How to Create More Hygge in Your Life

April 9, 2020 Kim Egel

Regardless of what condition your home is in at the moment, this post is meant to inspire you on your journey toward creating a space that feels cozy, calm and welcoming. Why? Because our home environment provides us with the ability to mentally ground. There’s a correlation between the health of your mind and the peace and clarity of your external space, think Marie Kondo in her book, The Life-Changing Magic of Tydying Up.

Messy mind, messy home. We want clear, calm and organized my friends.

If you’ve already succeeded on this quest, props to you, and perhaps you can still enjoy the tips and appreciate the visuals of my featured friend, talented photographer and hygge master, Renata Amazonas.

With that said, I’ve collaborated with Renata because, I mean, what a Hygge wizard this one is! She’s created a home with MAJOR hygge and has invited us in to view her comfy space via her images & feedback in the below Q & A. Her instagram HONEYANDGARDEN highlights how she’s been so mindful to create such a warm and well intentioned space.

Q: Okay, so what is HYGGE?

A: It’s a Danish expression that celebrates and encourages all things cozy and calming with an emphasis on being intentional about choosing items that invite this feeling into your space. A space free of clutter that supports togetherness and joy.

Below is a Q & A with Renata on her tips and feedback about creating a space that’s true to you, while bringing you and others joy.

Q- Are you familiar with the term HYGGE?

Yes. It’s about living comfortably and all things cozy. Making your environment a happy place that brings you joy.

Q- What were some key areas of focus when you created your cozy, warm and inviting home?

My main focus is all about surrounding myself with things that bring me peace. For example, having plants in the house is a must for me. It brings the outdoors in. I spend so much time at home, so I wanted it to be my sanctuary, my safe place where I enjoy being. I created a variety of areas in the house where I feel comfortable and connected depending on the time of day. Our bedroom, for example, is our place to rest, nest, and read books. We don't have a TV in the bedroom. Our backyard is a place I love to enjoy on warm evenings and early mornings. I like to drink coffee and read books listening to the birds outside, as I am surrounded by my plants. Our living room has a very comfortable and soft couch. We only watch TV at night, but the natural lighting that comes in the afternoon is so special. It’s warm, and a perfect place to sit still listening to our old records surrounded by our plants and puppy.

Q- What are some of your favorite materials, colors, etc, to use when creating your environment?

I love neutrals. Organic elements. Textures. I love handmade products like ceramics. I feel very grounded around stones/rocks. When I’m shopping or making art, my eyes and style gravitate towards light colors and materials overall. White linen and light washed wood bring me so much peace.

Q-What catches your design eye?

A softer colored environment where I can play at adding elements with different shapes and textures. But mostly plants and the amount of natural lighting a room has. My eyes gravitate to lines. As much as I am an artist, I like symmetry and continuity. Thats for me when things flow.

Q- How did you learn to create such a beautiful space? Any tricks for those who don't know where to start in their design mission?

Don’t be afraid to play with textures. Do one thing at a time, don’t go to a store and buy all at once. Play around by moving things. I love looking at design magazines and blogs. It’s important to educate yourself and learn from other people’s experiences. Every time I go to a new restaurant or hotel, I pay attention to the details, from door handles to the choice of materials for flooring, walls etc. It’s all about the details. Another tip would be that if you have a small space, try and choose some key pieces that are not too bulky or dark. Pieces that have space underneath or are see through bring the idea of a bigger space. Also, living in a coastal desert, I tried to keep our space bright and airy. I get a lot of my inspiration from our desert adventures.

Q- Do you have any key tips for anybody looking to create a calm, peaceful and simplistic space?

Start with the bones. Pick a floor and wall color that you like. For me, the color of choice is white white and white. It’s like an empty canvas. From there, I go for the big pieces of furniture first, like a couch, dining table, bed, etc. Still going for more neutral color/style. Like I said, I love textures, so I have many white/cream/beige items in my house, but most of them have different textures. Then I finish by adding plants and all the earthy elements that bring me joy. But also, remember to make your home useful, not a display. I like handpicking everything we have at the house, from decor to dishes in the kitchen. We also love to build things ourselves and shop from local artists as much as possible. We don’t have more than we need in here. Avoid over buying things that you don’t need. If it comes to a situation that you love something new that you kind of have already, think twice and decide which one you’ll keep. Don’t be afraid of getting rid of the unnecessary. A clean space helps you live with more serenity.

Well, that was amazing! Thank you friend! Here are some quick tips to sum everything up.

6 QUICK TIPS TO CREATE HYGEE

KEEP IT NEUTRAL/ I know, this can be tough for my lovers of all the colors, bare with me on this one. A neutral palate calms us. It also provides us with a specific color scheme to follow. Neutrals help to keep our aesthetic clean and cohesive looking. Neutrals have a magical way of blending everything together beautifully.
USE EARTH ELEMENTS/ Earth elements ground us. They provide us with a sense of calm and peace as they’re untapped, untouched and straight from our mother earth. They keep our space “rootsy,” as I like to say. Even if you have loud pieces or a desire for color, balance it out with some earth elements for grounding purposes.
BE MINDFUL OF LIGHTING/ I can’t say it enough, lightning is so important. Stay with me on this. We’ve all been in the eye squinting, detail alarming presence of fluorescent lighting (think 8am office space.) Lord help us. Keep your lighting warm and soft, it does wonders to a room.
MUSIC IS EVERYTHING/ When I enter a space that has an appropriate playlist set for the mood or event, I’ve personally entered heaven. For me, a space that has mood appropriate music is a major uplevel to any environment. Music has the great ability to make us feel and tap into our emotions. It stimulates our senses, and offers a real cohesion to any well put together space. Don’t forget about this very important medium friends.
MULTIPLE TEXTURES PLEASE/ A variety of textures offers a really cool “depth of field.” It gives our eye different areas of focus, which creates something interesting, not only to our eyes, but to our space. Don’t be afraid to mix and match within a similar color scheme. (Renata does this beautifully, which is obvious via the images of her home.)
A GOOD SCENT GOES A LONG WAY/ Scents are another “finishing touch” to bring into your space. Beyond the warmth that a lit candle brings to a room, the scent of that candle can really add to the feeling and mood. When in doubt, light up!