This week I saw the seasons change before my eyes. After an unseasonably warm May, on Monday afternoon I was sitting in my home office by a large picture window when – in the space of about half an hour – the wind picked up and winter blustered in, blanketing many of the highlands across the country in snow.

While this time of year can mean warm coats, lots of pet cuddles and snow fun for some, for a lot of people the colder, darker days can also mean heavy hearts, feeling chilled, cabin fever and exhaustion.

In the scheme of winters around the world, Australia really can’t complain. We have relatively short ones and they aren’t exceptionally cold. But compared to our continuous hot summers and the fact we were built for the warmer months, Australians are no strangers to seasonal affective disorder – overwhelming feelings of sadness, anxiety, depression, fatigue, withdrawal or loneliness that surface during the colder months.

Though, they say time flies when you’re having fun, so what if you could throw away these negative emotions and actually enjoy winter enough for it to quickly pass in comfort?

The secret lies in the Danish word Hygge.

This word came into the Australian vernacular through interior design, on shows like The Block and House Rules, when traditional Scandi style was interpreted with more comfortable and less stark elements than the minimalist white and wood-toned Nordic look dictates.

But what most people don’t realise is that Hygge is not a design style – it’s more of a philosophy to live by. It literally means to acknowledge a moment, to have consciousness of the present, and experience feelings of fun, cosiness, warmth, kinship, serenity, happiness and gratefulness.

From this meaning, a way of life was created to break up the boredom, sameness and harshness of winters in Denmark. The philosophy encourages the creation of rituals out of everyday things to promote a favourable mindset. These rituals might include focusing on making a cup of tea, sitting under a warm blanket with a good book, lighting a scented candle or spending time with friends and family by the light of a crackling fire.

And while it has nothing to do with buying things, decorating your home or design trends, our home interiors do play a large role in assisting with the Hygge philosophy so integral to the survival of winter for our Scandinavian friends.

So what little things can we do around our homes during winter to help us align ourselves with the feelings of happiness, serenity and kinship?

I met up with interior designer and founder of Mind Interiors, Stacey Williams, to ask her all about it. With 10 years’ experience in the industry and an Advanced Diploma in Interior Design and Decoration from the Design Centre Enmore under her belt, Stacey has found her niche in the business creating not just spaces in homes, but sanctuaries where mindfulness is the focus – an attitude that’s so central to the idea of Hygge.

“Because our winter is shorter we really only decorate for the summer, so our physical bodies and our inner, emotional bodies do need more nurturing in winter,” explains Stacey.

“It might have to be a beautiful blanket that comes out every winter that goes on the sofa, because sitting there with a tiny heater – which a lot of Australians do – is not particularly comfortable and aligned with looking after and nurturing yourself. You shouldn’t have to freeze for three months, but we do! It’s finding those key little things in the home that can really bring the softness and comfort.

“Buying a beautiful blanket is a great way to connect with your children too. Rather than sitting in your own corners of the sofa, you can snuggle with the kids and use it as a way to connect.

“And even though sitting at the dinner table every night is a bit outdated, I think maybe the art of bringing that back one night a week, where everyone sits at the table and shares stories, memories, and what they’re most grateful for, should be the focus. I recommend a dinner table if you don’t have one and a rug to go underneath it to bring a little bit of softness.”

It doesn’t stop there – from her time living in London, Stacey believes there are many ideas we can adopt from our European and Scandi neighbours that might help winter-proof our interiors.

“The central element to every home that brings in presence and peace is a big oversized rug. It’s somewhere you can just hang out with your children, your partner or even yourself with a blanket and cushions. We can be quite disconnected in life – always on our phones, we’re always sitting at a desk – so something like this gets us a little closer to nature, while still being in the home,” says Stacey.

“I also love the idea of mood lighting. We need to come home and unwind, so that could be with beautiful lamps that have a colourful or patterned lampshade that’s inspiring, while adding a softer, more natural light.

“And they don’t have to be heavy drapes like those in the manor houses in London, but a sheer curtain adds privacy, that sense of an intimate sanctuary, and also protects you from draught. I use a lot of fabrics in my designs because they bring an incredible softness.”

What’s more, Stacey’s own mindful way of life isn’t the only thing that makes her an expert on Hygge. She also had an experience living with a Danish couple a few years ago.

“One of the things in their home that was part of their lifestyle that brought so much peace and happiness was a royal Copenhagen crockery set,” explains Stacey.

“It brought them a whole sense of calm, but more than that it connected them to family, connected them to their roots, connected them to memories. So it was special for them, every single morning, to have that cup of tea or coffee and to connect to themselves. Everything connected around food for them was done with a lot of consciousness.

“Sometimes it can be as simple as one special tea cup.”

When I asked the interior designer what her special Hygge moments at home consisted of, she quickly confirmed that cooking great food and snuggling up with a good movie brought her the greatest sense of comfort, cosiness and gratitude. But she also said she reserves one special place in her home for an ‘alter’, a place that makes her joyful – and she encourages others to do the same.

“I’m not suggesting it’s like a temple in India, it’s just a place where you put your special things,” Stacey quickly clarifies.

“Winter is a great time to do these things. Maybe change some of the photos you’ve got if they’re too old – go get some new photos printed. Find a spot so that whenever you walk past that corner, you get a sense of peace because there’s a photo of a loved one or a card someone wrote you. Set that up and remember the things that bring you happiness.”

Talk about words to live by!

You can follow Stacey and find out more about Mind Interiors via Instagram.

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