This article appears in print in the March 2018 issue. Click here to subscribe.

“I was born into the furniture business,” says Steen Skaaning, a longtime furniture purveyor whose family goes back generations in the cabinetmaking trade. With brother Peter, he owns BoConcept’s Bellevue store (10400 NE Eighth St.; 425.732.3333;), which specializes in Scandinavian home furnishings. As a Danish native who is an expert in home goods, he’s also well versed in the hygge trend. 

How would you describe the meaning of hygge?
The closest translation is “cozy,” but it’s part of a lifestyle. It’s an interior thing, inside, in the home. It’s also about a sense of togetherness. If you’re together with family and friends with good conversation, good food, good cake, you may phone someone the next day and say, “Thanks for having me, it was very hyggeligt.”

Why is hygge having such a moment here in the Northwest?
There’s a lot of emphasis on the home in the Northwest; we spend a lot of time inside and make an effort in the home to make it comfy.

How does BoConcept incorporate hygge?
BoConcept’s furnishings are very conceptual, Nordic style, but incorporate warm tones of wood and velvet fabrics with accessories that are very natural. There’s a rich and cozy feel. I love how the brand is evolving into what we think of as urban living. We’ve got to get closer together.