Remember the song Liza Doolittle sings in “My Fair Lady” –
“All I want is a room somewhere
Far away from the cold night air
With one enormous chair
Oh, wouldn’t it be loverly?”
Obviously Liza was into hygge because she was describing what is referred to as a Hyggekrog. This roughly translated as a nook.
Meik Wiking, author of “The Little Book of Hygge” says his hyggekrog is by the kitchen window. “It is the place in the room where you love to snuggle up in a blanket with a book and a cup of tea.”
Your hyggekrog doesn’t need to be fancy. Just a corner of a room, with a comfy chair or a few cushions, soft lighting and a warm blanket. Wiking says “Your hyggekrog does not need to be by the window, however, even though that is really hyggeligt.”
If you take a moment to think back to your childhood home you probably remember there was a chair that your parents or grandparents always say in – sometimes referred to as the “good chair.” They were practicing hygge before it was cool. Elementary classrooms often have a reading corner where kids can feel safe and comfortable. Bookstores, especially independent bookstores, may include big, soft chairs you can sit in and look at a book.
By the way there is no obligation to read in your hyggekrog. You may want to knit, or journal, or listen to music, do a crossword puzzle or Sudoku, or just relax and enjoy some quiet moments. It is understood that while you are relaxing and recharging, your cell phone might want to find a hyggekrog of its own to recharge.
You probably already have a place in your home where you like to sit and read. I have a chair that is by a window and right outside is a bird feeder. I love to watch the birds land and eat and sometimes bicker over who gets to eat and who needs to just fly away. I also like my hyggekrog chair because it does not face the television or a clock. I have a plant on the table next to it and a candle. My dog seems to prefer that chair too.
If you have a hyggekrog, or decide to create one, we’d love to see a picture and hear your story. That would be loverly.
Written by Mary Hirsch