Due to an unexpected amount of extra time spent at home in 2020, many of us have inadvertently become masters of the Danish art of Hygge – a mood of coziness that brings feelings of wellness and contentment. Here’s how you can achieve maximum levels of Hygge comfort in Columbia.  

Full Belly, Full Heart

What better way is there to indulge yourself than with a truly great meal? Warm yourself, body and soul, with a steaming bowl of soupcomfort food standouts or a cozy dish to cure the winter blues, all from local restaurants. 

Sips to Savor

Fill your cup, both figuratively and literally. Kick back with a steaming mug of coffee or tea. Order something to go from one of our local coffee shops, pick up some Loveland or Indah Coffee beans or grounds to brew your own local cup of joe at home or pop over to the South Carolina State Farmers Market and pay a visit to The Market Tea Room. Uncork something red, white, in between or bubbly from The Vino Garage, The Gourmet Shop, Market on Main or Palmetto Wine Sellers. Grab a growler or six-pack of a seasonal beer that’s good to the last drop from one of our local breweries

Soothing Scents

Set the scene and fill your space with warmth, aroma and ambience with some locally made candles. Selections from Seminole Candle Company, KiRoKa Essentials, Just a Dude Candle Company, Palmetto Embers and Creative Energy Candles (bonus – the wax on these doubles as lotion once you put the flame out!), to name a few, smell great and are handcrafted with care.

Soak It In

Sink into a hot bath and feel everything else melt away. Stock up on soaps, bath salt soaks, face masks, bubble bath, sugar scrubs, bath bombs and more from Sunrise Artisan Bath & Body and Apothecary Soap Company, among others.

Dress the Part

Envelop yourself in something soft. Make sure your toes stay toasty and pick up a thick pair of socks from Mast General Store or Half-Moon Outfitters (hey, if they’re warm enough for sleeping outdoors, then they just might be Hygge enough!). The Well Collective has all the stretchy pants and cute and cozy pajama sets for each day of the week. Stock up on all the rest – sweaters, blankets, scarves, robes, slippers, you name it, at various local shopping hubs around town. 

Warm N’ Toasty

Carry the Hygge mindset with you wherever you go. Enjoy dinner and drinks (safely) outdoors without running the risk of the cold creeping in on a local patio equipped with heaters, blankets, fire pits or full-on temperature control. 

Feel-Good Greenery

Bring the outdoors in and fill your home with nature for an instant mood boost. Who doesn’t love flowers? Treat yourself to a gorgeous bouquet from The Blossom Shop, DeLoache Florist, Fern Studio Flowers or Boone Fox Farms (send one to yourself and one to a friend with their BFF Bouquet Shares option!). Or cultivate something a little more long-term and pick up a new plant baby from Jarrett’s Jungle, Gardener’s Outpost, Woodley’s Garden Center, Seven Oaks Plant Shop, Wingard’s Market and more. 

Nose in a Book

Turn off your phone, tune out the world, snuggle up under a soft blanket and escape into a page turner. Find your next great read here

Easy Listening

Mellow out with some soft background music. Stream a local artist (just a sample of the incredible homegrown talent we have here!) and let the melodies wash over you.