Hygge: The beginner's guide

We're obsessed with all things Scandi. The city, the style and the laid back lifestyle.

Denmark is the happiest country in the world and we want in, which is why Louisa Thomsen Brits, author of The Book of Hygge: The Danish Art od Living Well, has given us the ultimate beginner's guide to "that scandi thing" we're all obsessed with.

Hygge (pronounced hu-gah) is a quality of presence and an experience of togetherness. A feeling of being warm, safe, comforted and sheltered. Still a bit confused? Here are eight steps to help you understand the concept of hygge.

Hygge is primarily about atmosphere. Most Danish homes are relaxed and informal. When you enter, there will be a basket of slippers by the door; a candle lit on the sideboard. They say, 'Come in. Cast off your cares.' It creates an atmosphere that is intimate and inviting.

We're familiar with the pared-back Scandi design aesthetic - but hygge is more than that. It's about surrounding yourself with things that speak to your senses. It's about natural light, wooden floors, green plants and fresh flowers; the smell of coffee brewing.

Pay attention to beauty and utility. Forget anything too ornate, fussy or self-consciously arranged. The Danish are very attuned to good design and passing things from one generation to the next; they surround themselves with the well-worn and the well-loved. Photographs; a vase which has been handed down; anything handmade - things which remind us that we are loved.

The glow of living light is very important to hygge: firelight, a woodburner - or simply a candle on your bedside table.

Hygge is about creating a circle of warmth. All over Denmark you see pendant lights hung low over coffee tables and dining tables.

If hygge has a scent, it's clean and natural: musk, wood, vanilla, pine, fresh air. (And it doesn't matter if you don't have much outside space: open the windows; put a pot of jasmine on your balcony.)

When you invite people to your home, keep it simple. Don't worry about setting "the perfect table", it's about simplicity: fresh flowers, candles, good wine, and comfort food - a one-pot casserole you can prepare in advance (so you can sit with your guests).

Carve out cosy corners in your home. The softest cotton sheets and woollen blankets on your bed. A lamp hung low near an armchair, where you can curl up and read. You can hygge alone, just as you can with others. It really doesn't take much to hygge.

Five ways to get your hygge on now...