Alexandra Gove and Koen van Renswoude first met in Vail in 2011. Despite their culturally different upbringings (in Colorado and the Netherlands), the pair quickly discovered a shared desire to pursue a happy, healthy, slow lifestyle. Their mountain town romance led to a move overseas, with Alexandra joining Koen as he returned to his hometown of Amsterdam to finish his studies.

In Europe, Alexandra fell deeper in love—this time, with the region’s thoughtful design and intentional, grounded lifestyle. Known as gezelligheid in Dutch or hygge in Danish, she became fascinated by the warm hospitality and cozy intimacy of Northern European homes, restaurants and shops. That discovery planted the seed for Hygge Life, though she didn’t yet know what it would become.

After Koen’s graduation from Hotelschool The Hague in 2014—seeking one last adventure before “real life” began—the pair purchased a 1971 Opel Blitz camper van, painted it with a Hygge Life logo and traveled throughout Europe selling a small selection of textiles and traditional poffertjes (Dutch pancakes). Along the way, they discovered their own talent for creating hygge environments and experiences. Realizing that well-designed spaces and thoughtful objects could help cultivate that feeling, the idea for a Hygge Life home goods store was born.

In 2017, the Hygge Life showroom opened in its original Vail Valley location. As hygge pioneers, Alexandra and Koen have become nationally recognized experts in this design and lifestyle movement, with features in The New York Times, Dwell, Colorado Public Radio and dozens of other publications. In 2019, Alexandra also published her own guide to meaningful living—Dwell, Gather, Be: Design for Moments— a book that captures the couple’s daily practice of hygge and their thoughtful home design practices.