Colorful Christmas in Hanko

Villa Vappu’s candy-colored Christmas—“I’d always dreamed of a pink kitchen, and now it’s here”

Minttu Mattsson bought a near tear-down in Hanko, Finland, as a second home for her family. The renovated Villa Vappu will now host the family’s Christmas for the first time.

Author Jonna Kivilahti

Images Krista Keltanen

December 22, 2025Lue suomeksi

Minttu, her three teenagers and three rescue dogs are already looking forward to spending Christmas at the family’s second home in Hanko, Southern Finland. Christmas Eve will be at her mother-in-law’s in Kemiönsaari, though, because the whole family can’t yet stay overnight in the house—the upstairs bedrooms are still waiting to be renovated. For the rest of the holidays, the kids will sleep on camp beds in the living room. It won’t dampen the mood one bit!

Home: A 1929 log house in Hanko, Finland, 6 rooms + kitchen + entry hall, 124 m² (1,335 square feet). The upstairs is waiting to be renovated.

Who lives here: Real estate agent Minttu Mattsson, 40, and her children Nuutti, 15, Minni, 14, and Bella, 11, plus rescue dogs Skia, Max, and Lola.

Follow on social: @minttumattsson

Minttu dreams of painting Villa Vappu’s exterior pink.

Welcome to Villa Vappu! Minttu decorated the entry and yard with lanterns and candles.

When Minttu bought the house, everything was green—outside and in. The staircase to the upstairs, still awaiting renovation, is a reminder of that. On the steps, Minttu styled a vignette with lanterns, evergreen boughs, and small spruces dressed with string lights.

Minttu, how did you end up getting a second home in Hanko?

I sailed a lot in Hanko’s waters as a child. Last summer I rented a house in Hanko and fell in love with the city: it was time to make the dream happen instead of overthinking it. We have a summer cottage on an island in Tammisaari, but I wanted a place we could reach year-round and drive right up to. I set up search alerts—and then I got lucky.

Minttu’s dream of a strawberry-milkshake–hued kitchen came true. A kitchen company in Tammisaari built the cabinetry to her wishes. Because the windows sit low, the layout had to adapt: window benches were added along both walls.

You enter the house through the kitchen, which opens onto the dining area. Life happens in the kitchen, so a big island is practical. The pendant light is from Ellos.

”I wanted to make the house my own and keep the log surfaces visible.”

Instead of flowers, Minttu favors long-lasting evergreen boughs in vases.

What kind of shape was the house in when you bought it?

The house was sold almost as a tear-down. I launched into an all-out renovation: new finishes throughout and a whole new look for the kitchen. The electrical and plumbing had to be replaced, and in the end we stripped the building down to its log frame. We hauled out 15,000 kilos (about 33,000 pounds) of demolition waste as everything old came out and new materials went in. We added cellulose insulation in the walls to improve heating. Some walls were papered to fit in proper insulation layers. I also installed an air-source heat pump. I wanted to make the house my own and keep the log surfaces visible.

The old wood-burning stove got to stay in the kitchen. The Arabia cups are from Minttu’s parents’ first home together.

At a home decor store’s closing sale, Minttu bought a wall’s worth of open shelves—a brilliant solution to the kitchen’s cabinet shortage. Beloved blue dishes and heirloom apple bowls took pride of place. The Hanko mug is a daily reminder of a dream come true while she sips her morning coffee. Little house lanterns sparkle on the open shelves.

”Candles, twinkle, and evergreens—that’s the kind of Christmas atmosphere that suits this house.”

What plans do you have for the house?

So far I’ve finished the downstairs, but the entry and four upstairs bedrooms are still waiting their turn. There’s no rush with the exterior, but at some point I’d love to paint the house pink.

Pink ornaments on the branches of a white artificial tree lend a candy-like look. Minttu set the table for Christmas dinner and laid out an old lace sheet as a tablecloth.

Hyacinths and evergreens are arranged in a shallow glass bowl that was originally the shade from a light in Minttu’s former home.

For the dining area and bedroom, Minttu chose Boråstapeter’s Honeysuckle wallpaper. Rescue dogs are close to her heart—the family has already welcomed four dogs from Greece. In the photo are little Lola and Max, who has been with the family for years. Minttu hung a lighted paper star on the door.

Was there a particular dream you got to realize?

The house felt like a 40th-birthday present to myself—a dream come true. I’d always dreamed of a pink kitchen, and now it’s here, too. Because everyone comes into the house through the kitchen, I felt it was important to make the space a showstopper. I picked the cabinet color from dozens of pink options, and I think I nailed it. The shade is like a strawberry milkshake. A fun detail is the handles from the old wooden kitchen, which I soaked and cleaned. Something old and something new.

The tree sits in the dining area, where it’s visible from the bedroom and the kitchen. Flannel sheets make the bedroom feel festive. A string of lights brings a warm twinkle to the headboard.

Minttu added a downstairs bathroom with a shower. The washing machine lives in the kitchen to free up space in the bath. The vanity is from IKEA, the tiles are from K‑rauta, and the faucet is by Damixa.

How does Christmas show up at Villa Vappu?

My Christmas palette is pink and white, with green repeating in the evergreen boughs I arrange in vases. Christmas arrived at Villa Vappu already in November when I hosted a little pre-Christmas party for friends. I bought an artificial tree for it, because I like to keep the tree up for a long time. I chose white—it stands out beautifully against the dark log wall. The ornaments are pink, and this year I’ve leaned into mouse ornaments. Candles, twinkle, and evergreens—that’s the kind of Christmas atmosphere that suits this house. The yard and staircase are full of lanterns. The house has six fireplaces in total: three baking ovens and three Porin Matti stoves, and they add plenty of ambience.

The green chair frame was a find from a Hanko flea-market group. The bench is an old sauna bench from Minttu’s previous house in Lohja. When Minttu is away, the house is kept at a base temperature of 15 °C (59 °F), so blankets come in handy until the rooms warm up. The ceiling lamp is from Cobello.

For her 40th birthday, Minttu received a retro-style record player from her father, along with LPs from his collection. It usually sits on the nearby shelf, but at Christmas it comes out on the coffee table to set the mood.

Christmas means relaxed lounging, games, and sipping glögi. To serve it, Minttu picked up holiday mugs, and the old pitcher is a flea-market find. The decorative coasters are a souvenir from Greece. Minttu loves scented candles and doesn’t shy away from burning multiple fragrances at once.

Minttu, what have you learned about celebrating Christmas?

I don’t do any holiday prep that I don’t feel like doing. I buy ready-made gingerbread dough, warm up ready-made glögi, and I hardly bake at all at Christmas. Stress isn’t part of the season. I know plenty of people who clear away the decorations during the days between Christmas and New Year’s, but we keep ours up well into January.