How to bring hygge into your kitchen

Hygge refers to a Danish design 'feel' that blends sensory details to create a cosy atmosphere. As a rule, hygge integrates textures, colours, and other little touches to make a room stir up feelings of warmth, togetherness and happiness.

Imagine sitting on a fluffy rug next to a wood-burning fire, surrounded by your closest friends. You're wrapped in a cable-knit jumper, sipping a warm cup of tea and snow is falling outside. That's hygge.

True hygge extends beyond the décor and defines the essence of a room and how it feels to be in it. However, there are many little touches you can incorporate to help create a 'hyggeligt' (hygge-like) effect in your kitchen, so the sensation extends from breakfast-time through to your midnight snack.

Scandinavian design is all about simplicity, and you can't get more stripped back than white. But rather than creating a cold, clinical look, hygge incorporates different tones of white and grey to create a serene, layered look.

Consider choosing off-white units and paring them with cream cabinets and bleached, wood flooring for a true Scandi-kitchen. If you're not doing a total refurb, simply updating your crockery and accessories for hygge-inspired white alternatives will bring the calm into your kitchen.

The authentic warmth of wooden features make them a perfect component of hygge design. Natural and rustic, wood can be incorporated across your kitchen to create a welcoming atmosphere.

Wooden cupboards are a great choice for a farmhouse kitchen, and can be paired with a light worktop and pale flooring to add texture to create a hygge theme. Accessories like wooden chopping boards and cooking utensils are also ideal for adding Scandi-inspired detail.

While stainless steel and dark metals are often too sharp and cold to fit into a hygge scheme, softer metallic touches can add a cheerful shine. Copper and brass fit well, and there are many ways you can include touches of these rosy metallics in your kitchen: from pans to taps.

Create a statement with copper taps, which will bring a vintage touch to an often basic kitchen feature. For a bolder look, integrate copper detailing in the spaces between your cabinets for an artistic take on modern Scandi chic. Choose accessories with rosy metallic detailing, like saucepans, candles, and teacups that you can display throughout your kitchen.

While white and grey tones make up the basis of hygge design, adding pops of colour helps to enhance the happy Scandinavian vibes. Creamy pastels in muted shades of pink, purple and blue are soft and snug – perfectly hygge!

Incorporate pastels in your kitchen layout by painting the walls in your favourite tone or choosing a matt, handleless island unit in a pastel colour. Alternatively, you can introduce pastel tones into your crockery collection or incorporate a rug or curtains in a pastel pattern to add soft edges to your scheme.

By layering different textures and colours, you can carefully build up a Scandinavian style kitchen that feels welcoming and calm. The true spirit of hygge is about creating a space that feels cosy and inviting, so that whether you're cooking, socialising or simply going about your daily routine, you truly feel at home in your kitchen.