Have you heard of hygge?
Chances are if you’ve spent any time online in the last year then you’ll have heard of it; it was the trend of the season last winter thanks to ‘the little book of hygge‘. And I have a feeling it’s here to stay this year as the seasons start to shift and the weather cools down.
For those who haven’t heard the word before, hygge is the Danish concept of warm and cosy living. It’s all about spending time at home with loved ones and enjoying all the little home comforts.
If you like the sound of it, here are 5 ways to add a little hygge to your home.
1. Warm things up
Hygge is all about being warm and cosy, so make sure that everything is working well with your central heating at home. It’s worth getting professional central heating plumbers out to take a look and get everything in great working order before the cold weather really arrives.
While you’re at it you might want to hire a plumber to come and deal with any leaky taps or problems with your water pressure. So that you can really embrace the hygge concept with a long soak in a hot bath with no worries about the tap dripping the whole time.
2. Lower the lights
It’s hard to create a really cosy environment when the room is brightly lit from a big overhead light.
Instead get a couple of lamps and place them at different levels around the room to create a softer lighting set up. For an even cosier feel you can go for a selection of candles. The gentle flickering light from them is so cosy and comforting.
3. Pile on the blankets
Dig out all your lovely warm blankets, or hit the shops to pick up some new ones, then drape them all over your sofa. While you’re at it add some beautifully soft and tactile cushions to the mix.
4. Bring the outside in
In the colder months we don’t spend as much time outside as we do in the summer. So bring the outside in and add elements of nature to your home.
This could be by adding a few potted plants to the window sill or filling a wooden bowl with things like pine cones that your children love to collect when you go out on walks.
5. Get baking
Food is quite a big part of the idea of hygge. It’s about indulging in the little things that make us happy and content, like curling up with a good book and a couple of homemade biscuits.
So get the oven on and get baking.
It doesn’t have to be anything complicated, we love making really simple fairy cakes as a family. It’s the act of baking that matters, and the enjoying of the end result!
I think hygge is something we could all benefit from embracing.
Our lives are so often spent at an almost frantic pace, rushing from one job to another, ticking things off our neverending to-do lists.
Hygge reminds us how important it is to slow down now and then, switch off and enjoy spending time curled up at home with our loved ones.
Sounds pretty perfect to me.
Disclaimer: this is a collaborative post