We’ve just returned from our holidays to Germany and Denmark and I’m full of inspiration!

Firstly, there is nothing like a holiday to remind you how very little ‘stuff’ you actually need. Living out of a suitcase for 5 weeks is surprisingly easy (granted, in summer more so than in winter). The days are full of fun and everything seems lighter. It’s also exhausting with two little kids, don’t get me wrong. I flew over on my own but was glad when Reg joined us later on, to help me tame the little monsters.

how to hygge

For our family holiday we decided on Denmark where we stayed in a beautiful beach house for 10 days and in a Copenhagen apartment for 4 days.
It feels like everyone in Denmark has an innate understanding and appreciation of design, especially when it impacts every day living. And everyday living is what I get most excited about, even when I’m on holidays.
They seem to inuitively know how to put things (old and new) together in the home to make it ‘hygge’ – a word which grew in popularity around the world a few years back. It doesn’t really translate into English but describes a mood of coziness, wellbeing, contentment. Helen Russell, a British journalist who wrote “The Year of Living Danishly,” defines the term as “taking pleasure in the presence of gentle, soothing things”. Louisa Thomsen Brits, the author of “The Book of Hygge: The Danish Art of Contentment, Comfort, and Connection,” calls it “a practical way of creating sanctuary in the middle of very real life”. I love both those definitions!
We rented AirBnB’s: someone’s little summerhouse that they usually use, and someone’s everyday apartment, who were on holiday themselves. There are a few things that I noticed in the kitchens of these two places that I’d like to share with you. Because they felt like more than just kitchens. More than just where you end up after a long day, trying to quickly whip up dinner. It was a cozy atmosphere of calm, an invitation to cook, unwind and slow down. It was the place to be! 

art

They had art on the wall!
This is definitely something I want to adopt in my capsule kitchen soon. It doesn’t matter how expensive or extravagant the art is, as long as it reflects who you are as a person. On these holidays I came across three different kitchens with artwork (2 in Denmark, 1 in Germany), with a completely different look and feel. The kind of art that they were displaying was different too: paintings, drawings and prints.
Dare to put some art in your kitchen – food related or not. It will transform the space from functional to uplifting and inspiring.

gorgeous textiles

Kitchen towels or dish cloths needn’t be boring.
I was surprised to find so many beautifully textured kitchen towels and dish cloths in Denmark.  Not just lovely colours and prints to make them look pretty, but the knitted texture also makes them a joy to hold and work with. As you can see I’ve gone for mostly muted earthy colours, but whatever colour profile you prefer – textured kitchen towels will make being in the kitchen (literally) feel different and more exciting. The care that goes into designing and producing these everyday items is palpable. Doing dishes never looked and felt this good.
kitchen towels and dish cloths

knives

Both Danish kitchens, that I’ve had the pleasure to cook in, had great knives. They were very good quality and – especially important – very sharp. It wasn’t necessarily a set, but more of a collected and well taken care of mix of old and new. Cooking with sharp knives makes a HUGE difference. You don’t need many, and they don’t need to be expensive. But if you’ve got some blunt old knives in your kitchen, today might be a good day to toss them out (or if possible, get them sharpened).
I’ve previously written about how to declutter and take care of your knives here. 
knife and grapefruit cut on a wooden board

good quality pots

Equally, both kitchens had fabulous pots and pans. Well known French and Danish brands, that were beautiful to look at. The appreciation for design and quality was a real statement in both kitchens and no doubt makes a big impact in the everyday cooking experience. There was a massive, black Le Creuset casserole dish in the summerhouse that I loved and immediately wanted to start saving up for! And Eva Trio pots in the Copenhagen apartment celebrated 40 years of Danish design.
Whichever brands and designs you choose (and mind you, I have two wonderful cast-iron pots from Aldi that I dearly love – so I’m in no way saying that beautiful pots have to break the bank), you will enjoy them each time you cook.
casserole pot on the stove

fabulous crockery

Both kitchens were equipped with beautiful crockery, both rustic and ornate. What struck (and inspired) me the most, was that in the city apartment they had the most amazing set of crockery from Royal Copenhagen – which is eyewateringly expensive – despite having two little children. It was clearly there for everyday use, not for a special occasion. Far too often we hide away our precious things and miss the opportunity for them to delight us every day.

Making a cup of coffee in the morning in those beautiful mugs brought a sense of calm and appreciation to the start of my day.

crockery collection on a shelf

what to do if you can’t afford the real thing just yet

Transitioning your capsule kitchen into the space that you want it to be may take a little time. Before you invest a month’s worth of salary into a mug from Royal Copenhagen (kidding. almost… #luckywedidntbreakanything), there are lots of ways you can make changes now. For example antique shops are a wonderful place to find crockery treasures and good quality cookware are excellent second hand buys.

Making the kitchen a space that you love to spend time in will be priceless!

Much love,

Katrine x

 

 

Photo credits:

Knife with grapefruit: Photo by Anna Wlodarczyk on Unsplash

Casserole pot: Photo by Edgar Castrejon on Unsplash

Crockery: Photo by Brooke Lark on Unsplash