Celebrating 20 Years of Hygge Design in Calgary
A journey from a cozy condo to the iconic Burns Building.
Twenty years ago, in 2004, a spark ignited inside our founder. Inspired by a quote from Goethe, “Anything you can do, or dream you do, begin it: boldness has genius, power, and magic in it.”
That spark was Krista Hermanson Design, now a beacon for hygge design. Today, on National Hygge Day, we look back at two decades of warmth, growth, and success. We celebrate the journey that has brought us here with hundreds of Calgary clients and a story that weaves through the heart of the city.
“Anything you can do, or dream you do, begin it: boldness has genius, power, and magic in it.”
From Humble Beginnings
Growing up in the Canadian prairies, Krista’s path to design began at an early age. Born to an artistic mother with incredible design and décor flair and a father in the construction industry, Krista grew up with eyes that saw design possibilities in everything.
Palm Beach is an unlikely place to find a prairie girl, but that’s where Krista’s design consulting journey began. After some time there, Calgary projects called her home, where she was happy to reconnect with friends and family and set down permanent roots.
In the early days, our office was Krista’s living room with rollout desks that got hidden away on the weekends. — Quite ingenious, actually! — It was there that the foundation of our design philosophy took root. Krista wanted to bring something more to the design world. Deeply connected to her Scandinavian roots, Krista was inspired to focus her interior design firm on hygge (hoo-gah, a Danish word meaning cozy time). Instead of focusing solely on how a space looked, she’d create spaces that helped people feel warm, safe and peaceful. She had felt firsthand how the power of space helps people connect and restore their deeper selves. Her approach resonated with clients and designers alike, and soon, we needed more space to let our ideas flourish.
Concurrent with creating strong design plans and drawing on Krista’s prior construction and renovation experiences, we began managing the construction of our client’s projects. Krista’s mantra became, “Good people don’t deserve bad construction.”
The Burns Building Era
In 2016, we made a significant move to the historic Burns Building. Sharing space with other creative minds, we found new inspiration. This period was marked by collaboration, learning, and an ever-deepening understanding of what makes a space unique.
2022 marked a milestone. We parted ways with our last remaining roommate and finally had our entire space to laugh and celebrate with clients. It was a moment of pride and a sign of how much we’ve grown. We continue to break records with happy clients and extensive renovations.
A HEARTFELT THANK YOU
Our journey has been incredible, but it wouldn’t have been possible without you, our clients. You’ve invited us into your homes and trusted us with your spaces. Each project has been a partnership, a shared journey towards creating something beautiful and meaningful. Wherever we drive in the city, we pass homes and families we were privileged to work with through the years, some of them on multiple, repeated projects. When you think about it, this is a community, which is hygge on a larger scale. Our shared community – this vibrant, energetic city we call home.
LOOKING FORWARD
As we celebrate 20 years, we’re excited for the future. Our commitment to hygge interior design – creating spaces that are not just visually stunning but deeply comforting – remains unwavering. We’re ready for the next 20 years to keep growing, learning, and transforming spaces across Calgary and beginning the planning and design stages of a large residential build project.
We cherish each memory, every client, and the extraordinary journey we’ve had. Thank you, thank you, thank you, Calgary, for growing with us. Here’s to continuing our adventure together!