8 Hygge Home Ideas for Fall
Hello lovely! And welcome to August! The sun is blazing, there’s still the hint of chlorine in the air, and the kids are still enjoying their time off. But September is right around the corner, which means summer is almost over. With Autumn right around the corner, showing its beautiful face, I think it’s time to shift our focus to preparing our homes for Fall. Have you heard of a little thing called ‘hygge’ that was all the rage just a few years ago? Do you know what it is? Well, if not, then I will share with you what exactly hygge is, where it comes from, and if it’s still a trendy topic, as well as 8 hygge home ideas for this Fall.
What is Hygge?
The word hygge (pronounced hoo-guh) comes from a Danish word meaning “to give courage, comfort, joy”. It’s a Norwegian and Danish word to describe feelings of coziness, wellness, contentment, and comfortability. It refers to “a form of everyday togetherness”, and as a noun, it includes something cozy, safe, and known.
Hygge is centered around activities and material things that make us feel cozy, healthy, stable, and connected to loved ones around us. It helps us to discover joy in the small, simple things in our lives. Hygge is usually associated with the fall and winter seasons, but can still be felt during the spring and summer months.
Hygge originates from the Scandinavian region of Denmark, where the winters are long and dark, with about 17 hours of darkness and an average temperature of 32 degrees fahrenheit. Despite the weather, Denmark has been consistently ranked as one of the top happiest countries in the world. This is based on several factors, but one of the top reasons is that the Danes really spend their time well, embracing the things that bring them comfort, joy, warmth, and love – hygge.
Is Hygge still a thing?
In 2016, hygge was named as the runner-up word of the year in 2016 by Collins English Dictionary. Many books soon followed that focused on the history and concept of hygge, and every blog post and material item sold was then marketed toward the concept of hygge. But is it still a thing today, in 2022? Yes! While other concepts from other countries have been embraced over the last few years, everyone is still interested in figuring out what makes them happy, well, and at peace.
8 Hygge Home Ideas this Fall
So how do you embrace hygge in your home and lifestyle? What does it look like to incorporate more coziness and wellbeing into your home? Well because each person is different, the way hygge is embraced can look a little different too. But here is a list of 8 hygge home ideas to make your home more cozy this Autumn.
1. Declutter
Some of us own way too many things. So when we go to sit and relax, we can’t, because we find ourselves overwhelmed by the amount of stuff around us. Your home should be a source of joy, comfort, and inspiration, not of overwhelm, stress, and hindrance. Remove items that you no longer need or enjoy, and organize the items that you decide to keep, making sure that every item has a sensible home. The more you have, the more you have to clean. You don’t have to get rid of everything. You don’t even have to become a minimalist. You just need to be able to keep your home clean and manageable, and allow more room for the cozy lifestyle that you want.
2. Set the atmosphere.
One of the first things that you will want to do to make your home comfortable and cozy is pull out your favorite seasonal candles and scented waxes and light them up or put them in your wax warmer. You want to engage your senses by introducing the season through a warm, delicious scented candle, whatever scent it may be. My favorites are Yankee Candle Pumpkin Apple Harvest from Big Lots, anything sweet with cinnamon, and because I used to have a friend that did Scentsy, I fell in love with Apple Butter Frosting, Mochadoodle, and Cozy Chai. Hobby Lobby has some good wax scents too for a good price. Along with an enticing scent, candles also provide a nice, warm glow to your home.
You can also provide a warm glow by lowering your main bright lights, and bringing in lamps and twinkle fairy lights. Add fairy lights around various areas of your home, such as the kitchen, mantle, or around your bed posts. During the day, open up the blinds and let in some natural sunlight if you have it.
Bring in some soft textures around your cozy furniture, such as blankets, pillows, and fuzzy rugs, and make them easily accessible so you or your friends can enjoy some cozy warmth.
