{"id":1553,"date":"2017-01-03T09:00:52","date_gmt":"2017-01-03T09:00:52","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.clairstrong.co.uk\/blog\/?p=1553"},"modified":"2021-02-21T14:43:59","modified_gmt":"2021-02-21T14:43:59","slug":"why-you-should-embrace-the-danish-concept-of-hygge","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.clairstrong.co.uk\/blog\/inspiration-and-theory\/why-you-should-embrace-the-danish-concept-of-hygge","title":{"rendered":"Why You Should Embrace the Danish Concept of Hygge"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/p>\n

Image: Clair Strong Interior Design<\/p>\n

If you\u2019re a frequent reader of design blogs or magazines, you\u2019ve probably come across the word hygge.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s a Danish word (pronounced hoo-gah) that roughly translates to cosiness. But it\u2019s not just a word; it\u2019s a whole concept – one the Danes fully embrace. In essence, it\u2019s about creating warm, joyful moments every single day. It\u2019s about enjoying the little things in life, preferably whilst surrounded by friends and family.<\/p>\n

A few examples; a candlelit dinner with friends is hygge. Extra soft blankets and oversized scarves are hygge. Making proper<\/em> coffee and lingering over it is hygge. As is reading a good book next to the fire or buying fresh flowers every week.<\/p>\n

The Danes survive their long, dark and very cold winters with this simple concept. It\u2019s no wonder they\u2019re considered one of the happiest nations in the world.<\/p>\n

Since we\u2019re in the depths of our own rather miserable winter, now seems like the perfect time to adopt this concept for ourselves. January is one of the hardest months to get through, so let\u2019s make it a little more palatable with hygge. Here are some ideas:<\/p>\n

    \n
  1. Create simple daily rituals<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    With stressful jobs and busy home lives, it can feel like the weeks fly by in a blur. Creating simple rituals \u2013 like drinking tea from a proper china cup \u2013 can force you to be more present in your day.<\/p>\n

    Choose to do things that make you feel good; things you\u2019d miss if you didn\u2019t do them. Like buying freshly baked bread from the little shop down the road, lighting a candle at dinner or diverting your walk home to go past the street with the really pretty houses.<\/p>\n

      \n
    1. Consider the space around you<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

      The home is a very important part of hygge and a cosy, intimate atmosphere is essential. This might seem hard to create in large, open plan spaces but it\u2019s not impossible.<\/p>\n

      Instead of harsh overhead lighting, use lamps with warm bulbs and candles, lots<\/strong> of candles. Fill sofas with comfortable cushions and beautiful blankets. Have stacks of books and magazines close at hand. Light the fire (if you have one). And move furniture closer together; creating little areas in which to gather and talk.<\/p>\n

        \n
      1. Gather with friends and family<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

        And do gather! Get friends round to your cosy home to enjoy a home cooked meal and good conversation, or a rowdy session of board games. If you\u2019d rather go out, country pubs and tiny coffee shops are ideal hygge-like spots.<\/p>\n

        In short, hygge is good for the soul and well worth embracing to help you through the tough winter months.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

        Image: Clair Strong Interior Design If you\u2019re a frequent reader of design blogs or magazines, you\u2019ve probably come across the word hygge. It\u2019s a Danish word (pronounced hoo-gah) that roughly translates to cosiness. But it\u2019s not just a word; it\u2019s a whole concept – one the Danes fully embrace. In essence, it\u2019s about creating warm,…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":2676,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1553","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-inspiration-and-theory"],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.clairstrong.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1553","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.clairstrong.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.clairstrong.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.clairstrong.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.clairstrong.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1553"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.clairstrong.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1553\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2677,"href":"https:\/\/www.clairstrong.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1553\/revisions\/2677"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.clairstrong.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2676"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.clairstrong.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1553"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.clairstrong.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1553"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.clairstrong.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1553"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}