Invest In Your Home - Hygge For All 5 Senses

Hello all - as temperatures drop below zero and the days get shorter we crave the warmth and light of our homes. But spare a thought for our cousins in Scandinavia - Norway has an average of 24 hours of sunshine in December.

Further north, it’s only 12 hours.

Denmark (our climate sibling in many ways) still suffers, though not to such extremes - with only 46 sunshine hours in December and the same in January - if that sounds like a lot, at least compared to Norway, that’s about 1.5 hours a day.

So it is hardly surprising that these countries evolved an elaborate culture of emotional and physical warmth - a way of living which covers everything from the way you interact with others, the way you arrange your house and the objects you own.

An Introduction To Hygge

You may already have heard of the Danish expression for ‘hygge’, pronounced not ‘Hig’ as might be expected from the spelling, but ‘Hoo-geh’.

It has been translated simply as ‘coziness’, and that is definitely a part of it, but like many concepts from other cultures, it contains subtleties which can’t be described easily. However, the most scholarly source - a PhD entitled 'Interweavings' by anthropologist and market analyst Jeppe Trolle Linnet, describes it as...

Hygge (/ˈhjuːɡə/)

“A Form Of Everyday Togetherness”

Dog, Tea and Slippers - Image Found On MaxPixel

Hygge has now become so ubiquitous in - and in a way, synonymous with, Danish culture particularly, that the Collins English Dictionary gave it 2nd place as 2016’s ‘UK Word Of The Year’.

Although there is a lot more to it, the word has become a short-hand for a certain way of arranging your home - populating it with objects which have a function, that contribute in some way to this form of ‘togetherness’ and a contented, 'authentic' life.

We have put together this list of these objects to consider for your home, which should help to evoke and inspire hygge, each matched to one or more of our primary senses - ideally we should be looking for things that please several senses at once, as hygge is about an overall experience.

Candles

Smell - Sight - Feel

Candles are very much associated with hygge - so much so that the byline of this article has to point out that candles are not in fact the be-all and end-all of the philosophy.

But there is something definitely pleasant about candles in general - although we don’t really think of them this way now, candles are one of the first forms of artificial lighting.

In the darker months they provided our forebears with light and warmth, allowing them both the ability to continue working and to enjoy their homes - perhaps one of the reasons why they are so closely associated with the festive season.

Candles and Tea - Image Found On MaxPixel

Their flickering light - like any open flame - is hypnotic and fascinating in a way impossible to replicate, even with safe LED candles - excellent in their own way, but no substitute for the real thing!

The smell of melting wax and the burning wick is also very comforting- the candle doesn’t even have to be scented to provide a feel of home and safety. Beeswax candles are especially pleasant, and - I don’t know about you - but I’ve always found the smell of a recently snuffed candle to be extremely satisfying.

But there are other benefits to candles which fit right into the hygge philosophy - they provide light but allow us to appreciate the darkness, the passing of ours, the changing of the seasons. As they burn they mark the passage of time in a way that is fluid and calm - helping us, perhaps, to relax and enjoy life at a slower pace.

Spices

Taste - Smell - Sight

Sweet, warm aromatic spices such as cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg and anise (or ‘aniseed’, very similar in flavour to liquorice) are typically christmassy, of course - but thanks to the wonders of the modern supply chain, they are available to enjoy all year round!

Baking something like gingerbread or pumpkin muffins or spiced fruit loaf will make your house smell delicious and welcoming, and hopefully the result will taste just as good - and it will be something to share with friends and family, which is at the heart of the hygge ideal.

Even if you aren’t hugely proficient baker, one or two recipes of this kind will allow you an occasion to invite people over, or make a visit, and enjoy something together.

Christmas Spices and Citrus- Image Found On MaxPixel

There are other uses too - homemade decorations and potpourri (even the traditional pomander which was supposed to repel illness) made with dried spices will not only smell good but look lovely.

Star anise, cinnamon sticks and cloves alongside with dried citrus fruits will make a great natural display of orange, yellow and gold - a chance to appreciate the beauty and variety of the outside whilst being comfortably indoors!

Bird Table (Bird Bath, Bird House etc)

Sound - Sight

This may not automatically make sense - what do bird tables have to do with sound?

Well, in study after study, it has been shown that birdsong is one of the most relaxing and comforting sounds, so even if you are in an urban area, you want to encourage some small songbirds to come to you. But there are additional benefits to encouraging birds - and indeed other wildlife.

First, it will - hopefully - give you a further appreciation of nature, but it is also a project which requires patience.

Rushing around, being in a hurry and under stress, are things to be avoided for the hyggelig life. On top of this watching wildlife can be a relaxing substitute for the invasive presence of television, smartphone or computer - and uses far less electricity.

Sparrow In Bird Bath- Image Found On MaxPixel

Original Art

Sight

Mass-produced prints are all very well - there is a reason they are popular, plus they are cheap and available.

But something truly original, created by a family member, friend or local artist, will mean more - even after the initial examination has gone and you have become familiar with the piece itself, each time you engage with it there is a connection - it will remind you of the person who made it and the circumstances in which you acquired it.

It may even have a story behind it that you can share with your guests!

A Rug

Feel - Sight

A while back on this blog we mentioned Rya. These tufted shag-pile rugs are native to Scandinavia and bring with them the same cultural and physical imperatives which resulted in the hygge philosophy.

Although the bright colours and wild patterns of many Rya rugs are far away from the kind of muted colours - grey, white, beige - that are so often associated with the hygge aesthetic as it has been sold to us, it very much embodies its principles - they are often hand made, one-of-a-kind items, they are made for warmth, often with a thick, dense pile as comfortable for a bed (as they were originally designed to be) as for the floor, a thing beautiful, unique and practical.

Sadly we are not quite so skilled here as to make our own tufted Rya rugs - but we like to think our own bespoke rugs, each one individually tailored and (if you so desire) made with a thick warm carpet, will help to capture some of the benefits of these items - things that are talking points, as well as walking points!

We hope this blog delighted all your senses!

There is a only one more thing to mention, which is that despite everything you may have been told, hygge is not just the latest fad in interior decorating - it is a way of approaching life which goes a little way to countering the modern, bustling, technology-obsessed world. Within this is the central contradiction of trying to commodify and sell an idea which rejects consumerism.

Ultimately, if these suggestions don’t fit into your idea of a comfortable, warm and above all authentic life - just throw them out and try something else.

No one can tell you how to hygge - you have to learn to hygge for yourself!

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