Beat the winter blues with Danish lifestyle store Søstrene Grene

Denmark is a country that punches well above its weight. It may be small but it’s famous for lots of great things including Lego, Lurpak, Carlsberg, Danish pastries, Peter and Kasper Schmeichel, Hans Christian Andersen, Helena Christiansen and, best of all, bacon.

Despite having some of the highest taxes in the world, it’s also famous for being one of the happiest countries. It was ranked first on the world happiness list in 2013 and 2016. This year it’s back up to second spot, a position it last held in 2017.

So what makes Danish people so happy?

It can’t be the weather. On average, Denmark has 171 days when it rains or snows. And the winters are grim.

Maybe it’s the fact that Denmark has more than twice as many bicycles as cars. Despite the weather, Danes prefer to cycle everywhere instead of sitting in traffic jams getting stressed.

Or maybe it’s the lifestyle. Danes enjoy the simple pleasures in life and like to make time for them. They call it hygge. Hygge is a feeling that’s difficult to translate. It means creating a warm and cosy atmosphere in your home and enjoying the good things in life, ideally with people you love.

It was all the rage over here a couple of years ago. But in Denmark, it’s not just a passing trend. It’s a way of life.

Danes like to make their homes as cosy as possible, especially during the long, hard winter months when the sun sets at three in the afternoon and the snow is three feet deep.

And they like to keep things simple. Danish style is simple, clutter-free and minimalist combining beauty, simplicity, and functionality. It also happens to be very, very cool.

Danish family-owned retail chain Søstrene Grene are experts in hygge.

Their new collection launches this month and includes furniture and interiors in wonderful natural textures such as cotton, wool and linen, beautiful paper lamps that will help create the right light, candles, FSC-certified board games, knitting, and lots more.

In fact, everything you need to create that wonderful feeling of contentment, comfort and cosiness in your own home.

The collection is available from 30th January 2020 in their stores in Altrincham and The Royal Exchange Manchester.