Hygge & West Home: Design for a Cozy Life

by Christiana Coop, Aimee Lagos, James Carriere (Photographer)

From the cofounders of the popular design company. "Inside the must-read, the duo takes us inside 20 homes that embody the hygge way of life." --Architectural Digest

Tastemakers Christiana and Aimee of Hygge & West know that the key to making a house into a home is in the decoration--whether that means embracing natural elements, creating cozy spaces, making room for family, or finding your own personal charm in every space. Hygge & West Home offers a look into twenty covetable homes designed to promote feelings of coziness, companionship, and comfort, from an intimate apartment in San Francisco to a log cabin in Wyoming, a family home in Minneapolis, and a colorful oasis in Brooklyn. With page after page of aspirational interiors, engaging interviews with home owners, and tips on creating similar feelings in any space, this eye-catching book explores what makes a house a truly personal space and offers readers the tools and inspiration to make their home their own.

"Christiana Coop and Aimee Lagos, creators of Hygge & West designs, know how to make the home a retreat, a soft and charming space that really embraces hygge, the Danish design term for a cozy, sweet environment." --Unique Homes



"A must-have resource if you are interested in design and interiors." --Coral & Tusk

Genres: Nonfiction, Design, Interior Design, Lifestyle, Self Help, Adult, Cookbooks

303 pages, Kindle Edition

Published September 25, 2018

Reviews

[Sarah · Rating 1 out of 5]

So, hygge is about rich white people with wallpaper?!

[Brittney · Rating 2 out of 5]

Beautiful pictures and the interview questions are fun. In the end it was not a practical book for me... e.g. I didn't see any evidence of actual children living in the homes in the "family" section.

[superawesomekt · Rating 1 out of 5]

Blah. If two lifelong besties have the chance to promote their company, capitalize on the "hygge" trend AND show off the homes of their "new friends," then YOLO! This book should have been Instagram posts. First, the writing is very self-centered and self-promoting. Second, there is some allusion to hygge in the beginning, but no "why this home matters" as a US hygge example/influencer for each interview. The title should have been instead, "Hygge & West: Tours of the homes of our stylish clients." Third, many of the homes looked exactly the same to me or were simply mirroring current trends (e.g. Hygge & West wallpaper!)

I don't dislike their style or wallpaper overall, but this book is very self-indulgent, and the title is misleading. I think it was a mistake.

[Joyful · Rating 3 out of 5]

Beautiful photographs full of inspiration, but not a ton of practical information for those working on their own homes.

[Audrey · Rating 4 out of 5]

What I liked most about this: I was expecting it to focus on homes featuring their wallpaper collection but instead it really does a great job of exploring the concept of "hygge" in various homes. There's a great mix of photos and interview content, which is great. I get tired of books where the author/designer does all the talking/writing about design. I like to hear the homeowner's perspective too.

[Kathryn Covington · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ok... This book is beautiful to look at and is basically a selection of photographs of very expensive rooms and Q & A with designers. I thought it was a book teaching about the Danish concept of Hygge.

Here's a excerpt of "advice:"

"Q: Having a family often comes with a lot of clutter. How are you able to maintain a clean, stylish aesthetic, while still housing all the things having a son entails?

A: We're lucky to have a child who appreciates our aesthetic. Pretty early on, a clear directive was given that the main part of the house should remain as clutter-free as possible, while other places in the house, such as the basement or the yard, are where true experiments can take place... From an early age, he's been given a slew of objects such as old VCR's, radios, and clocks to take apart and tinker wish. Most of this happens below the main floor."

I'm sorry, I am, because I understand what they are trying to get at, but this is just hilarious to me. And pretty unrealistic. Keeping toy clutter out of common rooms and teaching kids to respect common spaces is wonderful, but describing a "child who appreciates aesthetic" and "given a slew of objects such as old VCRs" to tinker with "below the main floor..." Come on.

If you want a beautiful coffee table book with inspiring pictures, go ahead and buy it! If you are looking to learn about the concept of Hygge, allow me to recommend "The Little Book of Hygge" by Meik Wiking.

[Julie Botnick]

Confused by all the negative reviews that don’t like the book because it ended up being...exactly what it purported to be...? They’re a wallpaper company! Why would it feature anything else? Not every book is a comments section of a recipe blog where you get to ask how to substitute paint for wallpaper or a tiny house for a Hollywood Hills manse.

