Why are the Danish so Happy?

Hygge (pronounced hoo-gah) originates from Denmark and is the concept of creating joy and coziness in life’s everyday moments.

I absolutely love this concept, of surrounding yourself with items that are both personal and beautiful, while also being useful, and removing anything from your home that is not. It is the antithesis of the stark, impersonal look that is sometimes popular in modern interior design, and is rooted in the belief that your home should be a reflection of you and in turn, will be warm and inviting to everyone who enters it. It is about creating space and calm within your home.

Hygge is not a thing or something you buy….Hygge is a state of mind

Morten Georgsen

There is even a recent trend toward Hygge in staging as well, away from the cookie cutter pieces that have been on constant rotation for many years, to more natural elements that bring warmth to a space. So what are the key elements and how can you achieve Hygge in your own home?

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Lighting

Move away from overhead and pot lighting, and towards indirect low lighting such as table and floor lamps, sconces, twinkle lights and candles. This type of lighting provides a sense warmth and its flattering effect is an added bonus!

Less Clutter

Place an emphasis on filling your home with items that have personal meaning and are a reflection of who you are, such as well-loved books, family mementos or your treasured LP collection. Surround yourself with few well-chosen accessories that provide style as well as function.

Soften Your Space

Add soft cushions and throws which provide both comfort & warmth. Choose fabrics that appeal to the sense of touch and swap them out seasonally.

le mieux est l’ennemi du bien (the best is the enemy of the good)

Voltaire

Embrace Imperfection

It does not have to be perfect, just a perfect reflection of you. Lean towards the Japanese aesthetic of wabi-sabi which believes that beauty is imperfect, impermanent and incomplete.

Neutral Colour Scheme

Paint your walls white or another neutral colour and offset them with natural fabrics, greenery and wood accents. Wood not only warms your home but helps bring you closer to nature. Accent your wood floors with area rugs made of natural fabric such jute, or vintage rugs in the Persian style.

Slow Down & Simplify

Have spaces that encourage you to slow down and are organized in such a way to simplify your daily tasks. A spa-like bathroom will provide an oasis where you can relax and enjoy a bath with a warm cup of coffee, tea or mulled wine. A pared down well-organized kitchen and office will simplify your daily routine and inject calm into your day.

Fire

Light a fire or candles and this will automatically inject warmth and comfort into a room, while also bathing it in natural light.

Welcome Guests

Create space where you can entertain easily in an atmosphere that welcomes your tribe and encourages the sharing of good food, wine and conversation.

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Music

Fill your home with music you love and that provides a backdrop for the calm and serenity that you are fostering throughout your home.

Despite their cold winters and the limited hours of sunlight during those long winter months, the Danish are repeatedly ranked as some of the happiest people in the world. This practice of intentionally injecting Hygge into their everyday lives could be why, and reason enough for me to bring a little Hygge into my own life!

We call her the 'can'.

Yep, we had a shipping container dropped in our back yard almost three years ago and have loved every single second of having it there. We are a family of 5 and even though our semi-detached home is on the larger side, we still lacked a good home office space. (And with three kids there was really nowhere quiet to work EVER!) Since we live in The Junction a shipping container is a nice nod to the areas history and I feel like she fits right in.

I love how she's tucked away at the back of the yard. Yes, I said she. We originally envisioned her facing the house along the back fence. However, the tree roots would have made it difficult to properly place footings so sideways she went. I actually prefer this look now, it gave us a larger rear deck space and extra privacy when you are actually in the shipping container. We are fortunate that we have a rear laneway so that's how the shipping container was delivered. It was a tight squeeze but she slid right on to the poured concrete fittings.

We have a large workspace, tv and couch. That's basically it! You can see from the floor plan that the square footage is not a lot to work with but it's a great use of space for us. Thanks to Toronto company Giant Containers, the container was insulated with spray foam, wired, drywalled and has an electric heater that we have set up on a smart thermostat. I think since one long wall is all windows, it actually feels much wider than 8 feet. To work around city by-laws and not need a permit, a 20 foot long container was cut down to 13 feet in length. A storage shed was added to the back end of the container and covered in black steel so it blends right in.

How lovely is our neighbours pergola? The vine has small white flowers most of the summer and with the twinkly lights it's perfection. Also, even though these are crummy iphone photos, how nice is it to see green? This is NOT what our backyard looks like in February, sigh.

Having the extra office space has been wonderful. What surprised us is how much we use the space as a family. Movie nights in the backyard, a quiet place for homework or a not so quiet space for playing the guitar!

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We are SOLD on re-using old shipping containers for studios, storage, cottages and whatever else you can dream up. Speaking of dreaming, this is what I'm dreaming of right now. Not sure we have the room for it, but if we did.....