Not so much an interior trend as a way of life, Hygge has invaded British interiors this season with its blend of cosy comforts and Scandi style.
So who better to turn to for a masterclass in all things hyggelig than the author of The Little Book of Hygge, Meik Wiking.
What’s Hygge?
Hygge, or 'hue-ugh' as it’s properly pronounced, originates from the Norwegian word for ‘well-being’ and is an intrinsic part of Danish culture in the colder months (and boy does it get cold up there). As Meik remarks, ‘Hygge is the antidote to the cold winter, the rainy days and the duvet of darkness’ and seeing as Denmark is regularly voted ‘the happiest nation in Europe’ it’s probably time we Brits started to take note.
Turn down the lights
With the days getting shorter, it can be tempting to illuminate every inch of your home. Yet the Danes take a different approach by turning the lights down low. Hit the ‘Hygge sweetspot’ with candles and lower temperature lighting designs, such as filament bulbs or diffused lamps to ‘create soothing pools of light’. Danes burn more candles per person than anywhere else in Europe, so bring them out in force!
Alternatively, Meik suggests to ‘use several smaller contemporary lamps around the room to create a more hyggeligt light than one big lamp set in the ceiling.’
Feather the nest
Roughly translated as a ‘nook’, no Hygge home is complete without a hyggekrog. This is the space where you snuggle up in the evening after a cold commute home or relax on a lazy Sunday.
Cushions, throws and furs are the building blocks for a homely hyggekrog with bay windows providing the perfect place to create your refuge. That isn’t to say you can’t add a bit of hyggelig to your sofa – after all what better place to lay back and watch the latest Scandi TV series.
Bring the outside in
From rugged and rustic furniture to handcrafted accessories, Hygge is all about embracing the beautiful forests and scenery that are intrinsically linked to Scandinavian design. Yet why stop at furnishings? As Meik comments, ‘Any piece of nature you might find is likely to get the hygge greenlight’ with foliage used for decoration on a table top while furs provide a textural element to a bed, chair or even the floor.
Say it with ceramics
The curve on a vase, the spout of a teapot or even the simple pleasure of a warm mug of coffee in your hands, the Danes excel at turning ceramic homewares into an art form. When creating your Hygge home, you can’t go wrong with iconic Scandi ceramics from Kähler and Marimekko.
Shop Now
Back to top
[ INSPIRATION ]
Trends & Lifestyle
Pretty as a petal, this gluten-free Mini Layer Cake with vegan cream “cheese” frosting is the latest recipe from the Little Plantation and provides the perfect show-stopping bake for all to enjoy.
This bake is a vegan friendly take on a recipe featured in Aimee's Perfect Bakes by Aimee Twigger. For best results make sure to check Kimberly’s tips at the bottom of the page prior to baking.
VEGAN GLUTEN FREE MINI LAYER CAKE
Preparation time: 20 - 25 mins Baking time: 40 – 50 mins Cooling Time: 30 - 40 mins Serves: 10 – 12 (makes 2 mini layer cakes).
Ingredients for the sponge: 3 tbls ground flax seeds + 9 tbls water 100g soft brown sugar 50g caster sugar 1/2 tsp vanilla powder 150g glutenfree flour 2 tsp baking powder 1 tsp ground cinnamon 150g coconut oil, melted + extra for greasing the ramekins 2-3 tbls almond milk (or any other plant-based milk) 1 small ripe pear, washed, cored, peeled and chopped into small chunks.
Ingredients for the frosting: 200ml coconut yoghurt 1 tbls maple syrup 100g vegan cream cheese 1/2 tsp vanilla powder Seasonal flowers or evergreens for decorating.
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 180C/350F. Grease four ramekins with coconut oil and line with grease-proof paper (3.5inch/10cm diametre each). Place the ground flax seeds and water in a little bowl, stir and set aside for 5-10 minutes.
Next, in a large bowl combine all the dry ingredients for the sponge - the sugar, the vanilla powder, flour, baking powder and cinnamon – and briefly stir until combined, making sure there are no sugar or flour lumps. In a separate bowl mix together the wet ingredients - the melted coconut oil, the almond milk and chopped up pear.
Then when ready, add the ground flax seed and water mixture and briefly combine. Next pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and stir with a wooden spoon until nicely combined. If the mixture looks very dry, feel free to add a tiny bit more almond milk.
Then evenly distribute the sponge batter into the 4 prepared ramekins and bake for 40 minutes. To test, insert a skewer into the centre; if it comes out clean the cake is ready. Whilst the sponge is baking, prepare the frosting by mixing together the ingredients for the frosting; you can do this by hand or use an electric whisk if you prefer. Once done, keep the frosting in the fridge until the sponge is ready.
When the sponge layers are done remove them from the oven, leave to cool for 10 - 20 minutes. Then place them in the freezer for about 15 minutes or so - this will make cutting them in half so much easier!
Remove from the freezer and carefully cut them in half. Frost each layer carefully until you have 2 – 4 mini layer cakes. Decorate with flowers and enjoy! Each mini layer cake will keep for up to 3 days in the fridge.
Tip 1: The cake is quite moist, hence the longer baking time, but each oven is different so it's worth doing the skewer test at the 30-minute mark.
Tip 2: You can make only 1 mini cake by halving this recipe. We made 1 mini cake and just froze the two extra sponge layers, which we enjoyed a few weeks later (unfrosted) for brunch. Having extra layers and extra icing just means you're covered should something go wrong.
Tip 3: Don't be fooled, despite their little appearance, these cakes are really rich with each easily serving 5 - 6 people.
