You can take the girl out Denmark but you can't take the hygee out of her home, as New Plymouth's Mette Kirchhiener of Home Love & Mette K proves.
Im from Denmark and us Danes have a great need for what is known as hygge. You could roughly translate hygee as a sense of homeliness, cosiness, and warmth and that's naturally reflected in my decorating style, which can be best described as warm-Nordic. Hygge's all about creating a setting that makes you feel at ease and relaxed so that friends and especially family feel peaceful and content at home. I think I embrace that in my style and you'll see that come through my shop.
Texture and a craving for natural colours will be the next big thing in interiors. There's a real movement and focus on sustainability in interior design. There's an increased commitment to caring for our planet and you'll see it in the use of natural fibres, colours and pleasing organic forms in familiar objects. There's a movement towards choosing sustainable building materials, such as bamboo and natural furnishing materials that have grown sustainably, such as sisal, jute and cane. You can incorporate this into a room with beautiful organic cane baskets and cane chairs.
I won't be sorry to see the back of jarring colours on opposing walls. I'd rather see a desire for warmth and light become the norm and a sense of cohesion, rather than a competition when decorating, so one room flows easily into the next, making the living rooms appear more open and spacious.
What you put on the floor and clever use of lighting can completely change a room. Large textured rugs can have a huge impact on your overall style and by using co-ordinating or contrasting cushions in various textures, you can change the feel. I love using standing lamps to define a space and create a mood.
Every home should have candles. Its definitely a danish thing. A house needs the sense of warmth and ambience that candles provide. Good quality candles are an asset, especially on a cold winters night - they'll increase the cosiness factor by 100 per cent. Obviously safety is important when burning candles.
Resist buying lots of trinkets and cheap replicas because they're trendy. Instead hold and save your money to buy top quality, timeless classics you'll love for a long time to come. A quick fix throwaway mentality just creates more rubbish that can't be recycled.
I adore American oak floors. They're my most desirable aesthetic and I'd always team with Danish designed furniture because I love clean lines, comfort and functionality built into every piece.
This article was originally published by Master Builders.
