The Danish love of all things warm and cozy—often summed up by that famous word hygge—continues to inspire homemakers around the world. The Danes have successfully positioned themselves as experts in creating a certain kind of domestic bliss and finding happiness in the everyday. (Denmark’s regular presence on lists of the world’s happiest countries has more to do with this celebration of simple joys than with their weather, which is often infamously gray and cold.)
One of the Danish practices that helps turn their houses into homes is known as hyggekrog. The director of the Happiness Institute in Copenhagen, Meik Wiking, explains that the word can be translated as “little corner.” The idea is that you can take, yes, a little corner of your home, and with some soft light, blankets (a staple of hygge), cushions, a carpet, and a certain attitude you can create a place to disconnect—a retreat from the noise of the world outside. In the same way that mental health is built on a foundation of self-care from the moment we wake up, well-being, even at home, must be actively fostered. Having a warm space where you can quietly read, watch a favorite series, meditate, or simply gaze out the window can play a key part in this journey.
This inviting corner can have other benefits. James Clear, author of the bestseller Atomic Habits, describes four steps to incorporating them into your life: “Make it obvious, make it attractive, make it easy, and make it satisfying.” Creating a quiet sanctuary in our home and viewing it as more than a place where we eat and sleep can be helpful in this process. If you’re determined to meditate, write, learn a new skill, or adopt some other good habit, having an inviting place in which to actually practice it is invaluable.
As Wiking points out, “The Danes love having their own little spaces where they feel at home. Everyone wants a hyggekrog. They’re common in Copenhagen and throughout the country. If you walk through the streets of the city and look into the windows of houses that you pass, you’ll notice many with nooks and corners filled with cushions and blankets. They are, for their inhabitants, cozy places to sit and relax after a long day.” He also notes that some real estate agents even use an appealing hyggekrog as a selling point for a property.
