96% of American adults spend time outside daily, but only 33% rack up over an hour a day.
Did you know that spending 20 to 30 minutes outside reduces your stress levels, no matter what you do? You might be motivated to bump up those numbers now, especially if you’ve felt frazzled.
Luckily for you, you’ve got a yard with a beautiful patio. However, you can do more: bringing hygge into play will make your outdoor space the ultimate place to be.
Read on to find out what hygge is and how you can bring it to your patio.
What Is Hygge?
“Hygge” is a Danish word that means “coziness” or “contentment; it’s pronounced “hoo-gah.”
Hygge is the concept of creating a warm, inviting, and cozy atmosphere, and it doesn’t involve anything complicated either. It focuses on enjoying the simple things in life, such as drinking a hot cup of tea, reading an enthralling book, and spending time with your friends and family.
The main purpose of hygge is to promote relaxation and comfort, which leads to better well-being. It’s perfect for people who want to slow down, appreciate their daily lives more, and even disconnect from technology.
Hygge is often associated with the Danish approach to design. It usually involves natural materials, warm lighting, and most importantly, simplicity.
All this sounds amazing, and not surprisingly, many cultures in the world have similar concepts. For example, the Dutch have “gezelligheid,” which also translates to “coziness.”
The History of Hygge
The word “hygge” comes from Old Norse. Although it’s only been used in the Danish language since the 19th century, the concept itself has existed since the beginning of time.
The thing is, Denmark has dark and depressing winters. Not to mention, they’re unbearably long too.
To make these winters more bearable, Danes came up with hygge to brighten up their lives. They’d make it a point to socialize with their friends and family, treasuring the time they had together while staying warm and having good food.
However, it wasn’t until the mid-20th century that hygge really blew up in popularity. The nation rapidly grew with industrialization and modernization, and its people became worried about preserving tradition. As a result, Danes made an effort to practice hygge actively to protect and celebrate these values.
Nowadays, hygge has mass appeal to the entire planet. 55% of Americans are stressed during the day, and the global average of stressed people is 35%. We could all use some hygge to alleviate the stress and anxiety that come from modern life.
The Elements of Hygge
To bring hygge to any space, you’ll need to first understand its elements. Here are several elements you should keep in mind for hygge on your patio.
Warm Lighting
There’s nothing more jarring than bright lights that blind you. Even if you manage to make it past a few minutes to adjust your eyes, the atmosphere isn’t very welcoming or comfortable.
One of the main concepts of hygge is that there’s soft and warm lighting to give you hours of cozy hangouts. It’ll be so relaxing, you won’t want to go back indoors again. Plus, the lighting will be just enough to provide safety at the latest of hours.
Comfortable Furnishings
You can create a welcoming atmosphere with the lighting, but if what you’re sitting or lying on is sharp, jagged, or plain uncomfortable, then hygge will fly out the door.
Try to stick with soft furnishings that are plush and soothing. After a long day of work, there’s nothing better than sinking into an outdoor sofa that’ll swallow you up. It’ll feel even better if you add blankets and pillows to snuggle up in.
Natural Materials
Another key concept of hygge is a connection to nature. So incorporate natural materials wherever you can.
For instance, you can use wood, leather, and wool. These all look and/or feel warm and soft, which makes any space feel inviting. Even if you’re out in a concrete jungle, these materials will give you a rare link to something primal yet tender.
Simple Pleasures
The whole point is to get away from the stressors in your life. Many of us forget to get back to simple things, which are surprisingly relaxing. So don’t overthink it; concentrate on what pops up in your mind when you want relaxation, and do it!
For example, spending precious moments with your loved ones or curling up with a good book are fantastic examples of hygge. These may seem like small and mundane moments, but they’re what you’ll treasure, savor, and appreciate in the long run.
Connection to Nature
Using natural materials is essential, but so is a real connection to nature itself. This got the Danes through those challenging winters; embracing their environment instead of rejecting it.
Not all of us live close enough to the beach or forest. However, that doesn’t necessarily mean you can’t experience this part of hygge.
Something as basic as gardening or admiring the view in your yard will suffice! You’re all good, as long as you feel that genuine tie to Mother Nature.
Togetherness
Strengthening that bond with your loved ones can make all the difference between suffering through a bad time or pulling through it all right. So take every opportunity to explore this area of hygge.
You can host parties and get-togethers for festive events. But it doesn’t always have to be fancy. It can be as plain as sitting on the couch reading books to one another or having interesting conversations by the fire.
