Everyone is sharing their experiences of the Danish philosophy of hygge at the moment. My Instagram feed, online articles and other bloggers seem to have all discovered the way of life that helps keep the Danes so happy. I am off to Copenhagen in November so this has been of interest to me and I am just about to start reading the book, The Year of Living Danishly: uncovering the secrets of the world’s happiest country by Helen Russell. Maybe hygge can influence my autumnal home?
The definition of hygge from the gorgeous online shop Skagen is,
“Some languages have words for which there is no single, or direct, translation. In Danish, hygge (pronounced “HUE-gah”) is one such word.
We see (hygge) simply as the Danish ritual of enjoying life’s simple pleasures. Friends. Family. Graciousness. Contentment. Good feelings. A warm glow. Certainly, hygge is intrinsic to the Danish lifestyle, but this feeling of well-being, so deeply satisfying and cosy, is something we all experience, each in our own way.”
So it has got me thinking about creating a cosy home. I do however, already have beautiful mohair throws on every sofas and oodles of cushions so I feel like I am half way there. Add my fluffy slippers, warm coconut milk cacao hot chocolate in an oversized mug and our 1930s wood burning stove, our home is already on the way to feeling snug, perfect for autumn.
But what always lets me down are the curtains and blinds. Confession time….I really am not a fan of curtains, preferring nothing covering windows in the rooms that are not over looked. I prefer blinds and crave more in our home especially our lounge (I dream of dark wooded slatted Venetian blinds but our windows are not standard sizes so have never invested in any).
In our kitchen/diner/family lounge at the back of the house, the scheme is white on white with splashes of orange and green. It is not really cozy partly due to all white as well as the windows we have – 3 sky lights, 2 large windows and bi folding doors onto the garden which bring in tonnes of light which is perfect in the summer (although often too bright!) but not so great in the winter.
So I was over the moon when I was asked to team up with Order Blinds who asked me to choose the perfect blinds for my home. They have a huge selection of sky light black out blinds which are super easy to fit. They have made such a huge difference to the room, and added to a cosier feel. And they will be perfect in the summer to block out some of that heat from our south-facing garden.
I chose white ones (naturally!) and my husband fitted them in minutes. Literally, minutes! They can be pulled to stop at any point which will be great when we want to let some light in. The only thing I now need is a pole to open them up with!
Alongside my new cushions made from vintage fabric and yet another mohair throw, this space feels much better. I am still not sure what to do about all the other windows however, it is still nice to sit and look at the garden.
What are you doing to make you home more snug this autumn?
Kate x
This is a brand collaboration. For more details see my disclosure statement.
For more autumn and even winter styling, have a look at these blogs:
5 simple ways to create a cosy house this Winter
Turn back the vintage clocks this Autumn/Winter
How to create a mid century living room
