Using Hygge Lighting To Make Your Home Cozy
By: Anissa Gallo
Tags: Lighting, Cozy, Hygge, Interior Design, Home Decor

A Coziness Guide

Photo by Marc-Olivier Jodoin on Unsplash

Lighting is something we often take for granted in our homes. Sure we put a few lamps here and there in dark spaces and we turn on our builder grade overhead lighting when it gets dark, but do any of us really stop and think about what the best lighting for our home is?

Lighting actually has a very powerful effect on our everyday life, impacting our sleep cycles, our productivity, and our mood. So it’s really important that we pay attention to the lighting we put into our own homes. Speaking of mood, the Danes really know how to set the right mood in their homes, in fact, The 2019 World Happiness Report named Denmark the 2nd happiest country in the world. And if there is one thing the Danes do right, it’s lighting. So how do they do it and how can you bring that same cozy feel to your home?

First, you might be asking yourself what in the hell is Hygge? I know I was the first time I saw that word written out. Pronounced “hoo-ga”, Hygge is a concept with many meaning but to summarize it’s that feeling you get when you’re cozy and content with the atmosphere around you whether alone or with friends, whether home or at a nice cafe. The Danes use the art of Hygge to decorate their homes and a big part of that is the lighting they use within them. So how can you bring cozy lighting to your own home? Let’s find out.

Candles:

Photo by Rikki Austin on Unsplash

The Danes love candles and use them all throughout their home? In his book The Little Book of Hygge: Danish Secrets to Happy Living, Meik Wiking states “about half of Danish people light candles at least four days a week and 31% light six or more candles each time”. Now that is a lot of candles which definitely can contribute to the coziness of your home. I know I always feel calm and content sitting under a nice blanket on my couch with a coffee scented candle glowing nearby.

The con of candles is that they do pollute the air in your home. Standard paraffin wax candles release carcinogens when burned, which can cause respiratory problems according to an article from Green America. And some candles even have lead in their wicks which can cause hazardous pollution according to one study.

Don’t despair however there are alternatives. LED candles are gaining in popularity for delivering a safe and beautiful glow to any home. They are easy to find all over the internet especially on Amazon. And personally, I love using them in the home knowing I can leave them unattended or knock them over (I’m quite clumsy, okay?) and not have to worry about starting a fire. If you still need a scent to up the coziness factor then you can diffuse essential oils at the same time as “burning” your LED Candle.

Now if LED candles just aren’t cutting it for you then you can still get real candles to burn in your home that don’t release carcinogens. Beeswax candles are considered a healthy alternative to paraffin or even soy (which often aren’t pure and still contain pollutants) candles. Some sources say beeswax candles even help to clean the air by emitting negative ions. Beeswax candles are my favorite alternative because I think they look simply stunning.

Lamps:

Photo by Nathan Fertig on Unsplash

In Denmark, they are not a big fan of overhead lighting. I mean can you blame them? I know bright white overhead lighting always makes me feel like I’m in a doctors office and frankly that’s my least favorite place to be. So why would I use that type of lighting in my own home? Using warm colored light bulbs in floor and table lamps is a much better way to create that homey feeling we’re after so we can start feeling the Hygge.

It’s best to have multiple sources of light to display as the shadows created by them are just as important to the mood of a room as the lights themselves. I’d recommend at least 3 light sources per room (maybe 2 if we’re talking about somewhere really tiny, I mean don’t just go shoving lamps all over the place just to fit the number you read on the internet). And I would vary there heights and shapes. In my living room right now I have a hanging floor lamp behind my couch, (perfect for giving a glow to most of the room) a table lamp on one side of the room (right next to a plush armchair perfect for reading a good book) and then I have a fake fireplace on the far end (giving off a beautiful ambient orange light and creating dancing shadows in the room). There are so many ways you can use lamps throughout your home, really get creative here playing with different heights and dimming settings until you get a room that feels just right.

Fairy Lights and Paper Lanterns:

Photo by Evelin Horvath on Unsplash

Fairy lights are all the rage right now and it’s hard to browse your Pinterest feed without coming across a dozen photos of them. Personally, I have to agree with the hype. Fairy lights are a beautiful and simple way to add ambiance to your home. People put them above their beds, in their kitchens, and around the windows of the living room to provide that magic look, you can’t quite get from anything else.

If you’re not feeling brave enough to use them inside your home try using them to spread the Hygge outside by stringing them up around your back yard or deck. Fairy lights can turn any boring outdoor dining into a magical night to remember.

In a similar whimsical way, you can use paper lanterns to decorate your home. Try putting beautiful paper stars to light up your nursery so your baby can experience the Hygge as well. Or if you love the look of lanterns go ahead and put them around your living room.

If you’re like me and you can’t get enough of Hygge, then you should check out Pinterest for more inspirational photos and find out other ways you can add that cozy feeling to your home. That’s sure to hold you over until my next Coziness Guide Article.