8 Nordic Secrets to Exude True Warmth at Home
Cultivating cheerfulness in winter's darkness is a Northern European specialty. Try these tips to boost your own home's coziness
In Denmark they have hygge, in Germany it's gemütlichkeit and in Sweden you might get mysig. Loosely translated, all of these words mean "cozy," but it is really much more than that. Hygge is about relaxing, slowing down and enjoying time spent together with friends and loved ones. It is about bringing light and warmth to a dark night, sipping hot drinks around the fire and creating a cheerful, peaceful, welcoming mood at home. And the beautiful thing about a hygge home is that it depends much more on the care you take than the cash you put into it.
Here are eight ways to take coziness to the next level.
Here are eight ways to take coziness to the next level.
1. Welcome visitors with good cheer. The moment you step into a hygge home, you know it. Imagine walking through the door and being greeted by a warm hug, the scent of something delicious baking in the kitchen and a comfortable place where you can sit and take off your boots.
2. Make little places to gather. It can be nice to have a place for sitting and having tea and a chat beyond the usual living room couch or dining table. A low table with benches feels more intimate — perfect for catching up with a close friend or flipping through decorating photos.
3. Enhance alone time. Just because you have the afternoon to yourself doesn't mean you can't also enjoy getting mysig. Put on music you love, drape your favorite chair with a fluffy sheepskin or extra cushion, and make sure you enjoy a cup of something hot to drink as you go about your day.
4. Give every room a welcoming touch. So often it's the small things that make the biggest difference. Don't you agree? More than having the "right" sofa or a perfectly coordinated rug and throw pillows, coziness comes from the sense that someone is caring for you. Think a small vase of fresh flowers, a well-cared-for green plant in the window, candles lit and coffee brewing.
5. Minimize media in your living space. One thing that does not mesh well with gemütlichkeit, hygge or mysig is a blaring cell phone or TV. Preserve some time and space in your home for unplugged pursuits — when a friend drops by, choose not to answer texts until he or she has gone, giving the visitor the luxury of your undivided attention.
6. Bring light to midwinter days. A strand of white twinkle lights, extra candles and soft lamplight have a cheering effect in winter. So if it's a gray day, why not light a few candles and plug in the twinkle lights while you relax at home? It's so much lovelier that way.
7. Create cozy hideaways. Retreating to bed when you have a cold or are just tired is a wonderful way to recharge. Make your favorite napping place even more appealing by ensuring that it has a good lamp, soft quilts and a small, special touch. Drape a piece of fabric overhead as a canopy or craft a mobile from homemade ornaments and pretty ribbon.
8. Always be ready for fika with friends. The Swedish tradition of fika involves taking a small break with friends for coffee and cake or cinnamon rolls; it sounds like a wonderful habit to adopt at this time of year. With packed schedules, it may be impossible to see everyone we want to see, but who doesn't have time for a little fika?
Tell us: What is your favorite way to get cozy in winter?
Tell us: What is your favorite way to get cozy in winter?