Success R e al E s tat e GO HYGGE OR GO HOME Forget Feng Shui and leave your Chakra-centered designs on the cutting-room floor, Hygge is what’s hot. Read on to discover the in’s and out’s of the Danish design philosophy taking the world by storm. TEXT BY RYAN JARRELL Difficult to define and punishing to pronounce, Hygge (pronounced “hue-gah”) is the Scandinavian sensation spreading a warm and fuzzy feeling across the globe. A Danish word that roughly translates to cozy, convivial or intimate, Hygge is a holistic philosophy that affects all strata of one’s life, including interior design. Unlike it’s more structured Chinese cousin, Feng Shui, Hygge has very few specific rules. Warm wood is often prized over cold tile and illumination should be indirect and accented. Candles are the favored lighting system, but dotting small lamps around living spaces similarly inspires an intimate feeling much prized by the Danes. Knick- knacks, neutral colors and textured, layered fabrics all nod to Hyggeites. Let’s face it: It’s been a grueling year. So let’s take a note from some of the happiest countries on Earth and let a little Hygge in our lives. 38