Modern, luxurious kitchens are quite common nowadays, but with people spending a lot of their time inside, there is one more style that grew quite a lot in popularity – namely, the hygge style. Typically used in bedrooms and living rooms, hygge is slowly but surely making its way in other rooms of the house as well.
What Is Hygge?
Hygge is a concept coming from the Danish that suggests togetherness and coziness. Some people see hygge as a verb, others as a pronoun – but what’s important to remember about hygge is that it encompasses the feeling of joy, peace, safety, and coziness. It’s the feeling of warmth you get when you are spending time in an environment that you love.
“The hygge is a very chamber, domestic way of life in which elaborate luxury and glamor are absolutely inappropriate. But here you can easily find the features of minimalism, Scandinavian country, chalet, and retro,” says hygge guru Mike Viking.
How to Bring Hygge into the Kitchen
There are several ways in which you can turn your kitchen into a hygge zone. Here are some ways for you to do so.
1. Warm Light
In hygge home décor, the more warm light, the better it will be. Your best bet here would be to make sure your kitchen receives a lot of natural light, but you can also obtain the same warm ambiance with artificial lighting.
For example, you can get the hygge effect by installing warm lighting in the kitchen. The lower the kelvins, the softer the glow will be. Steer clear of cold lighting, as it will make the place feel colder and more sterile. For extra light, you might want to consider candlelight (or electric candles that just glow to create a warm atmosphere).
One more popular option is fairy lighting. Rather than having just one source of lighting above your head, you should try breaking the light down into multiple smaller ones. Fairy lights are great, as these LED strands will create an ambiance in the kitchen without concentrating the light in just one spot. You may place them underneath the cabinets, walls, or everywhere you like.
2. Warm Neutral Colors or Pastels
When it comes to hygge kitchens, neutral colors are usually the way to go. Variants of white are the preferred choice, but you can go for any other color that gives off a calming, fresh background. If you don’t like white, you can use any other neutral color that suggests feelings of coziness and calm in your head.
“Generally speaking, Scandinavians prefer to stick to neutral earthy colors such as white, off-white, grays, and any shades that run along the grayscale spectrum,” says Niki Brantmark of My Scandinavian Home. “In recent years, there has been a surge in accent walls in dark blue, green, gray, and even black, which do wonders for a cozy, cocoon-like space.”
3. Texture
Most of the time, when you think about hygge, you also think about texture – which is why you may want to ditch the surfaces that look clean and metallic and go for the ones that add a little bit of depth. Mix some rough and soft elements, such as a natural carpet placed on a concrete floor. It will make the place seem more inviting. Natural stone would also double as great hygge countertops, which you may want to mix with some bar stools made of wood.
4. Natural Materials
There’s no better way to hygge up a kitchen than using natural materials. You are free to use your creativity here. For example, you may try going for wood kitchen cabinets that were only slightly stained, or you may add some extra plants in the kitchen. Fiber and natural stone will also make the place seem cozier and more hygge-like.
The Bottom Line
Kitchens don’t have to be cold and impersonal. Rather than just being a place where we cook our foods, it is actually the one where we spend our most delicate mornings. Our morning coffee, our breakfast – the chances are that all of these moments happen in the kitchen. This is why bringing the hygge concept into this space would be such a great idea if you are looking for inner warmth.