Tip 4: The riper the pears the more delicious the cake. You can also use persimmon fruit instead of pears if you prefer.
Tip 5: Be aware that vegan cream cheese is generally only available in health food stores, but it's SO worth going the extra mile to get it.
Tip 6: The ramekins we used were bought at a high-street supermarket and are easily available. You can also get them online.
For more healthy and delicious recipe ideas, make sure to check the Little Plantation blog and find the perfect pairings from our Home Accessories collection.
Shop Kitchen
Back to top
The second part in our Everyman's Library guest posts, this week internationally acclaimed author Kazuo Ishiguro picks his five favourite books from the publishers back catalogue.
Shooting to literary stardom with his compelling novel The Remains of the Day, which is published by Everyman’s Library and features an introduction by Salman Rushdie, Kazuo Ishiguro is one of Britain’s most talented novelists, screen-writers and short-story writers. To celebrate the publisher’s 25th anniversary,
Kazuo Ishiguro talks us through his top five Everyman’s Library titles.
Demons by Fyodor Dostoevsky A vast gallery of characters and every one of them barking mad. But the madness is fascinating and richly variegated. And its plot, about delusional amateur terrorists in provincial Russia, couldn’t be more timely.
The Odyssey by Homer The greatest story ever told about the long journey home. War trauma, temptations, awful obstacles – and the fear that home will no longer be the place of one’s memories.
Villette by Charlotte Brontë Her beautiful, flawed masterpiece. A novel filled with the poetry of self-denial; the textures of diary; and the melancholy of life slipping by emptily.
The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas Everyone knows about the escape from an exceptionally unpleasant prison. But it’s the suspenseful, refined revenge story occupying the next thousand pages that makes this such a compelling masterpiece.
Moby-Dick by Herman Melville A great modernist novel published in 1851? Is it profoundly metaphorical? Or is it simply, unapologetically, magnificently, obsessed with – whaling?
Find the perfect frame to start building your library with our collection of contemporary and classic Bookcases and Shelving
Shop Now
Back to top
Just in time for summer, green food blogger The Little Plantation brings us her refreshing yet fiery recipe for Turmeric Ice Tea.
For her latest shoot, Kimberly brings brings together a few of our favourite dishes and glassware including the Moroccan Dinnerware range, Mervyn Gers black bowls and the Carats hi Ball glass. Contrasting monochrome tableware with the bright burst of turmeric iced tea, this recipe is ideal for sunny Saturday mornings or in for picnics in the park with friends and don't forget to try the child friendly version as described below for your little ones.
Shop Dining
Turmeric Ice Tea
Preparation Time: 10 minutes Serves: 2
Ingredients: 1 teaspoon of freshly grated turmeric or turmeric powder 1/4 teaspoon freshly grated ginger or ginger powder 1 tablespoon of honey or liquid sweetener of your choice 2 cups/480ml of cinnamon tea a pinch of pepper ice cubes
Instructions: Prepare your cinnamon tea by boiling water and letting the tea infuse for about 5-10 minutes (you want there to be a strong cinnamon flavour). Wait for the tea to cool completely before adding all the spices and sweetener. Whisk to combine and serve immediately on ice.
Tip 1: You can also use chai flavoured tea bags or ginger tea if you prefer. If using ginger tea, please replace the ginger in the above noted recipe with cinnamon.
Tip 2: For a child-friendly version, add 1/4 cup of apple juice.
Tip 3: Please don't leave out the black pepper; it helps you absorb the turmeric.
Further Reading:
www.thelittleplantation.co.uk
Shop Dining
Back to top
For the first in her series of guest blogs, food stylist extraordinaire The Little Plantation shows us how to whip up a mean green pistachio smoothie.
If you're a fan of instagram food porn pics (and let's be honest, who isn't), chances are you'll have stumbled across Kimberly's beautifully shot culinary creations. We knew she had exceptional taste but it was still much to our delight when we spotted Heal's home accessories popping up on her feed - needless to say, we jumped at the chance of getting these wonderful recipes on our blog. Make sure to give this delicious all-day smoothie a whirl and why not complement with the exclusive Mervyn Gers ceramics sumptuously modelled here.
Shop Now
Pistachio Milk Green Smoothie
Pre-preparation Time: soaking the pistachio nuts overnight Preparation Time: 10 minutes Makes: 1 large smoothie bowl or 2 regular sized smoothie bowls
Ingredients for the home-made pistachio milk: 1 cup of pistachio nuts, soaked for 2 hours 3 cups of water 1 date, pit removed 1 tiny pinch of salt
Ingredients for the smoothie: 2 cups of pistachio milk 1/2 avocado 1 date, pitted 1 banana 1 cup/handful of seasonal greens such as baby spinach 1 teaspoon spirulia or wheatgrass powder (optional)
Instructions: Soak the pistachio nuts in filtered water for at least 2 hours or overnight. When they are ready, strain them and place them in a high speed blender, together with the date, salt and water, then blitz until smoothie. Strain the mixture through a cheese cloth or muslin cloth. Save the pulp in a container in your freezer for future baking. Then measure out 2 cups of pistachio milk and place in a high speed blender together with the avocado, pitted date, banana, spinach and spirulina/wheatgrass powder if using. Blend until nice and smooth. Enjoy! Top with seasonal fruit, cacao nibs or edible flowers.
Further Reading:
www.thelittleplantation.co.uk
Shop Now
Back to top
Discover more
-
Behind The Design
-
At Heal's
-
Tips & Advice
