Becoming a Scandophile

My first trip to Sweden was in June 1996 with my good friend Stephanie. We landed in Stockholm, took a boat ride excursion, traveled to the college town of Uppsala just north of Stockholm, then made our way by bus quite far up north to Umea, where the sun never quite set. We traveled west to Gothenburg, situated on the westcoast, home of the Volvo factory. And lastly we made our way back over to Stockholm. Near the end of our stay, while hanging out in front of our youth hostel, we met some students from the US who were in a summer architectural program in Denmark who were visiting Stockholm in their program. I took note of the name and filed it away - Denmark International Studies, aka DIS.

This initial trip was the beginning of my great love affair with Sweden. Right off the bat I felt rooted; a deep sense of home. It reminded me of my grandma who had died a few years prior, and whom I was quite close with. Her family came from Sweden, and she had visited it several times and loved it as well. That said, there were very few elderly; instead it was a modern, hip town filled with beautiful, fit people wearing stylish clothing. And yet, the lack of attitude…they were polite, kind, quiet and humble. This is very generalized, but this was the deep sense I felt at the time. The Swedes’ introverted manner, along with the surrounding abundance of water and the absolute visual beauty and care, brought about this feeling of Home in a way I had never experienced.

And the man-made aesthetic design….it opened my eyes to a whole new way. The simple unassuming approach to the design – whether in cars, buildings, coffeeshops, hotels, furniture, clothing or accessories, was simply eye candy. The flourishing, progressive, socialist/egalitarian society revealed itself with the absence of a competitive spirit. The inhabitants did not seem to try to one up each other in the effort of showing their wealth. Instead there was a simple design throughout, dominated by the use of natural materials and cute, sweet, creative designs. Easy on the eye’s; relaxing; modern but always with a touch of history; a dominance of white; an integration of nature; soothing, yet always with some whimsy, surprise and dare; never boring. Gone was the glitz and glam, the beige & “transitional” design; the cool fluorescence. There was personality in the unabashedly designed homes and trinkets, a pride in the history. The clogs were for real and celebrated – a link to their past continued through the centuries, redesigned for continual popularity.

I heard a saying that Swedes would prioritize painting their homes before putting butter on the table; although I can find no information on whether this is true, it’s obvious they care about upkeep and aesthetics almost to a fault. The underlying basis for this seems to be due to an appreciation of belongings and heritage rather than the off-putting reasoning in the States of keeping up with the Jones’. I’m sure they’re out there but I very rarely see any unkempt, uncared for homes or businesses in Sweden. Ironically the only ‘disheveled’ home I’ve seen in Stockholm was this catawampus structure that caught my eye:

The exterior was cared for, but it was obviously hurting structurally. Ironically I later read that this house was actually a historic home saved from the 1700’s, open to the public as a museum! It surprised me there were no big signs or gimmicks, this structure was simply integrated with other buildings. The appreciation of history and lack of hype made an impact on me. This attitude is evident throughout the city and caught my attention that first visit. There‘s a cherished appreciation of the historic that blends in with modern life as well as modern architecture.

One thing was for certain, I knew I’d return.

Years later, in 1998, the time had come. I investigated the idea of taking a leave of absence from my job and taking the 3 month summer course through DIS. Prior to the experience, adding up the loss of income, cost of my apartment sitting empty, the cost of the program, flight, room and board, it was hard for me to comprehend whether I was doing the right thing and whether it could possibly be worth it. Looking back, those 3 months made such an enormous impact on my life, it was truly one of the best decisions I’ve made. The experience was life altering for me.

Denmark, although different from Sweden, had many of the same characteristics I previously had fallen in love with. Denmark, also an egalitarian society, promotes a very conscious yet simple, unassuming design as well. I did find Denmark to be more rigid – there’s a right way to do things attitude. This was seen in the car almost hitting a businessman walking across the street after the walk sign had stopped blinking; luckily this man was quick on his feet and ran out of the way quickly. Or the man waving his finger at our bus, as our bus accidentally went the wrong way down a one-way street in a parking lot. In Copenhagen, rigidity to societal rules seemed to outweigh the nice, polite air I felt from the Swedes. None the less, I adored Denmark.

It was empowering being an older student, initially not knowing anyone, being in a big city by myself, doing my own thing. I threw myself into learning as much as I could without taking on the stress, since grades didn’t matter. Almost every weekend the program had trips scheduled to surrounding areas where we visited Danish, Swedish and Finnish architectural works: Luisiana Museum, Asplund’s Woodland Chapel and Civil Hall, Sigurd Lewerentz’s St. Peter’s Church, Alvar Alto’s home, Iitala factory and the Poulsen Showroom being some of the tours that stand out the most.

Surrounded by design that was so intentionally thought through, often using local materials, was a very eye opening experience. It was unassuming, meticulously detailed and yet subtle. Nature was so often melded into their design, and there was a fully integrated approach to the design of furniture, lighting, stair details, wall treatments, etc.; these details were part of the building’s thoughtful architecture, not an afterthought. I greatly admired the Danish aesthetic, food, culture and lifestyle; from their sweet picnics in the park, blond hair, pastries, soft buttery ice cream, to their nude beaches and healthy lifestyle. And the bicycles – not with helmets, spandex and gloves, but the 1-speed simple means of transportation, carrying umbrellas, children piled on, men in suits and briefcases. It’s how they get to work, school, play, etc. not exercise for exercises’ sake, but a simple, integrated, healthy lifestyle.

