The New York Times and other major media are reporting on the latest lifestyle trend, Hygge. Hygge is the Dutch concept of coziness, a lifestyle that focuses on enjoying life’s finer things at home. Warm blankets, good books, and earnest conversations with friends over the warm beverage of your choice are the essence of Hygge – in other words, everything South Shore residents have been doing for generations to make the most of long, cold winters. Being warm and comfy indoors while a Nor’ester blows is the only sensible way to spend your time.
Hygge is in many ways similar to the cocooning trend we saw in the 1980’s. Staying in is an almost natural response in times of stress and anxiety: as global geopolitical events become more and more frightening, we draw strength and comfort from the fact we’re safe at home. We want our homes to be warm, inviting havens, where family and friends are happy to gather and seek refuge from an overwhelming world.
You can create the sense of warm welcome beginning right at your front door. The front door is very important symbolically: not only is it a physical barrier keeping your family safe and comfortable no matter what’s going on outside, it is an aesthetic boundary that tells the world that starting here, our family controls the experience and we choose to make things gracious and comfortable.
If your front door now isn’t really doing it for you, you should know door replacement is available in the South Shore. Replacement doors come in a variety of colors and designs. If your current door doesn’t have a window and you’d like one, you can have a replacement door with a window installed: it’s a great place to stand and peek at the weather with a steaming cup of cocoa while waiting for your friends to arrive for a visit!