I first learned about Hygge Life when my sister-in-law gifted me these ridiculously cute booties for baby. I immediately ran to learn more about the brand — Who are they? Where are they based? What else do they sell? What I discovered was a Colorado-based duo that’s truly an expert on all things cozy. Not just warm booties, but beautifully sourced items for the home, and most recently, a book that’s all about making the most of your seasonal gatherings as well.
With fall here, we asked founders Alexandra and Koen to join us in sharing how to make the next few months feel relaxed and memorable, and of course, how to make the elusive “hygge” an integrated part of our lives this holiday season. And if you’re not sure what that means, you’re about to find out.
From Alexandra: What is hygge, you ask? The concept of hygge was non-existent to us before we crossed paths with the Danish culture and began to explore what hygge could really mean. It’s an adjective (hyggelig) and a feeling, but also a way to live life: pursuing only the things and people that make you really appreciate the moments that make up your life.
There are many facets of hygge that will resonate differently with each individual. It could be a moment by a bonfire with old friends and sweet wine, or sitting safe and warm on a sheepskin rug with a cozy cup of cocoa while candles flicker and winter weather swirls outside.
Maybe getting on your bike on that first warm night of summer, smelling the fresh earth in the air as you ride to meet for a beer on a terrace – but when your heart swells with the general perfection of your world at that particular moment, you are hygge.
It is not about decorating your home to perfection, but instead about finding things that speak to you, inspire you, remind you of wonderful moments and that you can share with all the people you love in your life. A hygge home is not about having a perfect home – it is about finding the home décor that speaks to you personally and creating a space that cultivates coziness.
Hygge is the pursuance, recognition and enjoyment of the small joys in life.
The things that make you sigh contentedly and feel that out of all the places in the world, all the hours of the day, all the company you could be keeping… you are in the one perfect spot.
Here are 8 simple ideas for bringing hygge into your life this fall.
1. Soft Textures
Bring out your soft, heavy blankets and drape on the couches and chairs in your living room or place an overflowing basket of blankets near your fireplace for snuggling. We are also a huge advocate of draping natural sheepskins on dining chairs, barstools, the couch and placing them on the ground on either side of your bed. The warming, comforting textures of natural textiles and sheepskins will bring hygge into your home without question.
2. Bring the Outside In
This time of year, there is so much natural beauty to bring into your home. I like to think of overflowing bowls of fruit and vegetables as a form of decor for the kitchen. Fill your favorite, pretty ceramic bowls with seasonal fruit and beautifully shaped gourds. Place vases of fresh greens and organically twisting branches around your home to bring the outside in.
3. Slippers
Place a basket of slippers by the door in an array of sizes for your guests when they arrive. We offer our guests slippers year round but as the weather cools down, it’s especially comforting for our guests. They leave their boots at the door and have cozy, warm feet for the rest of the evening.
4. Signature Fall Cocktail
Choose a signature fall cocktail for your home. Place the recipe on your bar cart readily available for Friday evenings and dinners with friends.
5. Soups & Roasted Vegetables
Make warm, cozy meals for your family and gatherings with loved ones during the Fall months. As the evenings get cooler, it is so comforting to make big pots of soup and roast hearty vegetables. We like to invite our friends over to dig in – we place a board of buttered toast on the table and let everyone fill their bowls to the brim with the soup of the evening. We also love to fill our farmer’s market bags with vegetables perfect for roasting, like zucchini, beets, parsnip, fennel and potatoes. We drizzle olive oil and grind salt and pepper on imperfectly chopped vegetables and roast for an hour or so. So easy and delicious and perfect for lunch throughout the week.
Click here to get the recipe for Alexandra’s Perfect Butternut Squash Soup.
6. Candlelight
Lighting candles seems like too easy of an answer for this question but it really is intrinsic to creating hygge in your home. The act in itself of striking a match and lighting a candle can cultivate hygge in yourself and in your home. As you light a candle, you are committing to be in that space for an amount of time and slow down to relax and enjoy. Place candles around your home and make a ritual of lighting them when you arrive home for the evening.
7. Baking
Fall is such a fun season for baking – pull out your apple pie, pumpkin loaf and cookie recipes. Pull a stool into the kitchen for your children to perch on and include them in the baking. Kids will LOVE it and you’ll make memories that will last forever.
8. The Smell of Hygge
During the Fall and winter months, my mother used to put a pot of natural herbs and spices – clover, cinnamon and star anise to name a few – on the stove and let it simmer. It would fill the entire house with a warming, comforting scent. Now, whenever I get a whiff of this smell it immediately puts me back in a state of coziness and hygge.
