You may well have heard the term ‘hygge‘. If you haven’t it is a Danish concept which cannot be translated to one single word but encompasses a feeling of cosiness and wellbeing.
Have you ever been to someone’s home and felt sheer bliss from the moment you walked in to the moment you left? Well, they probably put a lot of effort into it and yet made it seem effortless . You can absolutely do that too, here are 5 ways to make your home more hygge this Autumn:
1. Get Some Soft, Cosy Furniture
If you want there to be a cosy and comfortable aura around the place, then you might as well start with the things you’ll be sitting on. If the sofas and chairs in your lounge are dated, then they may be uncomfortable. Leather sofas can be practical and resilient but you might want to opt for something a little softer and easier or alternatively and some soft cushions and snuggly throws. Prepare the entrance to your home with somewhere people can take off muddy shoes and pop on some cosy slippers
2. Think Of The Warmth!
When you think about a home that screams cosiness and relaxation, you don’t exactly picture a freezing cold environment. Make sure that you keep everything nice and warm – especially during the colder, more testing months. Check whether the boiler is good to go, a service might be a good idea, and keep an eye on the heaters or radiators to make sure they are working ok.
We all like the cosiness of an open fireplace, too. There’s something about them that makes everything very blissful and relaxing. The obvious feeling of warmth it emits is wonderful and to sit staring into it can be mesmerising. Hearing the little crackles can relax anyone. If you don’t have one or you don’t use one, then there are other opens. They won’t give you the actual warmth but twinkling fairy lights can look so pretty or you can get fake candles with flickering wicks to give the effect of a fire
3. Insulate The House
Sticking with the idea of keeping you and everyone inside the home warm. Insulating the home with cavity wall insulation is going to help make the entire place safer from the outside elements. It takes the burden away from the central heating services and puts less stress on your bills.
Your walls shouldn’t be your only priority when it comes to home heat retention and lower utility bills, as areas such as your windows and doors can let out considerable warmth, too. It’s absolutely vital that you can take some time to assess and upgrade your windows and doors if need be, as old single glazing and poor quality plastic doors will allow lots of cold air to come creeping in.
There are also many extra insulating investments that can be made to increase the capacity of your windows and doors, including super thick insulating curtains or blinds as well as draught excluders that can be placed at the bottom of each door to stop that any cold drafts from flowing through your home.
4. Protection From The Elements
As the original Scandinavians who created the Hygge style had to perform a near constant battle with cold weather, part of the design process focuses around protection from the elements. You may be channeling most if not all of your efforts into the interior of your property, but you must remember that the exterior matters too! Thankfully it can be so simple to hygge-up the outside of your property to achieve the full package, as you can start by getting in touch with a trusted roofer to come and check the standard of your roof. There’s no way that you’ll be able to feel calm and cosy inside a home with a leaky roof, so don’t forget to cover every base when upgrading your property.
5. The Lighting!
Little lights can do a great job for the overall feel of the home. Obviously, you’ll want the home to be lit up during the darker periods, but you could use much softer lamps in some places. For example, on the bedside tables, a dimmer light can do the job and add to the feeling of cosiness too.
What hacks do you use to to make your home more hygge?
