The Danish design trend hygge (pronounced “hoo-ga”) involves creating a comfortable home in which to spend quality time and connect with your loved ones. Hygge is more of a concept or way of life than any one thing, which is why there isn’t an adequate English translation for the word. A hygge approach promotes well-being and cozy contentment by focusing on simple pleasures, such as cuddling up with a soft throw blanket or enjoying a warm fire on a chilly night.
Another crucial point — anything that adds stress to your daily routine or takes away from your family time is decidedly not hygge, which is why low-maintenance materials such as ceramic tile fit so well in this lifestyle.
Are you sold yet? We thought you might be, so we came up with six things you can do to add hygge to your home instantly.
Bring Nature Indoors
Your first step: Bring nature into your home with some indoor plants, such as a windowsill herb garden, low-maintenance cacti and succulents, or trailing plants with long, luscious vines. Adding plants to your space will instantly boost your interior decor, as well as help purify the air and improve your mood — sounds like hygge to us!
The bathroom and kitchen above both show off some beautiful greenery, but they also have something else in common: white subway tile. White, light, and neutral colors are common in hygge homes because they promote a sense of space and calm, so this classic subway tile look is a natural choice.
Simplify Your Shelving
A hygge home keeps things simple. Consider implementing floating kitchen shelves so that you can easily access important utensils (and display your pretty dishes and ceramics). By replacing heavy cabinetry, floating shelves also immediately lighten the space and give you room to show off a tile backsplash.
Which do you prefer, the white rectangular tile grid or the square tile grid in pastel shades? We told you that light colors are popular in hygge design!
[Related: Bathroom and Kitchen Backsplash Tile: Your Comprehensive Guide]
Implement Wood Looks
Wood warms up your home and makes you feel closer to nature, so opt for furniture such as rich walnut cabinets, reclaimed wood chairs, and live-edge tables. If you’re designing from scratch or remodelling, contrast architectural elements such as exposed wood beams or unfinished wood stairs with more modern design options, such as the white geometric tiles in the picture above. Wood-look ceramic tile is also a great low-maintenance surface option that fits beautifully into hygge decor (just take a look at the kitchen above).
[Related: 2020 Tile Trends: Refined Natural Wood Looks]
Make It Cozy
Soft fabrics are a staple for any hygge home, whether in the form of Persian rugs, knitted throw blankets, faux-fur pillows, or knit tapestries (or, preferably, all of the above). These items add a snug vibe to any tile application, and we particularly love the white hex tile backsplash and warm geometric tile flooring above.
Create a Natural Glow
A natural, gentle glow is essential to the cozy hygge atmosphere, so trade in your fluorescent lighting for a roaring fire and scented candles. Fireplaces are a great opportunity to show off an impressive tile fireplace surround (ceramic tile is flame-resistant), such as the marble-look or geometric tile surrounds above.
[Related: Get Cozy With These Outdoor Tile Fireplaces]
Soak the Day Away
Embracing hygge means occasionally indulging yourself, and what’s more indulgent than a long, hot soak in the tub? Remember to surround yourself with even more hygge elements, such as plants, floating shelves displaying your favorite treasures, and beautiful tile designs like those above. Ceramic tile’s moisture resistance removes any worries of water damage from splashes, and tile’s low-maintenance care makes for easy post-bath cleaning.
[Related: The Complete Guide to Bathroom Tile]
Bring Everyone Together
A happy life is full of good times with good company — in an inviting space. Create the perfect environment to gather with your tribe, such as a cozy living room for engaging in intimate conversation or a large dining room table for indulging in delicious foods. Decorate the space with designs that bring you joy, whether that’s a minimalist tile application in neutral colors or an eye-catching floral pattern.
Give Yourself a Break
Hygge is about enjoying life and spending time with your loved ones. A hygge lifestyle has no room for stressful chores, so if cleaning your home before having those loved ones over is becoming an uphill battle, you’ve left the realm of hygge.
Thankfully, hygge doesn’t have to be hard to maintain when you choose easy-care surface materials such as moisture-, scratch-, stain-, fire-, and bacteria-resistant ceramic tile. Ceramic tile also comes in a limitless variety of styles, so you can find the perfect design to go with all the other hygge elements in your home. Visit our Hygge Design Pinterest board to begin exploring the possibilities!
