As the Danish term for a cozy nook, hyggekrog is a Nordic-style corner curated for hunkering down during the colder months. It's designed to be a space for you to get comfortable and spend tranquil moments at home.
The rest of your home can be a riot of color with a vignette of striking patterns. However, by knowing how to make your home more hygge, you can make room for peace and solace in a sweet little corner.
Take your evening cocoa in this nook, spend your time journaling here, or tuck into a warm throw and flip through your current read. If you ask me, every home needs a hyggekrog, and here's how you can curate one in your living space.
1. Find a Calm Corner
Evelina Juzėnaitė, principal interior designer at Planner 5D, tells me that the first step to designing a hyggekrog is to find a calm corner in your home.
“Hyggekrog describes a cozy nook where you can relax, and so, this space should be quiet, cozy, and soft," she says. "Find a suitable place, such as a quiet corner by the window, under the stairs, or next to the fireplace, that creates a feeling of privacy."
Ideally, this would be a space that's slightly cornered off from the key spaces in your home. However, if you live in a small home or in a build with an open layout, you can always use a room divider for added privacy.
2. Introduce Soft Furniture
Soft geometry in furniture might be a contemporary design craving of the present. However, this has always been a principal priority in the world of Scandinavian interior design.
"The next step is to introduce a place to sit. This could be a soft armchair, a built-in bench with cushions, or a couch," she says. "Remember, your comfort is the most important thing in your hyggekrog."
While design should lead your ultimate choice in seating, the coziness of your chair is equally essential. So, make sure you feel comfortable leaning, sitting cross-legged, and even curling up in this space.
Color: Cream
A sofa seater like this Metis Sculptural Soft Brushed Armchair is ideal if you're looking to make the most of a small space.
3. Accessorize with Cozy Textiles
Something you'll notice in any interior space inspired by Nordic design is the use of plush fabrics. From the upholstery to floor dressings, through to the accessories, and beyond.
"I recommend introducing soft textiles to your hyggekrog for a cozier feel," she says. "You can accomplish this by filling the space with fuzzy blankets, pillows, and rugs to make it warm and comfy."
By accessorizing with Scandi decor pieces that layer to create a nook that's soft to the touch, you'll feel instantly embraced by the conviviality of this space.
Color: Brown
This Gotland Wool Throw from Klippan Yllefabrik is just the kind of thing you'll want to wrap yourself up in on a cool night.
4. Include Diffused Lighting
According to Evelina, the next step to curating a hyggekrog at home is to decorate with lighting that matches the ambiance of your nook. You don't really need highly vibrant task lighting here; a more gentle output of illumination is preferred.
"My advice is to bring in soft, diffused lighting to your hyggekrog," she suggests. "Something like a glowing table lamp, a minimalist sconce, or a floor lamp is ideal for warm lighting."
One of my favorite ways to make a lighting scheme feel cozy is to involve candlelight. Tealight lamps are the current trend to lend a decorative stamp to small votive candles.
Color: Light Beige
If gentle lighting is what you're after, you can never go wrong with a natural rice paper lamp.
5. Finish with Personal Touches
"The main benefit of designing a hyggekrog is to create a space that will help you relax," says Evelina. "This corner is like a little refuge where you can rest and rejuvenate by dipping into a calming hobby of your choice."
So, she recommends finishing off the nook by decorating with a few personal touches that are meaningful to you. Think of organizing items like your favorite book, a mug, some photos, or even frames of artwork.
If this is the corner you see yourself winding down for sleep in, then you should have a place to kick your feet up, too. A matching pouffe, a small footstool, or even a neat-savvy ottoman are all great ideas.
Color: Clay
This Lina Pouffe from OYOY feels like a natural inclusion to your hyggekrog's seating for when you want to rest your body from head to toe.
Now that you have a hyggekrog all set up, why not take some inspiration from the Scandinavian lifestyle, too? Hygge rituals offer plenty of calming and restorative practices to make the most of your new cozy corner.
