Embrace Hygge in Your Home
Cozy season is upon us, which means candles, blankets, warmth, and feeling relaxed in your surroundings and with friends and family. Scandinavian people have a term for this concept: hygge, pronounced “hoo-ga” or “hue-gah.”
Hygge doesn’t have a direct translation in American culture, though if you grew up in Denmark, you just know what it means.
Eva Robinson, president of the Western Pennsylvania Scandinavian Society and a Denmark native, said hygge wasn’t a term she’d heard outside of Scandinavia until the last few years. “I think it’s because people need it. They need that feeling of comfort and coziness and warmth and goodwill everywhere,” she said.
Now, though, many Americans are striving to capture the hygge vibe, and it really is a vibe, or even a feeling of goodwill, like running into an old friend on the street and having a pleasant conversation.
“That is what we’d call ‘hyggeligt,’” she said.
Although you can have hyggeligt experiences on a bright summer day, many Americans do associate hygge with the cooler temperatures and are striving to capture a hygge-like ambiance in their homes.
Luna Fruensgaard, an interior designer and owner of Studio Lokken, grew up in Copenhagen and agreed that hygge is a relatively new concept in America. “It’s become a trendy word over the past couple of years and has been discovered especially post-pandemic when people retreated to their homes and wanted to find comfort and coziness, which is the sentiment behind the word.” It stems from the short winter days in Denmark and more northern countries like Norway and Sweden.
“Hygge doesn’t have to be some big extravaganza. Danish people are good at gathering around a small moment of time,” said Fruensgaard. And it’s not limited to fall but living by the seasons. Like Fruensgaard said, hygge can be lemonade in the summer on a bright plaid yellow tablecloth. “It’s one word for a broad series of connections.”
Although experiences like grabbing a cup of hot cocoa with a friend are hyggeligt, there are design elements that could create that kind of atmosphere in your home, and they do not have to be overly complicated. “If I was going to make an inspiration page of hygge, I would choose a cozy sofa, wood floors, candles, maybe a fireplace, cozy textiles, wool, like natural materials,” said Fruensgaard. Even fuzzy slippers at the base of a couch represent hygge.
Julianne Mazzarella, proprietor with Zuhause Interiors based in Sewickley, agreed with the idea of introducing natural materials, like wood and stone, as opposed to any faux finishes, which are more authentic from a hygge perspective. “Even bringing in organic materials like live plants or biophilic design overlaps with hygge in that respect.”
Food and drink, much like the English afternoon tea or the Swedish tradition called Fika, where people take a break to enjoy a sweet treat, are an important part of hygge, so don’t forget the cookies and cocoa.
“Food, warmth, light, and family and friendship is what hygge revolves around,” said Fruensgaard.
Suzanne Sekula, owner of 312 Studio Interiors, defined it this way: “Hygge is a space that retreats from the noise of life. Soft forms, layered natural textures, and organic hues harmonize with a low-tech environment to provide a cocoon of comfort.”
She added that this type of style can narrate a story. “The space will invite you to curl up in a boucle-clad lounge chair with a novel and hand-knitted cotton throw, while sipping artisan tea from a bespoke coffee mug. Incorporating textural layers that are not polished or perfect will add storied character to a minimal environment without becoming visual clutter.”
Another way to incorporate coziness, no matter the season, is to evoke the senses. For fall specifically, Sekula advised, “Bake pumpkin muffins, pull out the warm blanket knitted by a dear friend, add fresh gourds and apples to a handcrafted wooden serving bowl — a few sticks of cinnamon or seeds of nutmeg add great texture and smell — open the windows so the house can breathe and enjoy the crisp air and rustling leaves.”
The designers have all pointed to lighting as an essential element when trying to create a room with a hygge atmosphere. “Layered lighting that is dimmable and controlled separately is most successful. You need lighting that provides an ambient glow, lighting for a task, like reading, and lighting that accents a feature like artwork or custom built-ins. Each layer needs its own controls,” said Sekula.
Mazzarella points to candles or any sort of light that is diffused rather than bare bulbs, and something with a shade as opposed to clear glass. “You want to go for golden light, not a daylight bulb, but a soft, warm white,” she said, giving an example of a 2,700 Kelvin bulb.
Any color would work for a hygge feel, as it is a matter of personal choice, but Mazzarella said that warmer colors, or colors found in nature, like greens, earthy tones like terracotta, or muted tones are more akin to the essence of hygge.
Another common design trick is layers. “Textural fabrics like rich cotton boucle, worn leathers, and woven grasses layered throughout the space will create a welcoming atmosphere,” said Sekula.
Something as simple as adding a candle, or such accessories as photographs or your favorite books, can fall under the hygge category.
Mazzarella said that creating a hygge vibe is synonymous with comfort level. “It’s the details that make the house look lived in, not just that things look beautiful but the feeling that you can settle in. We want other people to feel comfortable in our homes like we feel comfortable in our homes,” she said. That is why items in your home that evoke memories, those personalized touches, are important.
If you’re going to remember anything about hygge, Fruensgaard said, “Tying back to the rhythm of the seasons, the top three are: bring in the light when it gets dark, bring in the warmth when it gets cold, and gather round for a nice meal or snack with the people you care about.”
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