Inside a red duplex where a cook, a baker, and their little girl keep Christmas cozy
This family home sits a stone’s throw from Porvoo’s historical Old Town in Southern Finland. In the red-ochre-hued house, the Christmas tree arrives already at the beginning of December. The wood surfaces that define the home’s character were left untouched in its renovation.
Baker Tiia Dahlman, 36, cook Rabbe Dahlman, 37, and their daughter Vilja, 2, live in a duplex in Porvoo built in the late 1970s and early 1980s. The home has three rooms and a kitchen, totaling 88 square meters (950 square feet). Tiia shares everyday family moments on Instagram at @tiiadahlman.
The home is tucked away in a sheltered spot, with forest and Old Porvoo’s river views close by. The family enjoys the privacy their yard offers year-round. The fire bowl is from Clas Ohlson.
The himmeli mobile in the entryway is a gift from Tiia’s father. The dresser is a flea-market find and has changed color many times over the years.
Tiia, what is the lead-up to Christmas like in your family?
Before our little daughter Vilja’s birth, we eased into Christmas by stepping away from everyday life. Back then, our hopes were simply to eat together and unwind. With Vilja, the season has brought excitement and impatience, too. It’s wonderful to see how the little one wonders if elves might be peeking around the corner—and to watch the pure joy that decorating the tree brings.
Which decoration makes Christmas for you?
Himmeli! It’s the most beautiful decoration we have and absolutely part of our Christmas. Flowers, evergreens, and candles—alongside the tree—set a festive mood. We’ve made candles together with Vilja, and I think it will become a tradition for us. Most important, though, is being together.
The soaring ceilings, large windows that give an atelier-like feel, and beautiful wood surfaces are the home’s gems for Rabbe and Tiia. The layout works well for everyday life in a family of three.
The tree is carried home early in December. They always fetch it from their own forest by the cabin. The sofa is from the home’s previous owner and hits just the right retro note for Tiia and Rabbe.
The small painting hung next to the dining table was made by a classmate of Rabbe’s Grandma Kikka, and it depicts Kikka as a young woman in an art class. The Anna Bülow prints were purchased from the home store Finform. The wall shelf, a gift from Rabbe’s aunt, holds a collection of objects and tableware that spark warm memories.
On Christmas Eve, elves deliver the family’s presents. For Vilja, the season is full of little secrets and a tingly sense of anticipation.
What are the best moments of the holiday season?
All through December we bustle, whisper, and wait for Christmas Eve. The very best part is the holiday secrets shared with a child—those little surprises that give a fluttery feeling in a small belly more and more as Christmas Eve approaches. A child’s excitement and joy are one of a kind.
Tiia and Rabbe favor nature-inspired colors with orange as an accent. In the kitchen they chose matte black cabinetry dressed with brass pulls. Wood countertops add warmth. The round ceiling lights are from Ellos.
Among Christmas flowers, Tiia’s favorite is cut amaryllis.
Can you see any elves through the window yet? The wood surfaces that define the home’s character were left as-is during the renovation.
An old door serves as the dining table. It took six people to carry it home.
In their family, holiday treats are divided naturally: Tiia bakes and Rabbe cooks. Tiia has set out cakes, malt and sourdough breads, and cheeses. The candelabra is from the Tori online marketplace, and the beeswax candles are handmade.
The dining table is an old door on trestles, and the chairs are from a flea market in Rauma. Tiia, who works as a baker, sometimes brings pastries home, too. Year after year, a traditional holiday treat is spoon cookies made by Tiia’s mother. A generous spread of fish crowns the holiday table. Paper stars are part of the decorations every year.
Tiia, how did your home’s interior come together?
We have many pieces bought secondhand or passed down from relatives, along with flea-market finds, but there are also items we’ve purchased new. Many of our furnishings already come with a story by the time they arrive in our home. One favorite is definitely the wooden wall shelf in the living room, which we received from Rabbe’s aunt Leena. On the shelves we’ve arranged beautiful objects and photographs. The shelf and the pieces on it lift our spirits and bring warm memories to the surface.
Frames were painted on the wall around the bed in Vilja’s room. The wooden box was a Christmas gift from Tiia’s father for Vilja’s very first Christmas. Teemu Järvinen’s Fox poster peeks out between Vilja’s one-year portrait and the poster showing her birth measurements.
The table in Vilja’s room is Rabbe’s paternal grandmother’s old table. The red chair was found at a flea market in Rauma. The advent calendar Tiia made for Rabbe hides photos from the past year inside.
The parents’ bedroom sits in the quiet upstairs, close to the bathroom and sauna. The painting hung above the bed was painted by Tiia. The wall lights were ordered from Ellos, and the dried-flower arrangement was a Christmas gift. A Pujo wall shelf by Ferm Living stands in as a nightstand.
How would you describe your home?
We have many wood-toned surfaces. We’ve wanted to keep them as they are, because wood means warmth and naturalness to us in interiors.
Our home feels warm. The overall look is clear and considered, brightened with color. We like that there isn’t too much stuff—clutter everywhere would feel overwhelming. Even though we love color, we don’t play with bold patterns. It’s wonderful when there’s room to bustle and live. What makes a home a home is absolutely the beloved people, not the walls around us.
