About Us

WHAT IS KOSELIG? AND WHY?

There's a Scandinavian maxim that says, "There's no such thing as bad weather; only bad clothes." - these Nordic countries exist in a cold-climate region, experience long dark days, exposed to depressingly low energy levels and to the creeping sense of despair; capable of inducing an onslaught of misery brought on by the harsh and inhospitable nature of the winter season, a season characterized by tough times of mental, emotional, social and economic barrenness and scarcity, year after year and yet they are always at the top of the list as the happiest countries in the world. The secret? Norway's KOSELIG (I've heard it as “koos-uh-lee”, “koosh-lee” and “kooshehleh”, perhaps depending on the part of Norway the inhabitant is from). While Iceland is no stranger to this, in Denmark it's hyggelig, in Sweden it's mysigt, gemütlich in German, and gezellig in Dutch, while Finns will find it in lämpöä. In its essence, it's how Norwegians manifest their "inner summer".

 

In Norway, koselig is a powerful concept that is central to its national character and deeply rooted in the country's culture. With no direct translation of the word, it's best understood loosely in English as an atmosphere with blended feelings of coziness, charm, comfort, contentment, companionship/closeness, a connection to fundamentals, and dare I say chic (Norwegians have their own way of taking items created out of utility and necessity and then crafting them to become an understatement of natural beauty and elegant sophistication); yet to me it's so much more than that. It's a special word that develops inner wealth and promotes well-being; it's embodied in life's simple, healthy pleasures amidst the entropy and in the good, wholesome fruits after the labor, as it is also captured in a constellation of valued and rewarding emotions and experiences. To understand koselig though as just a means for distraction or as a coping mechanism would be amiss and insufficient; digging deeper, I've found that it's resilience at its core, and by extension can be used as fuel for resolve. What others perceive as a pain, they've capitalized into a gain - they've made hardships into opportunities to be embraced and enjoyed so as to thrive, not seen as a threat or struggle to be endured only to survive.

 

WHY FIRE?

- it represents man's physiological and psychological needs for warmth, safety, security and love

- it's what animates and enlivens man towards personal accomplishment and self-actualization

- it's a source of energy (light and heat)

- it's what purifies a substance (like precious metals being processed) from undesirable traits and refines desirable qualities in the same way man is in the crucible of adversity with heat and hammer (pressure)

- "John answered them all saying, 'I baptize you with water, but He [Jesus] who is mightier than I is coming, the strap of whose sandal I am not worthy to untie. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire.'" (Luke 3:16)

- "For our God is a consuming fire." (Hebrews 12:29)

- "For God who commanded the light to shine out of darkness has shined in our hearts to give light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ." (2 Corinthians 4:6)

- "I know your works; I know that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were either cold or hot. So then because you are lukewarm, neither cold nor hot, I will spew you out of my mouth." (Revelation 3:15-16)

- "Never let the fire in your heart go out. Keep it alive. [Remember your God.] Serve the Lord." (Romans 12:11)

 

WHO IS KOSELIG KRAFTWORKS?

Koselig Kraftworks was conceived in north Idaho while as a nurse doing my university studies in biomedical and behavioral sciences, with the support of my husband a contractor while serving with an Army combat engineer company as lead for communications/information systems; and then birthed in north Texas. As a tiny God-fearing and faith-based operation, it's a budding lifestyle company that highlights and reflects the mindset deeply rooted in the Scandinavian culture of koselig that is loved and harbored and in the spirit that ignites the American character of grit and grace that is honored and taken pride in. It seeks to offer apparel, accessories, home decor, housewares, other delights, gifts and more that expresses and encourages this attitude and adaptability blossoming each's own sense of quality of life, a kind of personal standard of living that pursues the ideas of happiness, peace, inner wealth and well-being onward to one's fullest potential and optimum living by the choices one makes, and yielding a harvest that are sources of enlivenment and uplift. Koselig Kraftworks is a Scandinavian concept with an American cultivation. I hope you'll incorporate into your own life the timeless and classic hearth, heirloom, heart and home ambience of American koselig because the light and life are always found in the details and quality of how we perceive and function. Thank you for stopping by and for all your support. God bless you and may God be with America!