Hygge Your Home
With the
cold winter months and busy holiday season right around the corner, it is
important to remember to set aside some time for yourself to just relax and get
cozy. As college students, this is also an extremely stressful time of the year
due to final exams and presentations. The combination of these situational
influences, or temporary conditions (Angell, Situations
Lecture), makes the perfect excuse to create a little getaway from all
the stressful things going on in your life. Keeping a balanced life is
extremely important for both your mental and physical health. Without taking a
little time for self-love, it is easy to get weighted down by all of the stressors in life. One way that really helps create
a place of escape is the idea of having a Hygge home. Hygge, being a Danish
word, is best translated as “a quality of coziness and comfortable
pleasantness, that stimulates a feeling of contentment or well being (Altman,
2017).” This term is associated with true relaxation, indulgence, and
gratitude. Creating a Hygge space, allows one reach a state of mindfulness
through the presence of soothing and gentle things.
This idea
of Hygge is great for those who value experience, emotions, and self-care. By
designing a space that promotes these ideas in a positive way, we create
hedonic value. By this I mean that while spending time in this relaxing and
comfortable space, one will receive immediate gratification (Babin, 2016, p. 29). The fulfillment in this case would
be reaching a state of homeostasis, or “a state of equilibrium wherein the body
naturally reacts in a way so as to maintain a constant and normal bloodstream (Babin, 2016, p. 91)."
Giving a
space a Hygge feel may mean something completely different to everyone. What
may seem cozy to one person could mean the total opposite to another. I
however, am going to share my personal thoughts and ideas about what I think
makes the perfect Hygge home. In my opinion, I think it is all about the physical
environment. The affective qualities you implement into a space, such as the
aroma, lighting, noise, and color, are all important aspects to consider (Angell,
Situations Lecture). While there are many different qualities that can be used
to create this cozy and relaxing space, I have provided just a few of my
favorite tips on how to Hygge your home below.
Tips to a Hygge your
home
Tip 1: Add comfort
through textures
Adding texture to your space
could be one of the most impactful and important things to consider when
creating a Hygge space. Wool blankets, woven pillows, and furry rugs, are just
a few of the many different textiles you should invest in. Simply adding and layering
these different accessories and textures can help change your perception of a
space. Taking a cold and lifeless room, and making it more comfortable with
these simple additions, can change the way you perceive and utilize the room
through your different senses (Angell, Perception
Lecture).
Tip 2: Set a mood
with candles and dim lighting
Another affective quality you
should consider to help create a Hygge space is lots of candles and dim
lighting. These simple accents can help create a warm glow and lovely aroma in
any environment. The soft lighting and simple scent given off by candles helps
set the mood of your space. It creates a positive and warming atmosphere that
allows you to reach a more relaxed state of mind and feeling (Babin, 2016, p. 247).
Tip 3: Keep it simple
Hygge, in
relates to life and home décor, is all about simplicity. It’s about obtaining a
sense of self-mindfulness and being able to escape the many stressors of
reality. In order to reach this place, it is important to keep things simple.
Warm and natural colors, soft sounds, and minimal décor, are just a few ways of
keeping things laid back. When in your Hygge space, you want to be able to
utilize it for exactly what it’s meant for, a place where you can relax with no
distractions, no external influences, and no stress.
I have attached a few articles to give you even more ideas of different things you do to create Hygge in both your home and your life.
Sources:
Altman, A. (2017, June 19). The Year of Hygge, the Danish
Obsession with Getting Cozy.
Angell, A. (2017, September 12). Marketing 313. Lecture
presented in University of Michigan.
Babin, J.B., Harris, E.G. CB, 6th edition
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteHey Rachael!
ReplyDeleteI loved reading your post as my school work has been building up, so when I get into my room each night it really becomes an escape for me. I definitely agree that soft lighting and candles creates a positive space for a relaxed state of mind and feeling (Babin, 2016, p. 247). As someone who identifies as having a high degree of consumer innovativeness, finding new ways to accessorize my room in order to make it my own space is important to me (Babin, 2016, p. 115). Some shops I enjoy that you might too are Dormify (https://www.dormify.com/) , Anthropologie, (https://www.anthropologie.com/) especially their voluspa candles, and even Verbena on campus.
