Hygge (pronouced “hooga”) is a word the Danish use to describe the sense of coziness they create for themselves, friends and family in their home.
Cozy blankets, candlelight, natural elements, the warmth of the fire and a mug of steaming hot soup in hand. Welcome, fall. That whole situation inspires me in every way!
Experiencing Hygge isn’t just about staying inside by a fire, though. It’s also about getting outside and letting our natural surroundings and the benefits of nature lift our spirits. That might involve taking a walk in a park, visiting a forest or even heading to the coast for a walk on the beach!
I find the coast to be a very Hygge destination. Now, keep in mind that a visit to the ocean where I live in the northwest may not be quite the same experience as you might have in other parts of the country (like Florida or San Diego, for example!).
The coast here is often quite chilly. Unless its an exceptionally warm summer day, most people don’t run around in a bathing suit on our beaches! We’re more often bundled up in jeans and windbreakers.
When we go to stay at a beach overnight, we love to find a beach house or hotel where we can curl up by the fire in the evenings. If a storm is brewing, all the better for a Hygge evening!
Cozy inside, stormy outside. What could be more Hygge?
As I am puttering around my house in the fall, I am daydreaming that I live in a cozy cottage by the sea. The storms might be brewing outside, the winds could be howling, the waves all splashing, but I’m safe and warm inside, happy and cozy as can be.
Yes, I’m a daydreamer and a putterer.
Are you?
At our home here in Seattle we get our share of gray days and fall and winter rain (gratefully mixed with sunshine, though, too….), so Hygge really appeals to me.
Even though we live in a big city, we are also surrounded by nature. Through the windows to our backyard we can see a beautiful forest and the snow-capped Olympic mountains towering over the salty waters of the Puget Sound.
The natural surroundings of where I live have definitely impacted how I feel about my home, how we decorate for the seasons and even our everyday experiences. I’m sure the same is true for you and where you live.
Years ago I wrote on the blog about how your surroundings might influence your home design choices in this post about our family’s northwest beach house.
You might live on the east coast, or in the south, or in another country! You could live in a mountain home or a city apartment or a beach house. No matter where you live, you can make your home cozier in your own way!
That’s the beauty in trusting your own creativity. You can draw upon our unique surroundings, our own memories, and so many other personal influences as you are creating a home. You don’t need to decorate like anyone else, or follow someone else’s idea of what a home should be like.
Just can just be YOU! You can make your home authentically your own in every season.
I’d love to hear more about YOU and YOUR HOME in the comments!
Tell us where you live and how it impacts how you feel about your home and decorating in fall?
If you want a home where you can feel your very best in mind, body and spirit, you may want to read my new book Dwelling this fall! It’s just $10 on Amazon right now!
Previous Fall Nesting Post (and a list of links to the whole series):
5 Ways to Bring Hygge to your Home
Did you join our Inspired Room Community?
PS. One of my favorite coastal stores is having their big 20% off Friends and Family Sale right now!
I rounded up some of my favorites here as well as in the graphic below.
