Happiness – Scandinavian Style
Written by SurfWriter Girls Sunny Magdaug and Patti Kishel
With the new year running full speed ahead and more Things To Do lists to tackle, life can get stressful.
Fortunately, there’s a way to counteract the stress around us – by borrowing from the Scandinavian lifestyle concept of hygge.
Originating in Denmark in the late 1800s, hygge means “comfortable and cozy” and embraces relaxing with family and friends in a happy and uncontrived way.
SurfWriter Girls Sunny Magdaug and Patti Kishel are all for that. Sunny remembers when she was on a writing assignment in Sweden and friends asked her to stay with them.
When she arrived late at night there was a whole spread of food on the table to share. Everyone ate and talked into the wee hours enjoying each other’s company.
At its essence, hygge celebrates life’s everyday moments. Think sitting in a comfy chair by the fire or outside on the deck watching the sunset, sharing a home-cooked meal, lingering over coffee, listening to music, playing a board game, waiting in the lineup for the perfect wave.
Interior designer Mickey Walker, of MW Interiors in Redondo Beach, California, told SurfWriter Girls hygge is about “having your own place to breathe in comfort and warmth.”
In designing spaces for her clients, she’s found that “hygge fits well with California’s laid back approach to living and entertaining,” adding that “if you’re comfortable, others will be comfortable, too.”
Walker, one of SoCal’s most respected interior designers since 1982, specializes in “transforming houses into homes.” What she calls “harmonious homes” that reflect you and are in tune with your own individual lifestyle. “A home that fills your heart” – the kind of place where you truly can be yourself and live the hygge life.
To create your own hygge environment, here are some tips:
Surround yourself with furnishings that have a special meaning to you – photos, books, art, objects that give you joy. It’s not how much you spend, but the feelings of love and security they evoke.
Enjoy tactile things – snuggling in a soft blanket, taking a bubble bath, walking on a sandy beach.
Give yourself the space and time to be creative – cooking, gardening, crafting, painting, writing.
Balance personal space with social space – a private nook to read a book with living areas to mix and mingle.
As the Scandinavians say, “With hygge you’re creating your own happy place.”
Now, that’s something we all need!
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Hi gals,
I loved the concept. Yes, we are all constantly “on the go”. Bringing back that simple, and cozy environment where we can relax and breathe is too often overlooked today. Great story!