Hygge Life’s calming and curated space is a reminder that life is best experienced when present in the moment. “We look at it more than a retail store,” says Alexandra Gove, who owns the space with her husband, Koen van Renswoude. “We really engage with people and build relationships. People come and make an afternoon or morning of it. They shop, they sit, they have a drink.” A visit might start there and then blossom into an in-home appointment for those looking for interior design and styling services. Gove and van Renswoude also host invite-only events, such as a recent pop-up with photographer Marcelo Bengoechea, who is known for his woven photography. And, of course, there are also the famed Hygge Life dinners, which occur a couple times a year. (The dinners are ticketed events and are largely IYKYK.) “We collaborate with different chefs, musicians, bartenders, florists, and spaces,” says Gove. The couple also has a portable barrel sauna that they provide for Sauna Saturdays. Up to four guests can book the sauna for an hour of relaxation. The experience comes with a drink in the café and a cold plunge. “You bring your robe, and we provide sandals,” Gove says. 

Hilary Magner, who owns Squash Blossom jewelry store with her husband, Kevin, lives by the rule that “retail is more about the experience than the transaction.” For a client’s annual girls’ trip, Magner locked the doors from 4 to 6 p.m. and brought in Champagne (the store has a liquor license) and a charcuterie board from the Grazing Fox. She provided each guest with a jewelry tray so they could try on pieces at their leisure, while also cleaning their rings until they sparkled. Magner offers sessions where clients bring in their jewelry boxes, and she helps them style pieces with different outfits. She’s even hosted parties where award-winning local artist Gus Gruner paints on designer jeans while clients are wearing them. Magner also thinks beyond the four walls of her shop, creating experiences such as at-home parties and pop-ups at the Beaver Creek Club, where she and her husband clean and inspect jewelry (Kevin is a gemologist).