Bringing Hygge into your RV Lifestyle

It’s an odd word to pronounce, and perhaps even more difficult to explain, especially to those of us who haven’t been brought up in the culture, hygge, pronounced more or less as “hooga”, is a Danish and Norwegian word describing a feeling of extreme coziness, quiet comfort or the warmth within. Hygge also encompasses elements of cozy, plush textures, warm lighting and neutral shades.

Hygge is also about taking time away from the daily rat race to be with people you care about. It may even be about taking some quiet time by yourself. It’s a chance to relax and enjoy life’s quieter pleasures. Some say that hygge reflects the values of Danish society, things like equality and the well-being of everyone.

Hygge is a very personal thing and it may mean different things to different folks. Winter is a prime time for hygge. The long, dark winter nights encourage Danes and others of us living in northern latitudes to spend time indoors together in a comfortable, cozy environment.

As RVer’s we can bring elements of hygge into our RV lifestyle. In fact RVing is ideally suited to hygge especially when we seek out a chance to get away from the mad rush and seek solitude and comfort in the beauty of the wilderness. Here are some ways to enhance that experience in your RV.

Fireplaces

For us personally, we make an attempt to make our RV cozier and warmer feeling by doing things like turning on the electric fireplace and while the flames are fake, the warm glow and warmth the electric heater puts into the room isn’t.

Electric fireplace’s add warmth & comfort

Lighting

Lighting in your RV can make a huge difference. We have added LED strip lighting to a couple of areas in our RV. The lighting is adjustable, which is important. As we all know, white LED light can be very cool, almost blue or it can be warm, moving towards a warmer yellowish glow. That is what we want to obtain for that feeling of hygge. One of our strip lights allows us to change the colour completely and we can get a nice fiery, warm sunset glow…very comforting on those cold winter nights.

Additional lighting adds light and accents our artwork

Candles can be a big part of hygge too. Unfortunately, candles can be a real fire hazard, but there are modern alternatives. LED candles produce that warm glow we all crave and can even flicker to add an extra element of realism.

Warmer Textures

Our 5th wheel came equipped with very dark, heavy furniture with a shiny leather surface. When it came time to replace it we made an extra effort to choose brighter, warmer, more comfortable fabrics. Throw some colourful cushions, some draperies and a warm textured carpet into the mix and you have hygge!

Neutral Colours

We went one step further and painted out some of the dark wood cabinets and trim as well as painted the textured walls with lighter more neutral colours. This not only significantly brightened the room but warmed up the overall feel to the space…hygge!

Artwork

Most RV’s don’t have a lot of wall space for pictures, but there are usually a couple of spots that can be used. Adding a personal piece of artwork that you love can make a huge difference to the comfort of your living space. You can probably find a spot for the odd sculpture or tchotchke as well.

Additional warm lighting, soft textures, lighter warmer colours & artwork all add ‘hygge’.

Food

Comfort food is a big part of hygge. Fall and winter is the time for hunkering down and making stews, soups and casseroles. Linda is a master of such warm culinary delights and we even go so far as to refer to her as the ‘soup Nazi’, a reference to an episode on the TV show Seinfeld. For some of her delicious recipes check out our page: Recipes

Colourful, hot, delicious comfort foods – perfect for those cold winter nights

Outdoors

Hygge is not restricted to indoors. You can also bring hygge to your outdoor experience and if you’re camping, nothing beats a real fire. Unfortunately with climate change, there are more and more campfire bans during the summer months. But this is where portable gas fire places shine, giving you that warm glow and heat without the risk of flying sparks. Outdoor lighting, including LED strip lighting, hanging led lights and lanterns don’t use a lot of power but will give that nice warm feeling to your campsite.

Nothing better for adding hygge than a fire, and during campfire bans, propane firepits shine!

Don’t forget outdoor carpets! These carpets don’t only make your living space more comfortable to walk around on, but they can dramatically improve the look of your campsite, particularly if you’re parked on gravel, bringing the feeling of hygge!

A outdoor carpet is practical but also adds ‘hygge’

Happy Travels!!