You dream it, and HYGGE will do everything else.
From hanging and centrepiece floral displays, lighting installations and detailed tablescapes; to personalised menus, place cards and signage, coordinating and budgeting… HYGGE will have your event covered from top to bottom, from go to WOAH (and we do mean WOAH!), from the right people to the right peonies: from mood board to pack down.
Whether it’s your baby shower, birthday party, corporate event or wedding, the creative gurus at Hygge are all about helping you to visualise your perfect day; complete with mood boards, illustrations, table seating charts, and floor plans. They won’t rest until they’ve designed, built, painted, fluffed and foraged custom items for your special day, from bar carts, dance floors to candlesticks and arbours. After all, an event shouldn’t be stressful – it should be HYGGE.
The ingenious and innovative team behind the creative studio and bespoke event space are Rachel Evans and Lucy Temme. We sat down with them to talk about all things HYGGE, from its very beginnings, to managing a business through a global pandemic and what’s on the cards for 2021… plus all important questions like ‘what makes a good party?’ – because they would know!
Tell us how you came to start Hygge?
Born in 2016, Hygge Studio bloomed when Rachel Evans and Lucy Temme came together over a coffee to combine forces. Rachel initially founded Hygge as a boutique graphics studio, consulting on branding, logos and website design, and whilst working in styling (and in the midst of planning her own wedding) Lucy reached out and the rest is history. Hygge Studio has become a bit of a creative powerhouse in Adelaide, taking care of all things events, styling and brands. One custom created event after the other, Hygge Design and Hire was then born, shortly followed by our new space Hygge Atrium, a bespoke venue for hire and workshops, and our inspirational office by day.
What was the hardest part about starting a new business in the event and party space?
We are both so passionate about what we do. We love that we both see eye to eye aesthetically, making it easy to bring our visions to life. Our biggest hurdle (and blessing,) was managing the fast-paced growth of our business and building a team that supports, executes and encourages our vision.
How do you describe your business and services?
We are a creative studio, specialising in telling your story through events with aesthetic details. We offer the full package of event styling, management, graphics, floristry, lighting and custom design and hire, whilst also steering into the world of corporate launches and activations. Our Hygge Design and Hire team are continuously creating and building new concepts and designs for our hire range, whilst the Hygge Atrium offers a bespoke venue space for hire.
COVID was obviously a very tough year for events, what did you learn about yourselves and the business over this period?
During COVID, Hygge Atrium and Lucy’s second child, baby Judd, were born! With events and weddings postponed or cancelled, we had to make a lot of adjustments to our business model. We learnt that you have to be resilient, roll with the punches, and you have to adapt. Sometimes plans change, life changes, but with this; new opportunities present themselves.
Lucy you have 2 little people, tell us how you manage to juggle this very successful business and also parenting.
It’s exhausting and sometimes it gets overwhelming, but I remind myself regularly how lucky I am to be able to have such amazing roles as a business owner and a mum. I am incredibly proud of both. I try to make good use of my time, prioritize the work that needs to be done, get it done, then enjoy time with family. I really wouldn’t be able to do it all without my amazing family support.
What skills has parenting taught you that help with running events?
Patience, tolerance and multitasking. It pays to be organised and to not overcomplicate things. Prioritizing is important and picking your battles. I’ve learnt to think calmly about a situation, simplify it and not overcomplicate the situation. And to keep a pack of baby wipes on you at all times.
What gives you the most JOY?
Lucy: Focused and engaged time with my family. It’s easy to get caught up in being productive, but there’s nothing better than when we’re all in the moment and hanging out together. Seeing Ted and Judd interact literally melts my heart.
Rachel: Creativity, colour, light, space, architectural forms, inspiring people and places. And my dog Bowser.
What makes a good party?
Forget about trying to impress everyone. Just make sure you’ve got a good venue where the logistics are simple, then fill your guests with good food, good wine and good music. Guests like to feel comfortable and inspired at events, so once you have the basics down pat, bring in your flair and style to make it unique! Concentrate your budget on focused areas that create impact.
What is your earliest party memory as a child?
Lucy: My Spice Girls party, I was Ginger Spice. We danced all day long and then a few of us ended up deciding that we would later choreograph, rehearse and film a Spice Girls movie that we thought could stop them from splitting up… obviously it didn’t work.
Rachel: When Humphrey B Bear came for a sleepover!
What’s next for HYGEE?
We are loving gaining some recognition in the corporate and activation realm at the moment. We launched the Australian Space Discovery Centre, and have been creating custom builds for Tasting Australia, Mercedes-Benz, Westfield and Pandora. We’ve also got more design work coming off including office fit outs, and have had some great opportunities arise interstate.
Hygge, 74-76 King William Road, Goodwood
