The Danish art of hygge
The Danish ideology — generally translated means ‘cosy,’ but includes spending time doing nothing with friends and family — is sweeping the globe
There’s no such thing as too many candles, says Arne Nordtorp, a Denmark-born Toronto resident, and Danish design aficionado. Soft lighting is key to any happy home. So are cosy blankets and beautiful furniture.
“A lot of people think Danish design is stark and cold, but when you get to the DNA, it’s really warm and colourful,” says Nordtorp, who owns the Danish furniture and design store Torp on Davenport Rd.
“The space itself needs to be beautiful because when you’re in a beautiful space it really makes you feel more comfortable.” It’s a philosophy called hygge, and Danes live by it. The goal is to create an atmosphere that encourages people to “spend time together doing almost nothing at all,” Nordtorp says.
Hygge (pronounced HUE-geh or HOO-geh, depending on whom you ask) is all about creating a cosy and comfortable environment, says University of B.C. Danish culture and language lecturer Jens Monrad. And the ideology is currently sweeping the globe, he says.
Five books on the topic have recently been released, while news organizations around the world, particularly in the U.K., have devoted plenty of ink to explaining the philosophy. And while the trend is just starting to bubble to the surface in Canada, the current state of social and political affairs might lead to a surge in popularity here, too.
The old Norse term originally meant “to think of caring for someone or something,” Monrad says. In the mid-1800s — when Denmark was replete with political and civil unrest — the word resurfaced in literature, usually around themes of families coming together to create a comforting environment.
Nikolaj Grundtvig, founder of the Danish People’s Church, later equated the concept of creating a cosy and quiet comforting home environment to a churchlike experience, and the philosophy really took off.
“He made the gates of paradise sound like something out of Ikea’s Christmas catalogue,” says Monrad.
Anytime there was civic unrest, such as during the Nazi occupation in the Second World War, hygge resurfaced until it just became part of everyday life in Denmark, he says.
“It is why in a modern context, ( hygge) has connotations of something overly escapist perhaps a little bit self-satisfied.”
Today, it’s part of what makes Denmark, Denmark — one of the happiest countries on the planet, according to the World Happiness Report. With the continued economic slump, global safety concerns, Brexit, Trump — there’s never been a better time to create that welcoming and comfortable home environment to escape the stresses of modern life, Monrad says.
But, he adds, hyggeis more than just escaping the harsh realities of the world in a candlelit, blanket-covered room. To live a truly hyggeligt life, it’s about fostering a closeness and comfort with friends and family.
Toronto’s Steve Miller, an ad agency executive whose mother is Danish, grew up with hygge — candles and blankets everywhere, and plenty of sweets in the home.
Now at 41, he continues his mom’s traditions, and there’s nothing more hygge than the holidays, he says. Friends and family come over to eat open-faced sandwiches and pastries around a candlelit table, and they sit around for hours discussing everything and nothing at all.
“Friends, family and laughter — that’s hygge.” How to Hygge Canadian winters are cold and long. Here are three ways to add a little hygge. Accessories: Candles are crucial for creating hygge at home, Monrad says. Even though Ikea is Swedish, he says, it’s a great place to get inexpensive candles, such as the patterned Kornig ($9.99 for a set of three). To really drive the feeling of warmth home, toss some throws, (Ikea’s Odort faux-fur blanket, $59.99), onto every surface possible. Ikea.com Furniture: When decorating your home, look for comfortable furniture, such as the Flag Halyard Chair ($11,201) from designers Hans Wegner and Kasper Holst Pedersen. And since the dinner table is such an important part of the hygge experience, Nordtorp says a beautiful table, such as the Crosslegged Table (Wegner and Holst Pedersen, $5,092), will encourage guests to linger. Torpinc.com Foods: Bowls of sweets are common in Danish households as are rich, flaky pastries. Pick up some Hoj Snegl (cinnamon roll buns), or Smakager (cookies) or Smorrebrod (savoury, buttery open-faced sandwiches common at group gatherings) from the Danish Pastry House in Oakville to complete your table. Danishpastryhouse.ca