What my home means to me
British journalist and author Helen, 36, is living the hygge life with her husband Guy, toddler son, Fox, and their dog Jumble, in Denmark, ‘the world’s happiest country’
Helen Russell
WHERE I LIVE
I felt as though I knew the place already when we first stepped inside our detached three-bedroom townhouse in Jutland. Built in 1910, with its high ceilings, big windows, white walls, untreated floors and interesting period touches, it was light, airy, and somehow familiar. Then Guy hit the nail on the head: ‘It looks just like the house from the Oasis album Definitely Maybe.’ And it does.
We moved to Denmark in 2013 when he was offered his dream job working for Lego. I’d been a journalist in London for 12 years and we were both in need of a change, so we agreed to give it a go. I went freelance and threw myself into living as Danishly as I could.
You learn a lot about a nation from its homes. In Denmark, most look like something out of a Scandi-chic photo shoot, with lots of natural materials and uncluttered surfaces.
Denmark is famous for its furniture and lighting design and Danes prioritise this. Even the more modest homes we saw when househunting had a few designer touches, such as the PH5 lamp – 50 per cent of Danes own at least one. Powerless to resist, we bought one too.
We rent here, so didn’t have to do anything to the house when we moved in. There’s an open-plan kitchen and a six-seater table that everyone can gather around. Having family meals together is an important part of life in Denmark.
The living room backs onto a study, where I keep books and files, and we’re up on a hill so we get sunlight for most of the day. It’s always warm, thanks to a district heating system that keeps all the houses in town toasty.
MY INSPIRATIONS
In my first week of living Danishly I learned about the phenomenon of hygge. It’s about togetherness, gratitude, indulging and not denying yourself anything, as well as making your environment as beautiful as you can – all things proven to make us happier. So now we have lots of hygge touches in our home, including sheepskin-lined chairs, plenty of cushions, and tactile, wooden furniture. Candles are key – Danes burn the highest number of wicks in Europe – and we regularly breakfast by candlelight in winter, Danish-style.
There are plenty of influences from ‘home’, such as Ercol chairs made in Buckinghamshire, near where I grew up, that we’ve collected from charity shops or reclamation yards over the years, and the oak table that belonged to my grandmother-in-law. It’s really hardwearing and we’re not precious about it, so every time it gets too many red wine stains or congealed Weetabix clumps we can’t chip off, we sand it down and paint it again.
There’s usually a cake on the go for any friends dropping by – at least, that’s what I tell myself – and I like to use my vintage tea sets whenever I can. Stopping for kaffe og kage – coffee and cake – is very hygge.
OUR FAMILY LIFE
Old photos remind us of friends and family in the UK. We tried for years to start our own family and weren’t sure it would ever be possible. Finally I became pregnant halfway through our first year of living Danishly and Fox was born at the start of 2014.
Parenting far from home can be tough, but the daycare system and great work/life balance help. I can walk to the nursery to drop Fox off, then come home, fire up the coffee machine and settle down to work or head to town to write from a coffee shop.
At 4pm I stop work as daycare shuts at 4.30pm. After this, we walk the dog or go to the beach and pick mussels, then head home to build something from Lego, before starting on supper. I cook more in Denmark. Eating out is expensive and there isn’t the same choice as in the UK.
On weekends we visit friends, go walking in the woods, or island hopping. And there’s always Legoland! Living Danishly has been rewarding so far – and we’re so much happier. HB
Find Helen’s book The Year
of Living Danishly (£8.99, Icon) at iconbooks.com