Best review here is the high end Sears catalog reference. I could study the photos for hours. Love these beautifully designed interiors with gorgeous, carefully selected art and trinkets. If you don’t finish the book wanting to build a window bench, you did it wrong.

[JaneAnn Said · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lovely inspirational book of how hygge has been created in a broad spectrum of homes. I especially liked how the four sections - Nature, Small Spaces, Family, & Charm - explores hygge from those perspectives in order to meet the needs of the homeowners with a variety of design styles. I’d never thought about how wallpaper can create coziness, but the Hygge & West collections opened some new possibilities for me to consider.

[Shnnon · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a book by a company who designs interiors with their items. So, if you know that, it’s easy to see that this is what the book is doing. It’s a very high end Sears catalog. If you are looking for Hygge inspiration it is here, in the photos and the interviews. It is about choosing the things that surround you to evoke a certain feeling. MY house will never be filled with what is in these pages, but it is because it’s not Hygge for my house.

[Kristen · Rating 3 out of 5]

I bought this book for my husband, sight unseen, thinking it was more about architecture and building design. Turns out it was more to do with interior decorating, so I'm pretty sure I ended up enjoying it more than him.

I love the concept of hygge, and this book gave me lots of inspiration and ideas.

[Marissa Morrison · Rating 5 out of 5]

Jarred by seeing a madman gasping and saluting on a White House balcony, I listened to Folklore by Taylor Swift (pretty hygge) and slowly studied this book. Attractive people were photographed in their beautiful homes. The authors, who own a wallpaper company, asked everyone questions and there's always one about wallpaper.

[Alexa · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a really beautiful book, both in terms of the designs it features and the stories it holds. There are a lot of different ways to design a home, just like there are many ways to define “hygge” - which I think is the point. I bought this expecting it to serve more as a coffee table picture book and was pleasantly surprised to find I greatly enjoyed the read as well!

[Lissa · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was like brief interviews with people Christiana Coop and/or Amie Lagos have worked with on a project or simply have the same notions of hygge. I especially like the design from the cover, which is actually one of their signature wallpapers. It was a treasure hunt to see where and what color it would turn up next!

[Christine Duncan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such a beautiful book! Inspiring photos, great sections with each home owner, and fully explains the true nature of hygge for your lifestyle and home so that you get the most out of life in the best way possible!

[H · Rating 2 out of 5]

I thought this was going to be a book about hygge-ing your home. It wasn't. It was a book about designers and others who have picture-worthy interiors. To be fair, it is a good tome if you like that sort of thing, just not my cuppa.

[Bobbiann Markle · Rating 3 out of 5]

It’s not really a decorating or design book as the subtitle led me to believe; it’s a lot of interviews with people about themselves and their houses, along with photos. The pictures are nice, but the text isn’t specifically about them.

[Div Manickam · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good book of ideas n inspiration for your home... Thanks 🙏

Love this quote from the book 📖
"If you wake up in the morning, and your home feels good, it enhances your happiness and makes you kinder to people when you go out in to the world."

[Tracy · Rating 2 out of 5]

did not capture the essence

I don’t agree with the interpretation of Hygge by these authors and simply saw people with money contriving a design and style - I did not get an essence of Hygge.

[Jennifer · Rating 2 out of 5]

The images were beautiful, but I didn't care much for the interviews.

[Trish · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lots of different homes to get inspiration from.

[Kelley · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another great book to flip through and dream and sigh.

[Megan · Rating 1 out of 5]

This book is not about hygge. This book is an advertisement. Moreover, it is a terrible advertisement. Awful book, misleading title. It is a wall paper company's attempt at a coffee table book.

[Bridget]

An enjoyable and thoughtful design book.

[Dora · Rating 4 out of 5]

Coziness defined

This book is a warm, wonderful explanation of what Hygge is and how different designers utilize it in their homes.

[Eugenia · Rating 3 out of 5]

Misleading title since the book has nothing to do with hygge or Scandinavian design/style! 
Yet, it's an OK coffee table type of a book with beautiful pictures and somewhat fun interview questions.

[Karen · Rating 4 out of 5]

“Design ideas for a cozy life”. How artists and designers create hyygeleig in their homes.

[Juli Anna · Rating 2 out of 5]

Meh.

[Silly Guy · Rating 2 out of 5]

Vaguely stylish but not particularly original or inspiring. Reads like influencer interviews.

[Chaimaa · Rating 2 out of 5]

Liked the pictures

[Caroline]

not very hygge and not a very big fan of this wallpaper business :|