Living “Danish-ly”

Today is either going to be a high or a low depending on your current outlook and station in life.

I realize we are living in times that are fraught with controversy and I certainly don’t mean to cause anymore strife amongst us, but sometimes you just have to go out on a limb and talk about what really matters.

And, today, that is the return of sweatpants.

Now what in the name of heaven, you ask, do sweatpants have to do with staging a home?

Not to be accused of trying to rescue sweatpants from sartorial disrepute, it is merely a launching point for how a home should feel when buyers enter it.

But at the same time, sweatpants will never be chic.

Just listen to the name. SWEAT-pants. They are designed to sweat in. Not cool. They are casual and sloppy, baggy at the knees, fraying and dragging at the heels.

A little like we feel by Friday afternoon.

Many of the homes I go in to stage look and feel like droopy sweatpants, instead of comfortable and cozy.

The furniture is leaning around the edges of the room like wallflowers, little pieces of art are hung haphazardly on the wall, and closets are cluttered with, you guessed it, too many pairs of sweatpants.

One of the most important thing in staging a home for sale is setting out scenes of comfort.

The Danes know a thing or two about this, and it starts with one small word, HYGGE: roughly translated to ‘cosiness’. For the Danes, it’s all about creating an ambient atmosphere and enjoying the good things of life: some material, some more important. It’s the feeling of hands cupping a warm mug of tea; sheepskin rugs thrown over chairs; glowing candles and lamps; conversation around the fireplace and cinnamon buns fresh out of the oven.

So how can you create hygge in your listings?

“Hygge” Ideas:
fluffy towels hanging in the bathroom
a thick down duvet on the bed with a cashmere blanket folded at the end
candles on the fireplace mantle
a stack of books on the night table
a tray of gourmet hot chocolates, coffees or teas, and sweet cardamon jam set on the kitchen counter
a bowl of popcorn in the family room
soft music playing in the background
a floor lamp beside a comfy reading chair draped with a nubby throw
fresh flowers on the dresser
a pair of sheepskin slippers set by the bed

Could all of this be any more hygge?