Hygge living room ideas — 6 ways to warm up your home with this Danish concept and cosy aesthetic

Since the Danish word 'hygge' was added to the Oxford Dictionary in 2017 it has evolved beyond a passing trend and become a permanent part of our interior vocabulary, especially when describing a living room. It is easy to dismiss hygge living room ideas as simply 'cosy', it is so much more.

Hygge does incorporate some cosy living room ideas, but it is about how a space makes you feel. While in the UK we often refer to a thing or a room as 'hygge', in Denmark it is used to describe a feeling of well-being and contentment. It is about creating a warm environment where you can be with people you care about or on your own, enjoying the things you love.

When this translates into decorating a room, it is about creating a space where you can relax, indulge and spend time with others. The warmth will come through the lighting, textures and materials, but it's important not to neglect the layout and furniture that will bring family and friends together.

If you want to bring a feeling of hygge to your living room here are a few ideas to get you started.

1. Dress sofas with tactile materials

A comfortable sofa is the heart of any living room, and in a hygge living room, you want it to be a relaxed spot where people are free to sprawl or cuddle up in a blanket.

Make it feel enticing by layering it up with soft throws and cushions. Chrissie Rucker OBE, Founder of The White Company points out that touch is a key sensory trigger in a home that is engaged by tactile materials. So choose materials that you enjoy touching to encourage a feeling of contentment.

'Place soft throws over chair arms and introduce more tactile elements such as cable knits, velvets, sheepskin and faux fur which truly will add a sense of warmth,' she recommends.

2. Layer up rugs

Living room rug ideas are a practical and aesthetically appealing addition to a hygge living room. They not only make a space look warmer visually, but they will also help it feel warmer by helping insulate a room.

'Textured rugs are a great way to add depth and warmth to your space, making it feel more inviting,' explains Charlotte Ford, our Marketing Director, Ruggable. 'Consider rugs with shaggy finishes, plush textures, or woven patterns that all create a tactile and visually appealing feel.'

The only living room rug rule to keep in mind is to make sure it is large enough to anchor your seating area, 'all furniture legs should rest comfortably on the rug or sit off the rug completely and you need to ensure there is enough space around the edges for a balanced and proportional look,' adds Charlotte.

3. Choose a calming colour

'In terms of colour, neutrals tend to create that calming ambience for the hygge look,' says Charlotte from Ruggable.

Think about the colours used in a traditional scandi-style living room, but dial up the richness with decadent mocha browns and creamy whites to add to that indulgent feeling that characterises hygge.

But don't be afraid to experiment with the bolder colour trends doing the rounds at the moment, these can still be hygge. 'An evolution of these tactile spaces is the introduction of comfort mixed with more experimental interiors. This may involve painting the inside of a doorway in a contrasting tone, opting for hand-drawn motifs on walls,' explains Gisela Lancaster, Head of Buying, Sofology.

4. Start knitting a cushion cover

Knitted throw and cushions continue to be a staple of the hygge look. 'On Etsy, we’ve seen a noticeable rise in searches for items like chunky knitted throws and luxurious, soft rugs, which are staples for achieving that cosy aesthetic. In fact, searches for cosy knitted items have increased by 32% in the last three months,' explains Dayna Isom Johnson, Etsy’s Trends Expert.

But you know what is even more hygge than layering up knits in your living room? Trying your hand at making one yourself, a granny square knitted throw is great for the established knitter, but if you're a beginner consider a chunky knit cushion cover. Hunkering down and taking the time to craft something for your home will make it a bit more special. The sets from Wool and the Gang are a great starting point.

5. Invest in wooden furniture

Hygge has a strong connection to nature, while we often think about it in winter as cosying up inside, in summer hygge is about going for walks or gathering around a campfire. Incorporating wooden furniture into your living room is a great way to bring this essence into the home.

Dayna Etsy's trend expert points out that 2025 is seeing a shift toward 'cosy maximalism'. 'Every item in a space feels both comforting and deeply personal, adding character and individuality to the room, with wooden furniture playing a central role,' she explains.

But don't just settle for minimal flatpack wooden furniture, consider something second-hand on eBay or picked up from a carpenter on Etsy which will bring a unique character to the space.

6. Layer the lighting

Lighting is critical to creating the warming hygge look, you'll rarely see a flush ceiling light in Denmark or the rest of Scandinavia, instead, lighting is kept at eye level with a pendant that creates warm, diffused ambient light.

'The warmth of soft lighting plays a huge role in creating calm, inviting spaces where we can truly relax and recharge,' says Charlotte Marchant, Commercial Director at Lights4fun.

To recreate a hygge living room lighting scheme focus first on choosing a pendant lamp with a shade that will diffuse the light, something as simple as an IKEA paper lamp can work well. Then add a source of light to all the available surfaces, and try a mix of statement and wireless lamps at different heights, candles are also brilliant for coffee tables or mantles.

Finally, look for opportunities to add light into any dark corners with a floor lamp or lanterns around a fireplace.

These are just the building blocks of a hygge living room, as mentioned at the start, hygge is a concept not a distinct look that is evolving as new interior trends come into fashion. 'Living rooms promise to be brighter than ever before which will see the likes of hygge enter a new and bolder life stage,' explains Gisela from Sofology.

Focus your design on textures and colours that make you feel warm and content and you won't be able to go far wrong with your hygge living room ideas.