COSINESS IN A WORD...

The best time of the day !

I love this Danish word, pronounced ‘hue-guh’, which roughly translates as ‘cosiness’.

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They have long, dark winters in Denmark, so the philosophy of hygge comes in very handy over there. It revolves around creating a warm atmosphere where the good things in life can be enjoyed and appreciated over a pot of tea and a couple of biscuits. You can even keep the TV on if you want to.

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In restoring these houses, I wasn’t that bothered about achieving an authentic Victorian look and feel. I was more interested in making each one warm and inviting. I also wanted to avoid the property-developer's trap of slapping magnolia paint onto the walls of newly plastered square rooms. In hindsight I was trying to achieve hygge; I just didn't know it.

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 I  was a stranger to the concept of hygge until the spring of 2015 when Mrs Ellis and myself travelled around Scandinavia, just as they were thawing out after their long, bleak winter. It was during this trip that we also learned of the Swedish word ‘fika’ which means to take time out to have hot drinks and cakes with others. Isn’t this lovely?

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The word hygge actually comes from a Norwegian word meaning ‘well-being’ and our nearest equivalent is ‘hug’.

A cosy time with friends and family is very hygge. It apparently makes homes nicer and people happier, which is fine by me.

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Who doesn’t want a bit of hygge in their lives right now?

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[ A cosy time with friends and family is very hygge ]

Nyt ditt nye hjem