You touched on warm, natural colors and keeping it simple, and I agree that colors of a room can really influence the tone of the space. I try to buy pieces that are mostly white and grey, as grey “is famous for its simple and clean look” and “is a neutral color which anesthetizes the mind” (A. Angell, Lecture, November 8, 2017). Along with keeping your room simple, I think keeping it neat and tidy also really helps, which is something I struggle with as I my workload builds up. Maybe your next post could give suggestions on how to organize your space to keep it organized!
Sources:
1)Angell, A. (Presenter). (2017, September 13). Value. Speech presented at The University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI.
3)Babin, B. J. (2016). CB Consumer Behavior (7th ed.). Boston, USA: Cengage Learning.
Rachael,
ReplyDeleteI loved reading your blog about Hygge. It is something that I have never heard of, so it was interesting to learn about it. With finals around the corner, I will definitely take your advice and create a space for me that is easy to relax and reach a state of homeostasis (Babin, 2016). With the craziness and busyness in all of our lives, each person deserves a dedicated space to themselves. Sometimes this can be hard to do in college, especially if you live with a roommate. I am lucky enough to have my own room!
I really enjoy interior design, so I think that this could be a fun project for me. Without even knowing what a Hygee was, I feel as though while I was setting up my room back in August I embodied many of the characteristics that you described in your “Tips to a Hygge your home” section. I have several candles around my room. I find that candles really relax me and can calm me down if I am angry, upset, or stressed.
Click this link to see my favorite candle: https://www.jomalone.com/product/2855/10082/gifts/for-the-home/pomegranate-noir-home-candle?gclid=CLnG3driytcCFe-7swodlD0GiA&gclsrc=ds. The Joe Malone pomegranate scent is one of my favorites.
In regards to colors, my room is entirely greys and whites, which fits into your natural colors scheme. I sometimes like to throw in a pop of color through a throw pillow or throw blanket, but this year I stuck to the simple grey and white pattern.
Before finals, I might make a trip to Bed Bath & Beyond to spruce up my room a little and make it an even more relaxing space. I might order another fuzzy blanket and one more fresh candle!
Again, I really enjoyed reading your blog. I have always had a passion for interior design, but have never really pursued it. I guess I will just stick to decorating my own room and making it a comfortable spot for me to relax during stressful times!
Babin, J.B., Harris, E.G. CB, 6th edition
Hi Rachel,
ReplyDeleteYour blog really spoke to me considering the fact that finals are approaching and I am searching for a job at the same time. This is one of the more stressful periods of my life. I find often find myself extremely overwhelmed by the ever-expanding list of things I have to do every day.
As you mentioned, I am clearly affected by situational influences that weigh on me considering the fact that I’m a college senior about to graduate into the real world. As a result, I truly believe in the concept of Hygge. I have never been a very organized person. My room is messy and not put together well. If I am able to give the space I live in a Hygge, it will serve to alter my perception, or the way in which I evaluate difficult situations such as the aforementioned stress of finding a job and handling final exams (Babin/Harris). After reading the blog, I was inclined to do more research on the Hygge, as my future purchasing decisions as a consumer will be based on creating this lifestyle of “relaxation, indulgence, and gratification” that you discussed (Babin/Harris).
I appreciated all the tips you gave in order to Hygge my home. Specifically, my room is very cold and poorly lit right now. One might even think I was living in a cave. I will definitely take your advice and buy some wool blankets and comfortable pillows that improve upon the coziness of the room. One thing I do well already is stock my room with different scented candle options. I actually take to social media in order to take advantage of the extensive network in provides to millennials (Babin/Harris). The group is made up of an assorted collection of stressed college students who appreciate scented candles and the concept it carries. It helps me stay up to date on the most relaxing scented candles that are new on the market. Check out this Facebook group called Candle Sales & Appreciation.
Thanks for letting me read your blog. I really think it is going to help me get through the cold, stressful winter. Check out this additional article that dives further into the concept of the hygge.
https://www.newyorker.com/culture/culture-desk/the-year-of-hygge-the-danish-obsession-with-getting-cozy
Babin, B., & Harris, E. (n.d.). CB: Consumer Behavior: Student edition 7