The winter cottage

Hailing from Lapland, the home of Christmas, it’s no surprise that the owners of this house know how to celebrate the season in style. Here’s how they create cosy winter glamour

Cosy up in this Finnish house filled with flickering candles and forest finds

‘I like clean and simple Christmas decorations: we use lots of vintage crystal glasses from an antiques shop, candles and white flowers’

‘We fell in love with this area. It’s very peaceful and surrounded by forests and flowing streams. My husband Tero and I were born in Lapland in northern Finland, so being close to nature is very important to us,’ says financial manager Krista Suutari. That is why the countryside setting in southwest Finland where the couple have built this charming timber-framed home is perfect.

They share the 185-square-metre, two-storey house with their 18-year-old daughter Essi and Norfolk terrier Lily. There are three bedrooms upstairs, and an open-plan living area downstairs with space for a very Finnish necessity: the sauna. ‘ We use it every evening,’ says Krista. The interior of the house is neutral, a subtle palette of grey, white and taupe fused with wood, copper and brass. ‘ We were inspired by nature when decorating – the rocks and the trees translate into the calm colours that you see around the house.’

The family look forward to spending time at home during the festive season. ‘I love Christmas,’ says Krista. ‘I start planning by October at the latest, but collect pine cones and moss from the forest all through summer and autumn, which I save and use as decorations.’ The family’s Christmas décor is understated yet impactful. ‘I like a clean and simple look: a lot of white flowers and candles,’ Krista says. This aesthetic extends to the tree, which is festooned with silver and gold coloured baubles and candles.

The dining table, which sits in a bay window, is equally festive. ‘I place a big linen cloth on our Christmas table and white porcelain dishes that I inherited from my family. We use vintage crystal glasses that I found in an antique shop, lots of candles, white flowers and that’s it!’ says Krista. ‘Finnish winters are long and cold so we tend to like candlelight, which brings warmth to the winter darkness.’