The Winter of our Discontentment

The irony is thick. It’s the time of year we’re stuck indoors the most and it’s the time of year we feel least content with our homes. We’ve taken down the festive holiday decorations, we’ve reshuffled the furniture and we’ve made space for all of the new possessions. But the floors are always dirty with wet leaves, the closets are a little too full, and how do you even decorate for just plain old winter? Is that a thing? If you’re like me and absolutely desperate for Spring, you need a few cheerful ideas for making your home more likable the next couple of months. After all, in Memphis, the coldest days may still be ahead of us and we need a some cozy ways to cope.

Hygge Your Home

A few years ago, an obscure Scandinavian word began circulating the internet and trending on social media. Hygge is defined as “finding comfort, pleasure, and warmth in simple soothing things”...certainly a Scandinavian necessity. But the worldwide popularity of the concept proved that everyone needs a little Hygge to help us get through the hard, dark, cold months. The idea is to indulge yourself and your home with creature comforts when Nature hands us the severe and the bare. 

Look for the Lovely

One of the hallmarks of Hygge is simplicity and that makes it easy to achieve with your home decor. Simply shop your home for the things that bring you the greatest comfort and keep them close at hand. Pile a basket full of your favorite blankets…even older quilts you’ve stockpiled, and set them near a couch for immediate warmth. Set out a tea tray in your kitchen or dining room that is always ready with a bright, cheerful cup, some good local honey and a few bags of your favorite blend (My Cup of Tea for the best!). 

You may even treat yourself to some seasonal flowers for the spaces you inhabit most. My favorite Memphis florists, Everbloom Design Studio on Broad Avenue and EHBlooms in Collierville, will brighten your home with the most gorgeous seasonal blooms available and the added touch of green will literally breathe life into your winter haven.

Look for the Soothing

What calms your nerves at the end of a long day? Often times, we already know what slows us down and comforts our spirits but the practice of Hygge makes us intentionally engage with those things. The cold is taxing on our bodies. Keep a pair of favorite slippers by the front door when you leave the house so you can quickly transition back into comfort when you return home. Treat yourself to some good lotion and keep it on hand for moisturizing dry hands and feet. I like to diffuse citrus oils in my living room in the winter to brighten my mood and freshen musty indoor air.

Look for the Pleasure

Change out the books on your coffee table with old photo albums that will bring back good memories and inspire new ones for the Spring months. Write a few handwritten letters to friends. Make a list of movies you haven’t seen in forever. Try yoga from a YouTube channel so you can keep gentle, joyful movements part of your routine even on frigid days. I like to keep unscented candles on hand to burn at every evening meal.

The concept of Hygge is to embrace what the bleak season of mid-winter can be for you and your family. Instead of dreading the dreary outdoor months, Hygge challenges us to rethink what a few weeks of indoor life can mean to us, physically and mentally; this is a season that can renew and restore us if we look for the lovely, the soothing and the pleasurable.