walk in the park with your partner or braving a thunderstorm with your kids can both be considered hygge. You could also rake up a pile of leaves for your dog to jump in or wage an epic snowball fight with your neighbors. Finding joy and contentment in the natural world is an essential element. However, sometimes it’s nice to be able to bring the outdoors inside. You can find eco-friendly fall decor tips in our recent post here.
3.) Comfort Food And Drinks
Now that the weather is (theoretically) cooling off, it’s the perfect time to pull out those warm weather recipes. We love baked oatmeal for slow weekend mornings and the simplicity of coming home to a vegetarian chili in the crock-pot. But if cooking doesn’t make you feel all warm inside, there’s always coffee, hot chocolate or our all time favorite tea. A simple cup of hot cocoa accompanied by a good book may be just the thing you need to regain your balance. Hygge is all about what makes you feel most at home, so don’t make it complicated.
4.) Have A Hygge Movie Night
Movie nights are the epitome of hygge. You can turn off the lights, snuggle up with a loved one and share a bowl of buttery popcorn. Or if it’s family night, throw a bunch of pillows on the floor, have everyone get into their most comfortable pajamas and make a night of it! Bonus points if you can get everyone to put away their phones and tablets!
Fun Fact: The Danes add hygge to other words such as “hyggebusker” to describe those pants you wore on movie night and wouldn’t consider wearing outside in the light of day.
5.) Hygge-ify Your Home
You know that we couldn’t possibly get through an entire blog post without once mentioning decluttering. So here we are…declutter! Your home should be your sanctuary, the place where you feel the most comfortable and safe. If you have too many things, it will make it difficult for you to cultivate an atmosphere of comfortable conviviality. So before you bring in the candles or break out the hot chocolate, make sure there’s room for it.
Hygge appeals to our organize-loving hearts because you probably already have everything you need. You don’t have to buy any products or spend any money. You just need to enjoy your friends and family, eat some good food and snuggle up on your couch with a good book. Instant hygge-fication!
