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There’s been a lot of hoopla around ‘Hygge,’ pronounced (hue-gah) and in 2016 the Nordic term figured as one of top neologisms alongside Brexit, Trumpism, sharenting and dude food. Neither cool nor political, Hygge refers to ‘comfort,’ ‘solace,’ ‘cosiness,’ and is intimately connected with the Danish way of living. Take note: the Danes are apparently some of the happiest on the planet.
There have been ample books published on the subject. Hygge can be sought or ‘achieved’ in cooking, gatherings and overall in taking joy in the small and more ordinary things in life. Louisa Thomsen Brits, the author of The Book of Hygge: The Danish Art of Contentment, Comfort, and Connection, refers to it as “a practical way of creating sanctuary in the middle of very real life.”
“"Hygge" is something everybody does but maybe its not addressed in the same way as we do in Denmark,” says Lars Rolf Jacobsen, co-founder at Novel Cabinet Makers. “The term is used for situations where time is not an issue and it's ok to kick back and relax or do something that matters for your family life or with a group of friends. You can also "hygge" by yourself. This would mean that you do something to really treat yourself and enjoy your own company. These moments can very much be encouraged by the setting you are in and therefore the interior design around you can be formed in a way to inspire you to enjoy these moments. This is what we try to do in Denmark."
“These Hygge moments can very much be encouraged by the setting you are in and therefore the interior design around you can be formed in a way to inspire you to enjoy these moments.”
This tranquil, warm state of being infiltrates much further than beds socks and a Danish pastry. Furniture and design from Scandinavia is frequently underpinned with Hygge principles and that is true for such pioneers as Verner Panton and Fritz Hansen as it is for today’s makers. Purity of form, nobility of materials, comfort, contemplation and intimacy are some of the shared qualities. The aesthetic is borne out of richly tactile surfaces, fabrics and colours that evoke the feeling of nature and our place within it. Simplicity, above all else, is key.
Look to Novel Cabinet Makers and to its Reflection geometric mirrors and Arch side tables featuring metal legs that clasp beautiful rounds of natural wood, with a mission to create “practical usage with innovative aesthetics,” and to boot these self-assembly pieces do not require tools and drills. At Verpan, discover reproductions of Panton’s curvilinear seating and at Icelandic collective Nor11, the wonderful padded Mammoth armchair that cocoons the body without any sign of slouchiness.
Hygge invites and respects togetherness - round tables, handcrafted tableware, gentle candlelight at Ferm Living and Stelton’s cute oval coffee pots - might just be the introduction into a new and improved way of life.
