Britain has gone absolutely mad for so-called ‘hygge’, which roughly translates to the Danish art of cosiness. Hygge is usually associated with settling down in a nest of cushions and soft blankets in your living room and surrounding yourself with candles and a good book. Here’s how you can embrace this concept in the kitchen.

1. Mood lighting

If you have various lighting sources in your kitchen, you’re in luck because it will be easy for you to create a hygge atmosphere whilst you’re cooking. The ideal scenario would be to switch on the lights hanging over the central island to create a cosy spotlight effect but also to help ensure you can see whilst you’re preparing food. Putting on the light within your extractor fan unit will not only ensure you don’t have any accidents on the stove, but will also create another focal point of light in the room. To complete the effect, place candles of various sizes around the kitchen.

2. Cook plenty of warming comfort foods

According to a recent survey of 2,000 people by the team at GLORIOUS! Soups, soup is officially the UK's favourite comfort food for this winter. The brand has just released a deliciously healthy soup called GLORIOUS Greens which is perfect for anyone wanting to be both healthy and hygge. Other comfort foods to cook in your hygge kitchen that made into onto the GLORIOUS! Soups top 10 include; cottage pie or shepherd's pie, jacket potato as well as stew with dumplings. We're feeling hungry now...

3. Cook in comfort

You can't be hygge without feeling comfortable. If you've just got home from work, ditch the stiff shoes, trousers and shirt and put something more relaxed on. Cashmere socks, fleecy lounging pants and a long sleeved top are perfect for cooking in comfort and lounging in after eating your meal.

4. Surround yourself with nature

Danes love the great outdoors but because the weather there doesn't necessarily lend itself to this pursuit during the winter, they simply bring the outside in. IKEA has a great selection of small pot plants which will add some greenery to your kitchen window ledge. Fragrant living herbs planted up in attractive pots not only add a splash of colour in your kitchen but add delicious flavours when chopped up into your food.

5. Be mindful

In order to fully embrace hygge in the kitchen, leave your anxieties and worries at the door. Cooking is a fantastic way to practice the concept of mindfulness which basically involves allowing your mind to relax and really be in the moment. To practice this, try really thinking about the feeling of the vegetables in your hands whilst you're chopping them and ask yourself how they smell. Then, luxuriate in the peace of standing in front of the stove slowly stirring a fragrant pot of bubbling stew. This is something that the fabulous Nigella Lawson champions in pretty much all of her books!

6. Handmade hygge

You only have to step into an interiors shop in central Copenhagen to see how much Danes value good quality handmade wooden objects. They take real pleasure in investing in buying a few top quality bespoke pieces for their home. The ultimate way of embracing hygge in the kitchen is to install a handmade made to measure kitchen that is crafted from the best quality sustainable wood. You really can’t get more Danish than that.

Here at Country Kitchens we provide a full no obligation consultation service, so why not get in touch to find out how we can help you create the perfect handmade hygge kitchen?

Country Kitchens blog

Six ways to embrace 'hygge' in the kitchen