There’s nothing more cozy and peaceful than being surrounded by nature. Bring some plants inside, or if you do not have a green thumb, buy fake plants and flowers. You can also bring in other simple natural elements, such as branches, leaves, pinecones, rocks, or wood to use as decor as well.
If you can help it, don’t decorate with bright, cool colors. Go with warm and neutral tones when you want to add color. You want to feel peaceful and have your mind at ease, not give it a headache when you look at bright, cool colors.
And finally, set the atmosphere in your home by playing comforting music or nature sounds, to help set your mind in a state of peace.
3. Add items for comfort and pleasure.
Bring your personality into your space and add items that you love and find comforting, like a good book, your basket of yarn if you knit, a quirky statue, or family photos. Family photos is a great way to personalize your home, as they can remind you of great times and evoke strong emotions of love and comfort.
4. Only wear comfortable items.
Sure, that blouse is adorable. But is it itchy, tight, or just plain uncomfortable? Don’t wear it then! How on earth are you supposed to feel cozy and relaxed if you’re wearing something that makes you feel so uncomfortable? Simple answer – you can’t.
5. Have comforting snacks and beverages on hand.
Having some friends or family over? Bake some bread, pie, brownies, cookies, whatever suits your fancy. Provide something hot to drink, whether it be tea, coffee, hot chocolate, apple cider, or mulled wine. Create a small area in your kitchen dedicated to drink making. And when you make yourself a cup of something hot, sip it slow. Take your time to drink and reflect on your day. Don’t have anyone coming over? That’s okay, make something anyway. I won’t tell, if you won’t. 😉
6. Invite a friend or several.
You don’t have to have a bunch of people over (unless you want to). Invite just another couple of friends over for a movie or game night. You don’t even have to worry about cooking if you don’t want to. Just ask them to come over, bring their own food, or decide to have a potluck so all of the pressure isn’t on you.
7. Unplug and be present.
Turn off your electronics and actually be present in the moment. I used to be on my phone all the time. In fact, as embarrassing as this is, in the early days of the Pandemic, I spent a WHOLE day on my phone, just scrolling. When my husband came home from work, I realized that I didn’t get anything accomplished, and I felt so uninspired and tired. It literally sucked the life out of me that day.
Electronics are great, and certainly have a purpose and can help at times. But they can be total distractions that keep us from being productive and living our everyday lives. Turn off app notifications so you’re not tempted to check them. Put your phone away when you’re hanging out with family or friends. And if you go to an event, take a few photos and maybe a video, but then put that phone away and actually be present at the event.
I’ve noticed since having my son that I don’t always have my phone on me. And while I try to take photos and videos of those precious moments, I end up enjoying the moments with him more because they’re special and not so intrusive.
8. Enjoy what you have.
I know you’re probably thinking of all the things you would like to buy in order to make your home extra cozy. Those pictures on Pinterest don’t make it any easier. But let me remind you that one of the imperative concepts of hygge is the feeling of contentment. Enjoy and utilize what you currently have.
There’s nothing wrong with wanting to replace or add something to your home, but don’t dwell on it. Don’t think “if only I had that, I would be happier”. Because you never will. The more you focus on making yourself happy by consuming, the less happier and content you’ll be. Because as soon as you buy that thing, boom, there’s something else that you feel like you have to have.
Embrace what you have at home already, repurpose, and find joy in the moments you create rather than materials.
Some Fall Homemaking Tasks
Pack away all summer decor, clothes and bedspread (unless you live in a warmer area, like Texas), and scents.
Add in some splashes of Autumn into your normal home decor.
Use up what you have in the freezer and pantry so that you can plan meals and restock based on seasonal foods.
Light a new autumn candle or diffuse some cozy essential oils to make your home smell like Heaven in Autumn.
Once you use up all of your all purpose spray, either buy or make another one scented with orange and cloves.
Sweep the porch and soak your outdoor brooms and brushes in salt water to keep them lasting longer.
Treat areas that are susceptible to mold with a damp cloth sprinkled with tea tree oil.
