The Danish love of all things warm and cozy—often summed up by that famous word hygge—continues to inspire homemakers around the world. The Danes have successfully positioned themselves as experts in creating a certain kind of domestic bliss and finding happiness in the everyday. (Denmark’s regular presence on lists of the world’s happiest countries has more to do with this celebration of simple joys than with their weather, which is often infamously gray and cold.)
One of the Danish practices that helps turn their houses into homes is known as hyggekrog. The director of the Happiness Institute in Copenhagen, Meik Wiking, explains that the word can be translated as “little corner.” The idea is that you can take, yes, a little corner of your home, and with some soft light, blankets (a staple of hygge), cushions, a carpet, and a certain attitude you can create a place to disconnect—a retreat from the noise of the world outside. In the same way that mental health is built on a foundation of self-care from the moment we wake up, well-being, even at home, must be actively fostered. Having a warm space where you can quietly read, watch a favorite series, meditate, or simply gaze out the window can play a key part in this journey.
This inviting corner can have other benefits. James Clear, author of the bestseller Atomic Habits, describes four steps to incorporating them into your life: “Make it obvious, make it attractive, make it easy, and make it satisfying.” Creating a quiet sanctuary in our home and viewing it as more than a place where we eat and sleep can be helpful in this process. If you’re determined to meditate, write, learn a new skill, or adopt some other good habit, having an inviting place in which to actually practice it is invaluable.
As Wiking points out, “The Danes love having their own little spaces where they feel at home. Everyone wants a hyggekrog. They’re common in Copenhagen and throughout the country. If you walk through the streets of the city and look into the windows of houses that you pass, you’ll notice many with nooks and corners filled with cushions and blankets. They are, for their inhabitants, cozy places to sit and relax after a long day.” He also notes that some real estate agents even use an appealing hyggekrog as a selling point for a property.
For Wiking, one of the reasons why these hygge corners are so popular is the sense of control they offer. As psychologist Maria Martinez explained to us when we asked her about this phenomenon, “Your body and mind are your temple, and your home is the place where you recharge yourself physically and mentally. It’s where you go to disconnect from the world. It’s a space to relax, to be yourself. It makes sense that we should make the effort to create an environment that encourages a sense of well-being and comfort. It’s taking care of where we spend some of our most vulnerable hours.”
In the more specific context of hyggekrog, this means using decor strategically to create a space that makes it possible to disconnect from the stress of the world. “Our home décor has a direct impact on our mood and well-being,” explains Pilar Guerra, a psychologist and executive coach. “Creating a cozy corner at home, inspired by this Danish concept, can be a powerful tool to mentally disconnect. Home decorating plays a key role in this process, as it allows us to create an environment that promotes calm and tranquility. A space should be designed to invite us to relax and disconnect. Warm lighting, soft textures, and natural elements, such as furniture made of wood or live plants, envelop the senses in a feeling of comfort and security, producing a sense of refuge and calm. This small space not only invites us to pause and reconnect with ourselves, it also acts as a physical reminder of the importance of dedicating moments for rest and self-care during our daily routine.”
Ready to create your own hyggekrog? Here are some tips to follow:
- A window seat or a space alongside a window can be an ideal location allowing you to take advantage of natural light. That’s what Meik Wiking did, as he describes in The Little Book of Hygge. A kitchen window, outfitted with some cushions and a rug, quickly became one of his favorite places to work.
- Use blankets and cushions to make the space cozier. “What hygge is all about is offering a time-out to your adult, responsible, grown-up self. It’s a chance to relax, just for a little while,” notes Wiking, who recommends blankets made with wool and fleece for the winter and cotton ones for the warmer months.
- Candles are a must. If there aren’t candles, it’s not hygge!
- Experiment with lighting. Danes are very particular when it comes to lighting, aware of how much it can affect one’s mood. That’s why they tend to opt for lamps that offer soft, diffused light and, according to Wiking, they prefer to use several small lamps placed around a room instead of one large, overhead source.
