“Most of the year our home is minimalist, but during the holidays we let ourselves go a little”

Iittala Kivi votive, clear — Julia decorated the real Christmas tree with string lights. The Kivi votives are by Iittala.

There aren’t many holiday decorations, but that’s exactly why they stand out in Julia’s family’s modern, minimalist home. The festive spirit begins with a seasonal window display and the Christmas stockings made by her grandmother.

Residents:

Julia, a creative-industry entrepreneur, lives here with her spouse and their two sons, Oliver (6) and Noel (5). The family’s home is a single-family house completed in 2020 in Hyrylä, Tuusula, with a total of 146 square meters.

Children playing in the snow in Finland. — Julia enjoys many holiday activities together with Oliver and Noel.

SNOW BLANKETS the yard of the black, modern single-family house, and more flakes drift down from the sky. Warm lights glow in the large home’s windows, and paper stars decorate the glass.

Julia moved into the house in Hyrylä, Tuusula, with her family three years ago. They discovered it while it was still under construction and were able to take part in choosing the surface materials. The floor plan of the modern home built by Dekotalo suited the family perfectly, and its streamlined aesthetic appealed to the couple’s minimalist taste.

The house brought together the things both had been hoping for in a new home. The family had previously lived in Vallila in Helsinki, and relocating farther from the city felt like a natural step when it was time to find a more spacious place to live.

A black house with large windows — The modern black house built by Dekotalo fulfilled the family’s wishes when they were searching for a home a few years ago.

Iittalan Kivi votives, clear — The living room’s tall wall is clad in white-lacquered wood paneling. A large branch of greenery decorated with string lights adds simple beauty to the space.

Children reading books — Oliver and Noel have a selection of holiday-themed books that they read every day.

Julia, how does the holiday season arrive in your home?

“With the kids, our holiday preparations have definitely started earlier, and already in November we bring out the most important things together. The children’s holiday window and the Christmas stockings crocheted by their grandmother are always the first to go up. The window display came about almost by accident when the kids were tiny and none of the decorations could be left alone. I came up with the idea of placing the decorations between the windowpanes. I added cotton wool for snow, pinecones, and a few other ornaments. Each year we’ve added more, and now the display even has lights. The holiday window is in the children’s room, which has a large floor-to-ceiling window.”

How do you put the finishing touches on your home for the holidays?

“Sprigs of greenery, flowers, and candles take over our home at the beginning of December. Most of the year our place is actually quite minimalist, but during the holidays we let ourselves go a little. It’s a time of abundance, and decorations are part of the charm. I add cozy arrangements on shelves and sideboards.”

A holiday cake — “I love the scent of the holidays. It's a mix of evergreens, a clean home, and Christmas food,” Julia says.

A group of Festivo candleholders by Iittala — The Festivo candleholders, designed by Timo Sarpaneva, are part of Iittala’s collection.

What does your holiday color palette look like?

“Our home is very black and white, which makes it easy to combine with any colors. The holiday palette changes from year to year. In a way, it just forms naturally depending on how the decorations and flowers fall into place. My holiday style is harmonious. I might go with deep red and dark green, for example. In the children’s rooms the colors are brighter than in the rest of the house.”

Tell us about your holiday traditions!

“In my childhood home, the tree wasn’t brought indoors until the day before Christmas Eve, and we decorated it together. Putting up the tree had a calming, almost ceremonial feeling to it – that’s when the peacefulness of the holidays began. We have two trees now: one indoors and one outside. As a minimalist, I’ve decorated the indoor tree with just string lights. The one on the terrace, however, follows a ‘more is more’ philosophy and is filled with ornaments.”

Iittalan Tsaikka glasses — The dining area continues the matte-black tones of the kitchen. Mulled wine is served in Iittala’s Tsaikka glasses, inherited from Julia’s grandmother.

Black Lavitta dining chairs — The dining area features black Lavitta chairs by Nikari.

What kind of holiday activities do you enjoy as a family?

“I like to do all sorts of things myself: I arrange different floral displays, and the kids and I bake and decorate a gingerbread house together. We also make Christmas cards as a family. One year we even created a holiday artwork from one of the kids’ paintings. We just cut the painting into the shape of a snowflake and framed it.”

Which holiday decorations matter the most to you?

“Candles and the paper stars in the windows. Flowers and greenery bring a wonderful atmosphere, too. A card house my grandmother made when I was a child is especially meaningful. The kids have their holiday window and the stockings their grandmother crocheted. Growing up, my mom would buy a new ornament every year, and over time it gradually changed the look of our tree.”

HAY Matin lamp — The bedroom walls are painted in Cover Story’s shade 009 Pablo. The poster is from Artek, and the Matin ceiling light is by HAY.

String System in black — The children’s room is furnished with a black String System shelf.

Tapwell faucet in the bathroom — Just a couple of evergreen branches and a candle are enough to bring warmth to the bathroom. The sink is by Woodio and the faucet by Tapwell.

Is your holiday season more traditional or modern?

“I’d say ours is a mix of both. We want to keep the classic holiday traditions but give them a fresh twist. The atmosphere is what matters most.”

Who do you celebrate with?

“On Christmas Eve we spend the day at my parents’ house together with my dad, mom, brother, and grandparents. We used to stay overnight, but now that we live nearby, we come home for the night. I’m already looking forward to that quiet moment after the boys have gone to bed on Christmas Eve, when my spouse and I sit down with a cup of mulled wine.”