Unplugging
Modern technology has made life a lot more convenient. However, it’s a double-edged sword; because it saves you time, you’re cramming in more tasks per hour and day.
As a result, we’re more stressed out than ever before. Not only that, but it can also cause us to feel disconnected from our loved ones.
Making a conscious effort to unplug from devices is a main principle of hygge. This allows you to be present in the moment and enjoy the simple pleasures we mentioned above.
The Hygge Items You Can Use for Your Patio
Get the idea of hygge now? Then it’s time to put it into practice. Here are some items and concepts you can use to create a cozy outdoor area.
Candles
For safety, you can use ambient lighting for your patio lighting. But softer options can emphasize cozy spots in your outdoor space.
Candles are an excellent choice since they form little hot spots (literally). Plus, they smell nice and can even keep insects away.
Danes use candles often; you’ll see them in homes, as well as restaurants and cafes. So you can bring a slice of Denmark to your patio with the painless addition of candles.
Just make sure you have good placements for your candles. This is especially true if you have pets and/or small children running around, as they might accidentally tip a candle or two over.
Blankets and Throws
A fluffy outdoor sofa can be dreamy; adding a few pillows and cushions will be the cherry on top. You and your family members can cuddle for hours.
But what about during colder weather? Everyone might be clamoring to get inside when the temperatures drop, and the sun goes down.
You can keep those fun conversations going with fluffy blankets and throws. You can keep these outside even during hotter weather since they add a nice splash of color and pattern to your outdoor decor.
Natural Materials
As we’ve said before, natural materials are vital to bringing Hygge to any space. Choosing teak outdoor furniture can help create that warm and welcoming atmosphere you’re after.
Other choices include leather armchairs and wool blankets to put on your sofas.
Vegetable Gardens
What better way to get a connection to nature than through vegetable gardens? Not only can you get your hands in the dirt, but you can nourish your plants and harvest your hard work to put on your dinner table.
These vegetable gardens can also provide focal points in your yard. You can have planters hanging off your patio rails with herbs you can pick and sprinkle on your food while cooking and dining al fresco.
Patio Plants
On that note, if you don’t have such a green thumb, or don’t want to bother with the extensive fertilizing and feeding that many veggies require, you can have other patio plants instead. Many low-maintenance flowers can add color and texture to your patio, so consider those for a splattering of invigorating colors.
You can also place these plants in visually appealing vases to create height and dimension throughout the patio.
A Central Gathering Area
Considering that togetherness is a huge part of hygge, a central gathering area is a must. A dining table with comfy chairs can provide hours of good food and conversation. Place it next to your patio cooking area, and you won’t have to miss out on chatting with your loved ones.
Another idea is to have a fire table. You can gather around it by sitting on the sofa and chairs, nestle together with warm drinks and warm your hand by the flames. Throw some marshmallows on sticks, and you can instantly have s’mores!
Hot Beverages
Speaking of warm drinks, these are always welcome in social settings. So don’t underestimate the power of offering your friends a cup of tea, hot chocolate, or coffee.
These can bring delicious scents to the air while keeping your hands warm. And sipping on these tasty drinks can be a lifesaver during quiet moments in your talks.
What you serve these hot beverages in can bring even more hygge to your patio. If you’ve got good china, then use them when you’ve got guests over. These pieces will make things even cozier, especially if they’re vintage.
Books
You don’t always have to interact with your friends and family to have hygge on your patio. Reading good books in each others’ company can have a comfy and intimate effect.
Put some small bookshelves near your seating area and fill them with various pieces of literature. You’ll get to show off your collection, and you never know if your friends will find a particular book interesting.
Board Games
Besides reading books, playing board games is a great way to disconnect and unplug from devices. These games have an old-school feel to them, and you may need to break out pencils and paper to do calculations.
Board games are slower than modern video games, so they force you to slow down and mull over your thoughts and decisions. This can result in some intriguing debates you’d never have while playing online.
In addition, putting your well-loved board games in your bookshelves alongside your books can give your patio a classic look.
Create a Cozy Patio
The term “hygge” might’ve seemed alien to you before. But after reading this article, it’s actually not such a foreign concept. The purpose of hygge is to set up a space that’ll draw people in and make them feel cozy. It also enhances their connections with one another and nature.
So if you’ve wanted to slow down, relax, and enjoy the simpler things in life, you can’t go wrong with hygge. And with our tips, it’ll be easy to transform your outdoor area into a relaxing and welcoming space.
Now that you know what hygge is, browse our accessories so you can perfect the look and feel.
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