Transitioning Your Bedroom for Fall, the Scandinavian Way

For Danes, shorter and cooler days mean one thing: hygge. Research by Meik Wiking, Danish founder of the Global Happiness Institute and author of several books on hygge, suggests that Danes consider fall to be the most hygge season of the year. It’s a time of mushroom foraging, chestnuts, soup, woolly jumpers, and cake—plus cozy time spent together with friends and family.

Though we might not realize it, the United States has plenty of hygge “drivers”, too. Think pumpkin spice lattes, pumpkin pies, pumpkin anything; and the misty forests of the Pacific Northwest, where golden leaves drift through towering evergreens and cozy cabins nestle among the pines. What’s more, we have one big hygge driver that Europe doesn’t: Thanksgiving. With its focus on family, togetherness, gratitude and comfort food, Thanksgiving is deeply hygge.

Therefore, we have all the ingredients for hygge—we just need to know how to use them. That includes in the bedroom; in fact, the bedroom might be the most important space for hygge, since it’s where we start and end every day. With our guide, you’ll learn how to layer textures, adjust lighting, and introduce earthy tones to create a warm, restful space for the cooler months.

Creating Layers of Coziness

From a design perspective, having a variety of textures is always a good idea, no matter the time of year. But during fall, layered and cozy textiles really come into their own.

Look around your bedroom and see whether you can add in natural fibers: a jute, sheepskin or cowhide rug, linen curtains, textured wallpaper, a wool throw, or embroidered cushions.

In Scandinavia, however, it’s more common to keep the bed simple, with just pillows, a duvet (or two duvets!) and duvet cover. With just one set to think about, Scandinavians take great care to purchase Scandinavian duvet covers of the highest quality: soft and comfortable, and beautiful to look at.

If this is also your preference, you might consider taking a look at our Scandinavian-design duvet covers, which use finely textured European linen made from sustainable flax grown in France, Belgium, and the Netherlands. It’s not just eco-friendly, it’s incredibly soft and gets softer with each wash thanks to linen’s natural properties. These properties also make your long-lasting linen sheets both breathable and insulating, keeping you warm and comfortable on cool fall nights. You can buy your fitted sheet, top sheet, and pillowcases separately, for more variation in colors and patterns.

Remember, too, that bedroom textures don’t just apply to fabrics: natural and tactile textures can be incorporated into every aspect of your decor. If you’re planning a full bedroom renovation, that might mean switching to nightstands and a closet made of wood. But even smaller changes, such as replacing a print with a textured oil painting, will lift the appearance of the room. Don’t forget plants, either: leafy, bushy plants (in handmade clay pots) really add to that cozy feeling.

Turn Down the Lights, Turn Up the Hygge

Nothing is more hygge than great lighting—conversely, nothing is less hygge than a single, glaring, 6,500K ceiling light.

Dimmable lights should be your first consideration. Many table lamps offer this function—but if not, you can always add it later using smart bulbs. Make sure to buy smart switches with them, so that you’re not using your phone or voice to control them (shouting at your lights all the time is definitely not hygge).

Color temperature, too, is important. Candles, which have a temperature of around 1,850K, are the ultimate in hygge lighting—but are impractical when you need to see properly. Consider a smart bulb such as the Philips Hue White Ambience, which you can adjust from 2,200K (very hygge) to 6,500K for tasks such as putting on makeup or locating a dropped earring.

The number of lights and their position also matters. Though Scandinavian authors disagree on the exact number, three is the minimum. “It’s important to have a ceiling light for when you need to clean, but otherwise two bedroom lamps with a warm hue are sufficient to create a calming atmosphere,” says Meik Wiking.

Frida Ramstedt, Swedish author of The Interior Design Handbook, suggests five to seven lights at different heights. She also stresses the importance of mixing different lampshades to either diffuse or shape the light so that it’s not lighting everything equally, which can look flat. Be wary of using too many opaque shades: they might look great in isolation but cast strange-looking shadows when mixed together. Having one on each nightstand will create a harmonious look.

Getting Down to Earth (Tones)

Rich, warm tones like terracotta and rust will forever be in the fall design canon—and, as luck would have it, they’re also big in 2025. Pantone’s Color of the Year is Mocha Mousse, which brings to mind raw clay and brownstone apartments. Complementary to these are deep, ocean blues and olive greens—both colors featured in The Modern Dane’s solid-color, durable linen bedding collection.

Other earth-toned Nordic designs worth checking out include: the Flowerpot VP9 in mustard or vermillion; Røros Tweed wool throws and cushion covers; or the Rivo candle holder from House Doctor.

Engaging the Senses

Don’t just focus on sight and touch for your Scandinavian fall bedroom—hygge involves all the senses including sound, smell, and taste. If you have a music alarm clock, line up something suitably soothing and Scandi (Meik Wiking suggests the Danish singer Agnes Obel). Evoke the scent of fall with a diffuser, perhaps with some cinnamon or clove essential oil.

As for taste, well… scientists suggest that your bed be used for sleep and intimacy only, to reinforce the connection between your bed and relaxation. But if you also use it for partaking in the occasional coffee and cinnamon bun, we won’t tell.

What are your hygge “drivers”? How do you prepare for fall? Let us know on Instagram, Pinterest, Facebook, or Twitter!