Find Your Euro-spiration

From holiday gift giving to to keeping your home’s style fresh in the dead of winter, finding the perfect inspiration can sometimes seem impossible. What if the perfect source was just across the pond?

These collections showcase a passion for design and creativity, all inspired by a European country or the style of that nation. May these sources of inspiration spark your own!

Procook’s Oslo Collection

ProCook’s Oslo range brings Nordic cool to the table this winter, continuing the dining trend for reactive glaze stoneware. Oslo tableware embraces the Scandinavian hygge trend with its organic shapes and cool grey tones with a subtle salt and pepper look. Easily dressed up for more formal dining, the Oslo range is also perfect for everyday use. Oslo includes dinner and side plates which have flat bases and a sharp vertical lip, complemented by gently curved cereal and pasta bowls.

Photo courtesy Reformations.

Shekåbba

Started in October 2019, Shekåbba consists of a small, visionary team of people who originate from all over the United Kingdom, all who share a love and passion to introduce others to the people-centred happiness of the Danish home. “We believe that thoughtfully crafting a home environment of warmth and beauty, sets the stage for a lifetime shared with those we love most,” according to company founders Dan and Rosanna Chapman.

Inspiration behind the company’s founding starts within the Danish culture, specifically the Danish homes model which focuses on time with family and friends. To introduce others to such a rich, happy culture, Shekåbba helps customers discover more of Denmark’s gifted home decor designers and artists, to bring an authentic and broadening Danish home experience.

BACK TO BASICS

Wooden furniture and surfaces are the most common among the style, portraying a sense of simple elegance that is nature-based. Some of these surfaces and finishes include light grey marble or wood counters and kitchen equipment like wooden chopping boards, says Brantmark. This choice brings warmth into the home, as well as any other plant life added to the room that naturally revives the space.

To complement the natural wood touches, a soft color palette is also needed in order to create a “sleek, clean, organized look,” according to Brantmark. Designers at Modern Dining Tables also suggest more refined colors, such as mixing natural wood or darker metallics with white or rose gold. Alternatively, also suggested are black accent pieces, in order to give life to the room by making a modern contrast and letting the natural wood shine.

MINIMALISM AND ORGANIZATION

In order to fully commit to this style in your dining space, the layout of a Scandinavian kitchen often portrays a sense of minimalism, both in style and organization. To keep the look clean and streamlined, Brantmark suggests both open and closed storage options in the form of kitchen cabinets and drawers. “You need to be able to hide the clutter but ensure items you need regularly are at hand,” she adds.

Other ways to convey this sense of sophisticated simplicity can be shown in the furniture and lighting pieces displayed. Suggested by Modern Dining Tables, industrial-style lighting fixtures are highlighted examples, as “metal is never out of fashion” and gracefully complements other aspects of the aesthetic. In regards to furniture, large tables with simplistic, matching chairs work well in these spaces, as they are warm and inviting and further allow for a informal place for people to gather and socialize.

“I love that this look is calm and fresh yet has a balanced, warm and inviting feel about it too,” Brantmark remarks. “Kitchens are known as the ‘engine room’ of the house. It’s where people gather socially so it’s important people are drawn to the area and feel comfortable.

Sensing this niche in the market, Namaki created the “Luuna Collection,” an assortment of bespoken furniture that “distinguished itself in that people would feel and connect with it and therefore always remember it.”

“Luuna” takes its name and design philosophy from the moon, a universal constant with a symbolic connection to time and place, according to Namaki. The style and sculpted shapes of the collection are further inspired by mid-century designs and hygge, the heart of Danish culture.

Namaki notes that she wanted to create furniture that embodied this concept and pieces that are designed to evoke an ambience. The core of the collection is the textured shearling, or sheepskin, on each of the pieces that creates a feeling of coziness and warmth. The shearling also proved to be another challenge, Namaki says, as it took a lot of experimenting to find the right consistency to work with.

“[Shearling] is a unique and very special material to use for upholstery that requires precision and skill to create straight joints by hand,” she says. The designers also worked with specialized English craftsmen throughout the process when shaping and crafting the wood frames, combining traditional and modern techniques to create detailed furniture pieces. Just as soft are the colors on each of the seven furniture pieces and five cushions from the collection, classic shades that fit with most interior spaces while also remaining subtly bold.

“I think the “Luuna” collection can fit in every home as the style, colors and shapes are timeless and constant,” Namaki remarks. “[These] pieces make iconic and playful centerpieces in every home. They are designed for anyone who believes their home tells the story of who they are.”

All photos courtesy www.elnaznamaki.com.

Photo ©iStockPhoto.com/Ulzanna

“Hygge so perfectly describes what it means to be happy. It’s not material items that make us happy — it’s taking time to discover what really fills up our tank internally,” says Samantha J. Vander Wielen, health coach and owner of Philadelphia-based Hygge Wellness.

Togetherness

In The Little Book of Hygge, Wiking says 57 percent of Danes believe it takes 3 to 4 people to have hygge. A smaller, more intimate group seems to create a perfect space for support and coziness. “Hygge is about the company you’re keeping,” says Russell. “Hygge has a lot to do with togetherness, so it’s about prioritizing your people, cramming as many of the folk you care about around a table and eating, drinking and being generally merry.”

Light

Wiking dedicates his entire first chapter of The Little Book of Hygge to light, claiming “no recipe for hygge is complete without candles.” According to Wiking’s research, more than half of Danes light candles almost every day during autumn and winter, and only 4 percent say they never light candles.

When it comes to lamps, the Danes don’t like bright lights. Instead, they prefer a warm, soft glow, — artfully using illumination to produce soothing pools of light throughout their homes.

Food and drink

Cake, ice cream, soup, wine, coffee or beer — hygge is about comfort food and drink and treating yourself to the treats you love. According to Wielen, there is one fundamental difference between the way Americans eat and drink and how the Danes indulge. “Danes don’t binge then purge like we do in the U.K. and the U.S.,” she said. “Instead they’re kind to themselves, indulging when they fancy it and not depriving or punishing themselves.”

But hygge isn’t about getting too full or eating to the point of regret. Instead, it means eating and drinking slowly while appreciating the present moment. According to Wielen, the Dane’s way of indulging “makes them nicer to be around and happier as a nation.”

Clothing

Bulky sweaters, cozy sweatpants, oversized scarfs and fluffy socks are hygge. Hygge is not about looking cute, it is about feeling comfortable. As Wiking puts it in The Little Book of Hygge, “casual is key” when it comes to hygelig clothing. Hygge is about layers and the bigger, the better.

Home Décor

According to Wiking, 71 percent of Danes experience hygge most often within their own homes. So, what are the essentials to a hygelig home? A hygelig home should include a fireplace, candles (obviously), wooden furniture, vintage accents, books, nature and an abundance of blankets and pillows.

Wellness

Wielen, whose business is centered on fitness and health, created Hygge Wellness around the concept of hygge because she believes hygge is essential to mental health. “To me, hygge is all about cultivating experiences, moments and spaces in your life and home that restore, rejuvenate, and fulfill you,” she said. 

According to Wielen, a client’s fitness goals may be reached only after their mental health and happiness is prioritized. “It’s when we’re fulfilled in the major areas of our life that we feel comfortable around food, eager to move our bodies, and present enough to care for our minds,” she said.