Are you a homebody who not only loves being at home but cares about making your home as comfortable and cozy as it can be? Drinking a cup of tea & reading a good book by the fire? And looking forward to getting back to them whenever you have to leave? Nodding in agreement whenever you hear "there's no place like home?" Homeschooling mom who wants to create slow, cozy hygge homeschooling moments? If that is you, you've come to the right page...

Meditation Moment

Find the comfy coziest spot in your home and take a big fat pillow with you. Either curl up by the fire or bring a candle to light.

Once the candle or the fire is lit, take a moment to stare at the flame and center yourself. Then, imagine that the warmth of that flame, the warmth of that light is filling every room, corner and crevice in your home.

Imagine that warmth welcoming you every time you came home. Imagine it soothing you to sleep every night. What would it be like for your home to become a haven of warmth, love and connection?

Warmth, love and connection so delicious that no one ever wants to leave it, including you. Imagine that you are asking your home what it needs to become that place. 

And then, listen for any great ideas that come to mind. Promise yourself you'll make it so.

Making it So: How to Infuse Hygge into Your Home's Decor

The most important thing to keep in mind as you begin this process is to honor your budget and your time. Hygge-ifying your home doesn't have to happen overnight. Also, begin with what you have already, that you love, because that is bound to save you both time and money.

And the goal is to bring it to every room, getting rid of anything that doesn't warm you and filling it with at least one thing you love, that does. I encourage you to pause for a moment right now, if you can, and go into or envision each room in your home.

What will each room look like when it feels as warm and cozy as you want? Write the answer to that question, each time, in your journal. That's your vision.

And to support your vision, you may want to create a vision board or pinboard. Just make sure it's realistic and makes you feel good when you see it.

Once you have a vision for each room, make note of what you will have to remove from and what you'll need to add in order to bring your vision to life. Start with removing everything that doesn't belong, and then, leave that more spacious incarnation of that room for a day or two, before adding anything else.

You may find, after a day or two, that you don't need to add as much as you thought you would. But even if it needs ten things, only add one to each room, at first. Because this way, your whole house will get cozier at the same time. You'll feel that sense of hygge as you walk from room to room, even if only one thing has been added, partly because what doesn't work will have been removed, creating energy space for the hygge elements.

Once you have added something in each room, go back to each one  and ask, "does it need anything else?" and write that answer in a bullet journal list. Then, I would do the same thing again and add one thing to each room, and then one thing more, until you know your home is finished.

It may not take very much, because hygge really is not about starting over and replacing  everything. Hygge cannot be bought. But the things that help to create the feeling of hygge can. :)

Once your home feels like hygge, go through this process once a season to refresh it and see if any changes are needed.

Hygge Decor: Here are Some Ideas

Hygge is about an atmosphere & an experience. A feeling of home. A feeling that we are safe, that we are shielded from the world & can let our guard down.
~ The Little Book of Hygge, Meik Wiking

Create a Hyggekrog or Comfort Nook

Maybe it's the big comfy chair near the fireplace, with a spot for your cup of tea and a stack of textured blankets and soft throws ready to keep you warm if you need them. Maybe it's a window seat so you can be right there when the sun comes in.

Or a couch you've covered with a fuzzy warm blanket and several pillows positioned just right to watch lots of movies and a nearby table for everything else you need: the bowl of popcorn, the mug of hot chocolate. What you want to do is create a comfort nook that you can go to every day ~ maybe several times a day ~ that you will love, that will enfold you with warmth, and make you feel hugged or wrapped up in comfort.

I have been creating nooks like this for more than a decade, but coming to understand hygge helped me realize that they didn't always have everything I would need. So, think about infusing one room or one area within a room with all of those things you'll need.

Light, coziness, warmth, a way to connect with the sun or with nature, a way to support moments of delight, a place to put your tea. Etc.

Take a moment to think about your home. Where would you put this nook?

I had to move things around quite a bit before I felt it had reached supreme hyggeness. And sometimes it's hard for me to leave well enough alone, so I may still make some changes before it's all over with, but any amount of effort I or you put into creating this haven space is and will be worth it.

Add Soft and Cozy Texture

"Decorate your home with soft textures, such as knitted or fleece throw blankets, fluffy pillows, shag rugs, & comfortable furniture. The idea here is that no matter where you sit or stand, it feels pleasant against your skin." ~Pia Edberg, The Cozy Life

One successful hygge trick Danish people employ is to surround themselves with different textures as part of their comfort resources. So they add blankets & pillows to couches and chairs and sometimes add plush, textured rugs.

I have tried this in my den and it really does add comfort. So instead of decorating with a throw by tossing it artfully over the side of a couch or chair, put it on the seat, itself, so you can feel it as you lean back.

Add Warm, Soft Lighting

Fluorescent lighting is too harsh, or can be. It always gives me a headache, so I was making the switch long before I knew about hygge.

But those who practice hygge often shift to using dimmer switches, candles, fairy lights and warmer, softer light bulbs and lamps to create a more soothing glow, while still providing enough of the light they need.

Are there places in your home where you could do that?

Lighter, Monochrome Color Schemes & Soothing Colors

Using creams or greys or your favorite soft colors can add a soothing touch to your overall decor and repeating them in a monochromatic color scheme layers that soothing effect, rather than creating a harsh contrast with colors that oppose. So shades of grey or cream or light brown or white or light blue - or a combination of them - can all add hygge influence to the look of your rooms.

And these color schemes can certainly change with the seasons.

No need to go buy everything new, though. If you have a dark brown animal print color scheme in your bedroom, add touches of cream or ivory, instead of replacing everything all at once. Grab a soft blue blanket and cover the bed with it, or add it to a chair.

In your living room, if your furniture is espresso leather, soften it with pillows and throws, and they will be what you see (and feel) first. You'll be amazed by what just a few, small changes can do for the way a room feels.

Speaking of the Furniture: Sink into it

For hygge decor, you want furniture you can sink into and stay awhile, in soft textures. So stuffed sofas, a chair and a half, fluffy pillows and footrests are all ways to add cozy elements to a room. Beds with pillows that seem to summon you.

So when it times to replace something, you can choose something cozy. But meanwhile, add something that softens. If the sofa is hard, add pillows that are soft, and a fleece throw or blanket you love.

If the bed needs some tweaking, add one or two pillows, and place your slippers next to it. If the desk in the corner seems harsh, add a throw across it's back and a vase of flowers in a matching color or a small plant that warms it up.

Start Small

Make small changes first, try them out and then, increase whatever is working when you can. In no time, you'll have a home that feel cozy and warms and delights everyone who enters.

Love to you, your family and your home!

Jeanine