COCOONING – THE HOMELINESS TREND More and more people are enjoying spending time at home. This retreat to private life is known as cocooning. It’s not a new phenomenon, really. The American researcher Faith Popcorn came up with the term cocooning as early as the 1980s. Its origin lies in biology, where it describes the pupation of insects, such as butterflies. In her book “The Popcorn Report: Trends for the Future”, the author describes cocooning as a stimulus to retreat within your own four walls, for example when the outside world becomes too rough and frightening. People find protection and security in their cosy homes, just like the butterfly caterpillar in its cocoon.
feel safe, relax and unwind. Instead of being tossed around at the mercy of the stressful, complicated, overwhelming world, we retreat into our own small and manageable home. We swap a restaurant visit for a delicious meal at our own table, or an evening at the pub for a box-set binge on the sofa. Copious mugs of hot tea and soothing music are also available on demand. The door closes behind us, the mobile phone is switched off, and we snuggle down on the sofa and escape the hectic pace of everyday life. Your personal nest is the perfect place to relax and switch off.
This behaviour is particularly noticeable during crises. It’s not really surprising that the term cocooning was coined during the time of the Cold War. Faced with economic uncertainty, consumers retreated into their own homes.
Our cocoon needs to be furnished with beautiful things: a simple sofa enhances a cosy living area where you can spend the whole day. A variety of light sources, green plants, carpets and textiles such as pillows and blankets make the living room an oasis of well-being. Cocooning represents a new campfire mentality and is closely linked to other home furnishing trends, such as the Danish hygge style and the Swedish Lagom attitude to life.
The home thus becomes your central living space and a place of retreat. A place of warmth and intimacy. A place where the world is still OK. Somewhere to
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