Nine Ways to Introduce Hygge Into Your Decor

Interior spaces that embrace hygge will feel warm and welcoming, both to yourself and close friends alike. Interior design that utilizes the concept of hygge results in a calm serene space that lowers stress levels. Hygge home decor should be meaningful, a deliberate act of only displaying those precious items that bring a smile to your face and promote contentedness. The resulting space will have a welcoming atmosphere perfect for sharing with family and close friends.

Decorating your home with hygge in mind will allow you to create a serene and calming environment for the cold winter months. A cozy, welcoming interior also helps with healing, which is necessary for anyone who suffers from depression and anxiety—a condition which is exacerbated in the winter moths. Winter is cold, dreary and harsh, but a hygge infused space helps alleviate that reality, providing a safe space to relax, unwind, and rejuvenate.

The hygge color palette is very Scandinavian at its core. This style is a high contrast combination of neutral color palette with whites. Warm wood, whites, creams, and neutral tones make up the typical color scheme—so think Scandi, Japandi, or cottage core without the clutter.

Mood lighting is very common in hygge interiors. Twinkle lights and lit candles add a cozy romantic touch to a space. Light pools from the warm glow of candles, fairy lights, and fireplaces are treasured in hygge design. Candles are very important and used every day, and it is a tradition to place lit candles in windows at night. Wherever possible, incorporate fire via fireplace or candles, even if it’s faux or digital. Overhead lights are only used when necessary.

Hygge interior design is tactile and textural, using wood mixed with woven baskets and layers of blankets, duvets, pillows, and rugs. Furnishings are usually made from natural materials like wood, faux furs, wool, and leather. Hygge interiors rely on soft blankets, fluffy pillows, warm wood furnishings, woven baskets, and other home decor made from natural materials to create a cozy safe harbor from the cold winter. This even applies to clothing…Soft comfy clothing and wool socks help you relax and unwind…and find joy.

Another integral part of hygge is bringing natural elements indoors. You can bring nature into your home with greenery, houseplants, or fresh flowers—in other words, things that grow. Lanterns, piles of firewood, or branches from outside work well too. Anything organic or made from natural materials will compliment a hygge space, especially when used to create table centerpieces and vignettes. Another way to bring nature into your home is to improve the view outside the window, so that you have a reason to gaze outside and feel inspired by nature’s beauty.

Hygge embraces all the senses, including the sense of smell. Fill your space with amazing scents from essential oils, candles, or aromatic plants. Use aromatherapy to engage your sense of smell with scents like cookies, lavender, pine, or whatever scent gives you joy. Homemade candles, essential oils, lavender, Epsom salts, or even cooking a meal are all perfectly fine venues for introducing your favorite scent into your interior space. 

So hygge—and any Scandi or Nordic design style for that matter—is all about simplicity. There is a “less is more” approach to decorating interior spaces, with clean lines and minimal—but meaningful—decor. An uncluttered, tidy space frees the mind, improves your mood, and helps you relax. It’s not about a lack of decor, but more about surrounding yourself with decor that is meaningful, with collected items that bring you joy. In hygge decor, you are looking to create a feeling of simple pleasure.

Building off the idea of meaningful decor and simple pleasure, hygge decor will often utilize vintage, antique, and handmade items that have a story. Handcrafted items and decor created by skilled artisans have a lovely imperfect, human touch. These types of decorative items have much more of a soul than a store bought, mass produced furnishings. It is good practice to display sentimental objects that are nostalgic that bring back good memories, or items that remind us of interesting stories.

Hygge is all about creating coziness and joy, finding pleasure from the simple things in life. For our interiors, this means creating nooks (called hyggekrog)—book nooks, reading nooks, cozy spots to take a nap or look out the window. These are smaller spaces within the larger space that have a place unto themselves, a snug little corner of a room perhaps where you can just curl up and be cozy and warm. Maybe it’s a small book nook, with shelves full of books, or maybe it’s a window seat with comfy pillows and a blanket. Whatever this space is, it should be a place of peace and security, with comfortable chairs, pillows and blankets that you can sink into and hide away from the worries of the outside world.

So there you are, curled up in your comfy clothes, warm soft blanket, comfy pillow, and a good book…but something’s missing. You can’t have a truly hygge experience without a hot beverage! It’s a good idea to have a dedicated coffee or tea station, with ceramic mugs, tea bags, sugar, hot chocolate, coffee maker, whatever you need to make your favorite hot beverage. Maybe even wine glasses, if that’s your thing. Whatever your preferred beverage, the idea is to have a spot that will allow you to easily prepare it and get back to your warm blanket!

In my research, I keep coming across this book–The Little Book of Hygge, by Meik Wiking—which is all about this topic. I actually heard a few excerpts from the audiobook and loved it, so I think I’ll be buying the book! As it turns out, hygge is not just about interior decor, but applies to a way of looking at life in general. It’s a philosophy that teaches us how to live a more meaningful life…and that’s something I think we are all craving right now!

​This article may contain a few items or commercial mentions, but I only used them for demonstration purposes only. I am not endorsing any particular product or receiving any monetary gain for this blog.

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Eight ways to create cozy winter interiors after the holiday decor comes down11 interior decorating tips that help reduce anxiety and depression