Scandinavian Hygge and Other Huge Design Trends for 2018
Image Source: anmagritt
A house has long been more than a place to stay. For decades people have been trying to turn it into a sanctuary and what we now call a ‘home’. The goal is to create a cozy, peaceful environment for yourself and your family. Abandoning their fierce warmongering past and embracing their life in balance with the elements, Scandinavia is now seen as Europe’s sanctuary so who else is better to teach us the meaning of coziness? This is why the word ‘hygge’ made its way from Danish into the Oxford Dictionary and was one of its top words for the year 2016. It is roughly translated as ‘cozy’ and it has nested into the global world of décor for the years to come.
Image Source: anmagritt
A DIY project
The passion for DIY is probably due to the history of having to fight the nature for what you have. Perhaps, the statement is a bit exaggerated but it is all about having and wanting to make something out of nothing. There is nothing more personal than investing yourself into your house and proudly show it off. Holiday decorations, lanterns, shelves and racks, you name it, they’ll make it. Thus every wall and every part of the house will be their own. They would even go as far in showing off the personality and imperfection as using duct tape for hanging posters and not by rolling little pieces on the back as you and I would as teenagers, but proudly on the front.
Storage units
Minimalism and a lot of free space allow the energy to flow. Declutter your home and keep it tidy. Shelves, boxes, baskets, clothes racks, hangers are all a valid part of the Scandinavian home decor. We usually use these to organize a wardrobe and keep them out of sight. No need to do this anymore, just make sure that what you have is pleasing to an eye. Decorate the baskets and the hangers and leave them out for everyone to see. If you look at the Sweden’s own IKEA, not only that it is big on DIY projects but it also embraces the culture of open storage and it offers a number of decorative storage ideas which you can freely display.
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Colors and lights
The two are in the same category as they have the same purpose of making the house bright and spacious. The favorite color is white and the favorite accent is light blue. Use neutral hues on walls and furniture. Different hues of taupe as another present trend fits perfectly the hygge style. White, shades of wooden beige and brown, blue and grey are what you will dominantly come across in the hygge homes. Be very generous when it comes to lights. Keep the rooms well-lit and combine whatever you find fit. A Sydney based lighting distributor says that there is a growing trend of using LED light fixtures as they can have simple form, they are energy-efficient and very bright. Make sure you have bright white lights to keep you energized throughout the day and combine lamps and chandeliers to set the mood in the evening. Did you know that Danes are the greatest fans of candles in the world? Save some electricity and light up the candles.
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Materials to use
In balance with nature, they are huge on natural materials and fabrics: wood, cotton, moss, wool, fur and even leather. You can use rich texture and patterns but again, balance it out not to make it too distractive. Not only that they use nature’s accessorize such as flowers and pinecones, but they are very big on feathers. The trend of using feathers as, this time, tasteful decorative items, is upon us and it will do your home wonders if you embrace it.
The key to hygge, wabi-sabi, and other peaceful décor styles is to be one with nature. The world has welcomed them into its homes because they offer relief from the stressful lifestyles we all live today. They want you to bring yourself back to the original state where you had no burden of technology and modern inventions but enjoyed your life, your family and yourself.
