How To Live Danishly In London

Since reading The Year of Living Danishly by Helen Russell I have been a bit {ok, fully fan-girl} obsessed with all things Danish. The cinnamon-laden food, the get-outdoors-whatever-the-weather attitude and the intense national investment in candles are all things I have adopted with aplomb - the latter with unfortunate consequences for a White Company wool cushion and the Scotsman's ancient leather sofa.

Particularly once September arrives the Nordic manner of 'getting-by' really comes in to its own and you are most likely adopting their habits without even realising. But if you are keen to up your intake of Danish but find yourself unable to pop over to the land of Lego this weekend, rest assured there are plenty of ways you can channel your inner Scandinavian goddess, right here in London.

First up I must encourage reading of Helen Russell's A Year of Living Danishly. It is an enjoyable, witty tale that gives great insight into the lives of the Danish and why they are, on the whole, a hugely contented, albeit amusingly insular, bunch.

Whilst in the bookshop {sorry, I Amazon a lot, but bookshops are a must - when they are all gone, you too will be sad}, why not acquire a book on the art of hygge {hoo-gah, not higgy you clown}, to learn what time to light your candles and Danish-approved placement of your reindeer skin ?

Come the start of Autumn I also like to pull my tattered copy of out The Little Book of Hygge by Meik Wiking - the photographs alone will warm you up on the bus.

Snuggle up on your reindeer skin and get reading

A peaceful little spot I can recommend to read these is at the Nordic Bakery on Neal Street. A simple Scandinavian-style café, serving dark rye breads, cinnamon buns and excellent pots of tea. The service and general vibe is friendly and uncomplicated {my ideal tea house relationship}, although I will admit the canteen-style chairs are not especially comfortable. I can however recommend a window seat for best placed observing of Neal-Street goings-on.

The Nordic Bakeries can be found at Covent Garden, Soho, Marylebone and on Baker Street

http://nordicbakery.com

If high ceilings and armchairs are more your thing, there is Ole and Steen. Open from early morning until 10.30pm, this bastion of Copenhagen feasting serves morning coffee, cold-pressed juices and handmade pastries - the cinnamon roll and cinnamon social slice are both delicious, and I deeply regret not ordering a crinkly bag of the Danish cookies to take away.

The place also has a license and does evening cheese and meat platters across Haymarket, Richmond, Canary Wharf and a new site is opening in Victoria soon.

https://oleandsteen.co.uk

I was rather chuffed last week to spot the now sold-out GANNI Mon Amour t-shirt {priced at £45} for sale on ebay for £255 {crumbs}, and briefly considered selling mine, before I remembered that in a complicated world it is hard to match the pleasure of eating a croissant whilst wearing a t-shirt with croissant on it.

Based in Copenhagen GANNI has been around since 2009, but is a relatively recent arrival in the UK. Following the rise of Copenhagen Fashion Week and much-used hashtag #GanniGirls appearing across influential instagram accounts, Selfridges have recently upped their collection, and sales at Liberty and Net-a-porter continue apace.

For a real Danish design fix, without the international shipping fees, head to Skandium, or as I like to call it....Hamley's for grown ups. Traditional, sensible types will make a bee-line for the classic Royal Copenhagen porcelain-ware {so chi-chi, it's chic}, whilst more childish folk settle ourselves on a bean bag with the KAY BOJESEN wooden animals and Ragnheiður Ösp Sigurðardóttir’s Knot cushions {see below}. I will give you a fiver if they don't have you yelping for joy and stamping your feet until someone buys you one.

For more down to earth everyday essentials, with a Danish twist - head to ARKET. Part of the H&M group based out of Stockholm, ARKET opened on Regent Street in late August offering clothing, homeware and stationery with a minimalist, enduring style.

When I ambled up on opening day the ground floor was awash with enthusiastic shoppers all wondering if we had found the new Muji. I bore witness to a literal scrum for the Bordallo Pinheiro cabbage leaf ceramics, and as I was in the market for the new fruit bowl {unfortunate smash with cake mix hands last week}, surreptitiously swiped the last one from someone deliberating - not sorry, they were sold out online.

The women's underwear {first floor} is great, in a 100% cotton, did-I-forget-to-wear-a-bra?kind of way. I am also assured by my shopping companion {who was initially reluctant due to still being in his "I only wear Japanese brands" phase} that the guys' underwear proved equally good {3 for £20}.

The brown box packaging and sturdy white paper bags also add to my general joy upon leaving the store, because I am sad like that.

At the time of writing customers can get 20% off using the code welcome online or by signing up via mobile app in-store.

Retail assistants must comply with the company's OCD policy

After all this gallivanting it is probably time to settle on to the sofa for a box set, the likes of which did, arguably, kick start the fervent interest in the Danish lifestyle back in 2011.

Number one on the list has to be Bafta-Award winning original Danish drama The Killing {let us not speak of the American attempt}: Series 3 is now available on Netflix, but definitely go back to the start for full dark woodland and cosy-cabin menace, not to mention The Knitwear.

The cinematography and storyline is suitably dark and foreboding for a night in, and with great glimpses of Copenhagen itself and did I mention the knitwear? definitely time to don the cashmere socks, get a pot of chocolate on and hunker down Danish-style.