Author Meik Wiking tells Chris Evans about the power of Hygge: 'The way you decorate your home matters'

Virgin Radio

27 Sep 2022, 10:19

Best-selling author and CEO of the Happiness Institute Meik Wiking joined the Chris Evans Breakfast Show with Sky this morning to talk about his new book, My Hygge Home.

For those of you not familiar with Hygge, it’s a Danish and Norwegian term that was voted the Oxford Dictionaries’ 2016 word of the year and is defined as “a quality of cosiness and comfortable conviviality that engenders a feeling of contentment or well-being.”

Pronounced “hoo-gah”, the term has long been considered part of the Danish way of life and is associated with relaxation, indulgence and gratitude.

Meik played a key role in the rise of Hygge when he published his first book on the trend back in 2016, and in this new book, he will reveal how to use space, light and Danish design to transform your home into a sanctuary.

And, you won’t have to break the bank to do it!

During his interview with Chris, Meik explained something as simple as a candle can make a difference in your home and gave an example of a Canadian journalist he once met who transformed his family’s dinner time by using the principles of hygge.

He said: “This Canadian guy started to light candles for dinner at home with his family every night, and his teenage sons, they started teasing him about it. But then, eventually the boys started to light the candles for dinner themselves.

“Most importantly, he said their family dinners lasted 20 minutes longer because changing the atmosphere around the dinner table put the boys in a storytelling mode. So instead of just sitting down shovelling down their food, they sit down, they sip their wine, they talk about their day.”

He added: “That was actually the sort of seed that planted the idea for this book, you know- what other little design hacks can we implement that will change how families interact?”

Another key element of hygge is the feeling of being sheltered from the outside and finding comfort in being inside, which Meik believes is important in this day and age.

He explained: “It’s a turbulent world. There’s a lot going on that we don’t have control over, but we do have control over what’s going on in our home.”

My Hygge Home will be Meik’s fourth book on the décor trend and details things like how to stock a hygge pantry, the importance of Circadian rhythms and daylight in your home, how table and chairs facilitate connection, relationships with your neighbours and tips for designing the workplace.

Speaking more about why it is important to build relationships with your neighbours, Meik explained that even the way our streets are designed has a huge impact on the connections we make.

Citing a recent study, he said: “If you live in a cul de sac compared to a normal street, you are twice as likely to feel that you are good friends with your neighbours and invite each other over for dinner.

“Design matters. The way we shape our cities, streets, our homes, impacts how we feel.”

He went on to explain that how we light the home is equally as important to creating a feeling of hygge, especially in the winter, and highlighted that if you have inadequate daylight in your home, you are 60% more likely to become depressed.

Meik reiterated: “What I wanted to do with this book is educate people in how we design and furnish our homes impacts our mental and physical health.

“The way you decorate your home matters and that’s the focus.”

The author signed off with his top three tips for creating the atmosphere of hygge in your life and home and said: “Find out what is in your pantry, make a good home made meal, invite some friends or family members or even your neighbour.”

My Hygge Home hits shelves on Thursday, 29th September.

For more great interviews listen to  The Chris Evans Breakfast Show with Sky, weekdays from 6:30am on Virgin Radio, or  catch up on-demand here.