Have you ever walked into a room and immediately felt an unexplainable sense of warmth and comfort? In this post, I’ll to explain how to curate the lighting in your home using hygge lamps to add simplicity and coziness without strenuous rearranging or expensive purchases. This strategy is based on the concept of the Danish word “hygge.” The term hygge is hard to define because to many, it is something you feel. There are several attempts at definitions, but a favorite of mine is “the art of creating intimacy.” It can be hard to point to exactly what makes us feel intimate, comfortable or content, but the hygge philosophy suggests that lighting plays a crucial role in creating this feeling.
There are countless ways to add hygge to your home through lighting, including candles, string lights, and firelight, but in this post I’ll focus on how to choose the perfect hygge lamp. It’s not enough to purchase a light fixture and toss it in a corner of your living room. For maximum coziness and intimacy, you must put thought into the way the lamp diffuses light, the color temperature, and the properties of the light bulb. Let’s start first with the lamp itself.
Top 5 Hygge Lamps
- Himalayan salt lamp: Not only does this hygge lamp emit a warm amber glow, but it’s also believed to have air-purifying properties. It’s perfect for creating a cozy and relaxing ambiance in any room of your home. Simulating the sunset, amber lighting tells our brains to relax and wind down at the end of the day.
- Edison bulb lamp: The vintage look of Edison bulbs adds a touch of nostalgia to any room, and their warm glow creates a cozy ambiance. They’re perfect for diffusing soft light to create cozy nooks in any space in your home.
- Paper lanterns: These soft, diffused lamps create a dreamy, whimsical atmosphere that’s perfect for a relaxing evening at home. These versatile and affordable lanterns are ideal for use in bedrooms, living rooms, or other spaces where a gentle, calming light is desired. Try them on your patio for a hygge inspired summer evening.
- Uplight lamp: These lamps direct light upward, creating a warm and inviting ambiance that’s perfect for creating a cozy nook or corner. They’re great for adding a touch of warmth without too much 360 degree brightness.
- Globe lamp: With its round, spherical shape, a globe lamp provides a soft and diffused light that’s perfect for calming the mood of a room and settling in for the night. These hygge lamps will help you add small pockets of glowing light throughout a room while leaving the majority of the space dim and relaxing.
Color Temperature For Relaxation
You found the perfect lamp! But remember, it’s what’s on the inside that counts. Lighting in the amber to orange range promotes feelings of relaxation, calmness, and well-being. White light imparts a stark and uninviting feeling, intended to stimulate the brain and promote productivity. That is why bright, fluorescent lighting is typically used in office environments.
When choosing a light bulb, pay close attention to the color of light the bulb emits. Warm lighting with a color temperature between 2500K and 3000K is the ideal hygge range. This amber-orange glow mimics a sunset or firelight. Naturally, our brains associate this color light with the end of the day and winding down for bed. When exposed to this type of warm lighting, the brain produces more melatonin, regulating our circadian rhythm and making it easier to fall asleep and stay asleep. Because of the stress-reducing qualities of warm light, you’ll often find it used in relaxation techniques, such as meditation and yoga.
Here’s a breakdown of some of the most common colors of light and their effects. Use this as a quick guide when purchasing light bulbs for different areas of your home or office. Check out this post for a more comprehensive guide on hygge lightbulbs.
- Red Light (2500K-2700K): Red light has a low color temperature and is often used in outdoor lighting to minimize light pollution. It can create a warm and cozy atmosphere and is often used in decorative lighting, such as string lights or holiday lights.
- Warm White (2700K-3000K): Warm white light has a yellowish or orange hue and is often associated with a cozy and relaxing atmosphere. It can help to promote feelings of relaxation and calmness, making it ideal for creating a hygge-inspired atmosphere in your home.
- Neutral White (3500K-4100K): Neutral white light has a neutral or natural hue and is often used in workspaces or areas where people need to stay focused and alert. It can help to create a clean and bright atmosphere, making it ideal for task-oriented activities.
- Cool White (5000K-6500K): Cool white light has a bluish or cool hue and is often used in outdoor lighting or commercial settings. It can help to create a bright and stimulating atmosphere, making it ideal for areas where people need to stay alert and focused.
- Blue Light (7000K-10000K): Blue light has a high color temperature and is often associated with electronic devices, such as smartphones, computers, and TVs. Exposure to blue light at night can disrupt sleep patterns and affect our circadian rhythm, making it harder to fall asleep and stay asleep.
How to Choose a Hygge Light Bulb
Once you’ve decided on the color light you want for your hygge lamp, you’re ready to start shopping for light bulbs. For hygge inspired spaces, consider these 5 properties of light bulbs before making a purchase. Looking for more information on hygge light bulbs? Check out our Hygge Light Bulb Guide here.
- Color temperature: Choose bulbs with a warm color temperature, typically between 2700K and 3000K on the Kelvin scale. This will give your space a warm and inviting glow that’s perfect for creating a cozy atmosphere.
- Lumens: Lumens measure the brightness of a bulb. For a cozy atmosphere, choose bulbs with a lower lumen count, around 400-800, to create a softer and more relaxing ambiance.
- Energy efficiency: A lower wattage bulb typically emits less energy and produces less light than a higher wattage bulb. Look for bulbs that are energy-efficient, such as LED bulbs, to save money on your electricity bill while still creating a cozy atmosphere.
- Dimmable: Dimmable bulbs allow you to adjust the brightness of your lighting to fit your mood and activities. This is essential for creating a cozy atmosphere, as it allows you to customize your lighting to your needs.
- Type of bulb: The type of bulb can also affect the ambiance of your space. For example, frosted bulbs or bulbs with a soft glow are great for creating a cozy atmosphere, while harsh or bright bulbs can create a stark and uninviting atmosphere.
Here is my favorite hygge light bulb for standard sized lamps:
What I like about it:
- At 2700K, this amber white bulb is in the ideal hygge color range
- This bulb has a very low lumen count at 240 lumens. Lumens measure the amount of light that a bulb produces. A typical 40-watt incandescent bulb produces around 450 lumens, while a 100-watt bulb produces around 1600 lumens. Meaning this bulb emits a very low light
- Although not an LED, this bulb is on the lowest end of wattage for incandescent bulbs, helping with energy efficiency
- The unique vintage design gives a classic, throwback look while emitting a warm glow
- Compatible with dimmable lamps for an even softer glow
- If you prefer a different shape (maybe something less vintage?), they come in several shapes
Creating a hygge-inspired atmosphere in your home is all about creating a warm and inviting space that promotes relaxation and well-being. Choosing the right lighting, including the right lamps and color temperature, is essential in the “art of creating intimacy.” By incorporating these top 5 hygge lamps into your space, paired with amber light bulbs, you’ll quickly find yourself among pockets of soft, warm light ideal for relaxation. Want more lighting tips? Learn the essentials for adding hygge lighting to your home.