How To Add “Hygge” To Your Home This Winter
A warm cup of mulled wine or cocoa, a wool sweater, a crackling fireplace and a home decked out in solid wood – what is it about these things that make them so lovely and inviting? There is plenty to complain about with these Ontario winters (the roads, the slush, the salt, the shoveling… you get it!) but one thing no one can be mad about is getting to cozy up indoors. It can be one of the absolute most comforting things in the world being greeted by a cozy home, something the Danish caught on to way back in the 1500s, even going so far as to give it a name – “hygge”.
What is hygge, exactly? Well, quite literally it means “wellness” or “contentment”, but its cultural meaning has to do with creating an atmosphere of warmth and conviviality, often at home in the winter. Imagine a wood cabin in Denmark filled with friends laughing and sharing stories and drinks – you’re closer to understanding the cultural significance of hygge. But how do you create such an atmosphere in your own home? Well, for starters, Woodcraft solid wood furniture certainly adds a warm, rustic charm.
It can be difficult to pinpoint exactly why, but solid wood adds to a feeling of warmth and coziness to a home. Perhaps it’s because it reminds us of log cabins and lake cottages, where there’s always an oven on and a fire roaring. Maybe it’s because the alternatives – metal, glass, brick – are literally cold to the touch. All we know is that it’s closely associated with comfort, warmth and, yes, hygge. If you’re looking for a new buffet hutch or a new dining room table in Mississauga this winter, go the cozy route with solid wood furniture.
For a table, if you really want to run with this hygge idea, check out our Acropolis Live Edge Table. Live edge, as we’ve discussed before on this blog, is when the raw wood texture is allowed to remain intact at the edges, giving the furniture a more natural look. This reminder of the outdoors, of the knotty texture of trees, adds a real sense of warm, countryside craftsmanship to a room. We offer it in maple, wormy maple, oak, vintage cherry and pine, as well as a number of different stains, so you can customize your table to fit your existing décor. Imagine gathering around that after a cold day outside – heavenly!
Another very warm and inviting type of wood is reclaimed wood, although its charm is different than that of live edge furniture’s. With reclaimed wood furniture, like our reclaimed wood coffee table or dining tables, we take wood used previously in an industrial setting and breathe new life into it by celebrating its timeworn features. Whereas live edge furniture gets its appeal from reminding us of nature, reclaimed wood takes its appeal from its industrial history, giving it character and depth. With a few hearty plants and maybe a ceramic bowl, this kind of wood really adds to the cozy, warm feeling of a room.
The Danish know a thing or two about the cold, which means they also know a thing or two about making the most out of winter. So here’s the plan: wear your most comfortable clothes, your wool socks and sweater, cook a nice roast meal and pour a hot cup of whatever you like to drink, and cozy up around a solid wood table with family or friends. Living this way, the winter might even become your favourite season.