If you haven’t heard of hygge, I’m about to let you in on a little treat. Hygge (pronounced hue-guh) is a Scandinavian concept that roughly translates into coziness and wellbeing. Hygge is not necessarily a “thing” or a “feeling” or anything you can buy, really. It’s more of a state of mind; a way of removing the hustle, slowing down, being present and appreciating the simple joys of life. Here are 7 tips you can incorporate into your life today to help you make your home more hygge:
Making Your Home More Hygge
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1. Invest in good candles. Candles create an atmosphere of calm serenity and warmth. I love to use candles not only to make my home smell good, but to help me relax and enjoy the simple pleasure of the ambiance of my space. My favorite candle is this one. So heavenly!
2. Add texture to your resting spaces. Make your space more cozy and comfortable by adding soft, fluffy textures. Add a throw blanket, a chunky knit throw or some faux fur to chairs, couches and beds. It will encourage rest, relaxation and snuggling!
3. Update your lounge wear. There is nothing more cozy than soft, well-made lounge wear. Get yourself a few pairs of soft pajama pants, a cozy sweater and a pair of lined slippers for when you’re at home and ready to relax. I promise, comfortable lounge wear is worth every penny!
4. Invite your friends over. The art of a hygge lifestyle includes enjoying quality time with friends and family. Don’t get caught up with whether or not your house is clean or if you have make-up on. Just invite a girlfriend over for coffee and conversation. Or host an intimate, relaxed dinner with close friends. Enjoy your time and be present with your friends.
5. Turn off your phone after 8:00 p.m. In my opinion, one of the biggest problems with Americans is our dependency on our technology. I’ll be the first to admit, I am guilty of it as much as the next girl. Try to start making it a habit to shut down all of your social media and tech-dependent activities after 8:00 p.m. Instead, read a good book (like this one or this one) and enjoy the company of your husband, partner or furry friend.
6. Eliminate what you don’t love. Hygge is very similar to the minimalist movement in that a hygge home tries to eliminate clutter and chaos to promote a more relaxed and comfortable atmosphere. If you are tired of the clutter in your home, be brutal and start to give away or sell anything you don’t absolutely love. Once you’ve whittled your decor down to the absolute essentials, start focusing on how you can enhance the warmth and coziness of the space and then add what you need.
7. Display your treasures. Making your home more hygge includes displaying the things that make you happy or evoke happy memories. Print photos of your children or your favorite vacation and add them to your shelves. Display your books if you love to read. If you enjoy collecting something (like I love collecting ironstone pitchers) find a way to make them visible so that when you enter your room, you will see what you love.
Embracing the hygge state of mind can really improve your lifestyle by incorporating more of what you love (relaxation, friends, family, happy memories) and eliminating what makes you stressed (too much tech, not enough down time, hustle and bustle). Even if you only incorporate a few of these tips into your life and your home, I promise you will feel a difference that you will want to continue building on!
How do you bring more hygge into your home?
I’m loving learning more about Hygge. This is definitely a way of life I am moving towards. I love the collection of plants and candles in the first picture.
Cool! I learned a thing I did not know before. Wanna come over and watch Vikings? 🙂
At this time of year all you want is for your home to be warm and cozy so it’s perfect timing for this post!
I like the idea of turning off your mobile at 8pm. I’ll have to try that one! Love the photos!
You know I love my hygge 🙂 My favorite candle is at Target called Snuggly Sweater. And we have started “digital detox” at least two nights a week. I can honestly say hygge has changed my life for the better. A lot of people think it’ seating cookies by a fire, but the lifestyle is so much more. And so important. We also started “crappy dinner parties” with friends. Last minute, nothing we don’t already have on hand or can’t get easily, no cleaning before, come over in sweats. Oh, and we have a basket for phones by the door when they walk in. #hyggetillithurts
I knew about this approach but never actually knew what it was called. I love it and I think it would bring some of the chaos down a notch in my home in the evenings.
I’m fairly new to the concept of hygge, but this sounds so wonderfully cozy and a great way to combat anxiety. And your photos are simply beautiful.
I really love this way of thinking! I mean, who doesn’t love a cozy home and an excuse to just relax?!
Great concept! And your photos are simply beautiful.
Wow looks cool! Great idea
I can definitely use more “hue-guh” in my life! I’m outnumbered with 3 boys in the house 😀 LOL Thank you for sharing!
Hi!
May I ask you if the first picture is yours?
I will like to you is for my instagram feed but i cannot see who is the owner for the credits.
Could you please confirm?
Thank you very much!
Regards,
Laura