Early on in the program, the professors discussed a term extremely significant and ingrained in the Danish design and culture. The adjective “Hyggelig” or the noun “Hygge” was described as being as common to the Dane’s vocabulary as “cool” is to Americans. It’s hard to find an equivalent definition in English, but it’s similar to cozy and heartwarming. It’s ingrained in the design and relationships, with the result being an intention to appreciate the indoors with friends and family during the winter months when so much cold and darkness surrounds. At it’s root, it’s lived out by appreciating gatherings with good food & drinks within an atmosphere dominated by soft, warm diffused lighting and candles, encompassing all of the senses.

Besides the eye opening experience of the Danish mentality, and forever changing my sense of what good design entails, I also ended up making some lifelong friendships. Everyday was spent appreciating all I encountered, and nothing was taken for granted. I counted down my days as it started to come to an end. Before that experience, I had never felt the urge to live anywhere but Seattle, which I love and am utterly connected to. For the first time I didn’t care if I ever returned. This felt like home.

The return to Seattle was a struggle. I started devising a plan for either moving to Denmark or Sweden OR settling down and buying a condo in Seattle, with the understanding that I would bring as much “hygge” into my life as possible. After much thought, research and consideration, the prospect of moving overseas was seemed too dim. It’s extremely difficult to prove to Scandinavian companies that they should hire foreigners over local citizens. I settled instead on putting down roots by investing in a condo in Seattle. I made a pact with myself to bring home what I loved about being abroad. If I couldn’t move there, I would surround myself as much as possible with my great loves from those counties.

The most profound quality I felt in my travels and experience with DIS that I didn’t want to lose was Freedom. A little ironic given I would find myself the following year purchasing a condo. But the freedom to explore, encounter unknown possibilities, avoid routine, meet new people and not be bogged down by monotonous job, became my objectives. I needed to retain the freshness I found living in a foreign country overseas. For years following my return home, I spent weekends getting out of town, going on day hikes, road trips, exploring new towns, scouting out the undiscovered. I vowed to travel and see as much culture and new surroundings as possible, both near and far. I avoided routines; previously I had classes and prearranged weekly get-togethers with friends; nearly every weeknight was programmed each week with scheduled events with very little chance for spontaneity. I stopped taking classes (minus picking up Swedish) and tried to allow for as much unscheduled, freed up time as possible.

I made it a priority to sketch more. This allowed me to see my surroundings in a new light, as though I were a tourist here in Seattle, seeing it all for the first time. And I took up photography; learning first on my dad’s old Canonet, then moving on to build a collection of manual Olympus bodies and lenses. Eventually my interest continued to the point of developing photos in my darkroom/bathroom. It became a true love of mine.

I continued to drive my Volvo & Saab. Surrounding myself with Swedish/Scandinavian products brings me joy. To this day, I’ve owned 6 cars and they’ve all been either Volvos or Saabs, and I have no prospect of changing. Like most Swedish products, I can stand behind them. I keep going back because they’re solid and made with quality products and materials that actually help make my driving experience that much more enjoyable. And there's some quirk.

Likewise I’m one of IKEA’s biggest fans. I feel the desire to get my fix at least once a month. The big warehouse full of mdf products and cafeteria meatballs can still give me a sense of being that much closer to Sweden. Yes, you need to be particular about which products you're buying; and no, they are not made in Sweden; but with high profile Swedish designers hired to design products, I find so many of the products forward thinking, creative and affordable Scandinavian designs.

And lastly, I strove to live creating a sense of Hyggelig surrounding me. Appreciating, up-keeping, having gratitude and taking pride in my surroundings. I took extra care to create a sense of cozy in my home. Awakening the senses, allowing sight, sound, taste, smell and feel to come together to create lasting memories. This was long before Hygge and Hyggelig became familiar in the US, and I prided myself in this secretive, unknown word I kept dear to my heart, attaching it to both my unofficial photography business, “Hyggelig Photography” and years later, to the design company I created, “Hyggelig Design”. Decades after I first learned the word, it’s popularity started to slowly make it’s way overseas, all the way to the US. It popped up in books, articles, socks and blankets to name a few. It initially brought me a sense of pride, but this quickly faded as more and more popularity and kitsch was attached to it. Although more people could appreciate it, hyggelig lost it’s unique, foreign quality in my mind.

I returned to Sweden and Denmark with my husband 10 year after coming back from this school program. Finally Chad got to see in person these two countries that are so dear to my heart. We had a wonderful time. We spent a few days exploring Stockholm, which included a visit to my favorite restaurant, Kaffekoppen; then rented a car and drove down to Malmo, which included 1 sleepless night in the car. We took a train to Copenhagen, explored the city for a day, then hopped on a train and got to visit to Louisiana Museum, which was once again so awe inspiring. It was so interesting to try to retrace my steps back to my old dorm room in Copenhagen, seeing the massive amount of growth & change since I was last there.

10 years after this I returned to Sweden once again. This time on a side trip after visiting London with all of my coworkers. I brought along my friend/coworker Jessica; with a pleasant surprise she seemed to be touched to the same degree as me by Sweden’s presence. This trip, we were both taken by the fact that hygge is not just a talked about, sweet fad. Hygge is real. Walking down the streets or looking out our window, in every single window, there was either a soft small table lamp or a candle. Candles are everywhere – certainly on every table in restaurants, in museums, shops, etc. creating warmth and a sense of belonging.

In 4 short days Jessica seemed to become a scandophile as well, returning to our office and suddenly feeling the need to light candles every late afternoon. It was on this visit that I vowed to myself that I needed to return to this beloved city as often as absolutely possible - no more of this 10 year gap. I'm currently making plans for my next return.