In The Little Things

Inside Maiju’s home simple touches spark big Christmas joy

Christmas gradually sneaks into the home of Maiju Saha’s family. The festive mood in their house is traditional. Candles, paper stars, greenery, and Christmas flowers resting on a bed of moss are all the decorations they need.

Author Jonna Kivilahti

Images Krista Keltanen

October 28, 2025Lue suomeksi

Amaryllis and hyacinth flowers have can now be spotted around the home and paper stars sparkle in the windows. Maiju and Janne Saha’s charming home is already dressed for the festivities as the family prepares to spend their second Christmas there.

The couple found their current home a few years ago, when they lived in a wooden townhouse apartment in Vaasa, western Finland, but dreamed of their own house with a yard. A major renovation transformed the 1940s mansard-roofed house into a delightful home for the Saha family.

Maiju and daughter Aina decorating the Christmas tree — Aina decorates the tree in front of the living room fireplace. Maiju found the tree stand and Christmas ornaments at a flea market. The Moroccan rug is a vintage find. The coffee table is a thrifted piece Maiju renovated. A striking angel’s wing begonia grows on the window sill. The lamps are flea market finds.

A decorated Christmas tree in the living room

Maiju, when do the first signs of Christmas appear in your home?

Little by little, Christmas details begin sneaking into our home, starting in November. First, the number of candles grows, then I add paper stars and hang Christmas lights from curtain rods to frame the windows. Aina and I use paper or pieces of wallpaper to create angels, stars, and flowers following instructions I find online. By the first Sunday of Advent, our home is quite festive. I finish the look with Christmas flower arrangements.

Which Christmas flowers are your favorites?

A red amaryllis is eye-catching and long-lasting. Red suits our kitchen well, as the cabinets are dark green. Another favorite of mine is a white hyacinth that I plant on a moss bed in pots and dishes.

An old cabinet and a Ligne Roset Togo chair — The old cabinet is the family’s best second-hand find. Maiju found it in a local clothing store for under 50 euros. She got the Ligne Roset Togo chair at a design-focused flea market. The wall lamp is by Grupa Studio, and the rice paper lamp on the table is from Habitat. The vintage rug in the foreground is from Etsy.

View from the living room into the dining space — Maiju wanted couch-like benches along the dining area wall.

An ash dining table and black Ton chairs — Around the large ash dining table stand black Ton chairs.

What kind of Christmas traditions does your family have?

The most important tradition is our family’s annual trip to Raippaluoto island on the first Sunday of Advent. With us we take our holiday spirit and sausages to grill after being outdoors. We might pick up a few sprigs of greenery on the way, which we later use to decorate our home. One of the highlights of our island outing is that elves may have left small surprise gifts for the children to find.

What kinds of decorations do you prefer?

Gradually, I add more candles and flowers around the house, as well as decorations made from natural materials. Moss, pinecones, and greenery all bring a wonderful atmosphere. I visit flea markets all year long, but especially around Christmastime, I look for ornaments. My favorites are traditional glass Christmas baubles and little angels made of jute fabric.

The dining area’s light-colored wall paneling — Maiju came up with the idea for the paneling in the dining area, which was created by attaching boards onto plywood. The Moravia star is from Artilleriet, and the clay bowls are Maiju’s own design.

A dark green kitchen and dining area — When renovating the kitchen, Maiju designed a built-in bench by the window. An old dining table and a separate bench in front of it create a spot for breakfast. It’s also ideal for baking and hosting gingerbread-making sessions.

A dark green kitchen with marble countertops from ABL-laatat — Initially, Maiju and Janne considered using the old cabinets, but they chose to commission a kitchen from a local carpenter, based on Maiju’s design. The dark green color gets a touch of warmth from the red brick wall, which was uncovered during the renovation. The countertops are marble by ABL-laatat.

What colors define your Christmas?

I prefer natural decorations, and I also choose colors from nature. Red from apples and amaryllis, green from greenery and moss, and shades of sand, for example in my jute angels. I pick white for the candles and the large paper stars in the windows.

Where have you found your best Christmas ornaments?

The best ones definitely come from flea markets. I’m not attracted to mass-produced plastic, and I rarely buy it. The only new ornaments might be timeless, transparent tree baubles. The large illuminated paper floral ornament in our window was purchased new from Watt & Veke.

A paper Christmas ornament from Watt & Veke in the window — Paper stars, flowers, greenery, and Maiju’s own ceramics create a holiday atmosphere. The Thonet chair found on a dumpster is topped with a paper floral ornament from Watt & Veke. A ceiling socket has been conveniently placed for Christmas lights.

You can craft a paper floral ornament yourself using baking paper. Check out the instructions for a lovely snow flower! [in Finnish]

The study’s Christmas decor — Maiju painted the walls of the study with Jotun’s dark gray 1145 Band Stone. The armchair has a dark gray linen slipcover. A paper star and a string of lights already create a Christmas spirit. Maiju found the lovely rug from an online shop selling Moroccan rugs. The lamp is an Etsy find.

William Morris’s Arbutus wallpaper in the entry hall — For the entry hall, Maiju chose William Morris’s Arbutus wallpaper from Domus Classica. It continues up the staircase to the second floor. The table was painted blue, and the red planter echoes the wallpaper’s tones. The renovated floor is by Timberwise. Dried flowers also fit the Christmas mood.

Is your Christmas style more traditional or modern?

It’s a mix of both. A traditional holiday feel suits the spirit of this house, and I don’t really feel like I want anything new. I only buy when I need something and prefer to decorate with handmade ornaments. I do pottery, so I arranged the Christmas flowers on the dining table in large bowls I made myself.

Tell us about your gingerbread traditions!

Baking gingerbread is a big tradition for us. I got the recipe from my 80-year-old grandmother, and there’s something magical in its flavor. I make the dough the previous day, and we start baking early in the morning. I buy gingerbread cookie cutters from flea markets throughout the year and favor classic shapes: stars, hearts, gingerbread men, gingerbread women, and animals. We bake tray after tray of cookies, and the following day we decorate them. I usually get a variety of icings, candies, and toppings for the project. At Christmas, in addition to lingonberry parfait, I always make a gingerbread parfait for dessert.

The parents’ bedroom painted green — The parents’ bedroom is painted a soft green, NCS S3010-G80Y. The curtains were sewn from William Morris fabric. A solid-colored wall with a similar tone evens out the curtain’s bold pattern. The sheets are by Midnatt, the ceiling light from Ikea, and the wall light by Lampe Gras.

Aina’s pink room — Aina’s room is a delicate shade of pink. Maiju collected the furnishings second-hand, which suits the old house well.

Floor plan of Maiju’s home — Maiju and Janne’s family includes children Paavo, Aina, and Theo. Their house in Old Vaasa was built in 1941. They have 286 square meters (about 3,080 sq ft), seven rooms plus a kitchen, and a basement. Maiju’s Instagram is @maiju_saw.

How do you create your unique gift packages?

I prefer using recycled materials for Christmas gifts. This year, I used leftover pieces of William Morris wallpaper from our wallpaper project. The floral print is finished off with a red satin ribbon. I find it fun when all the packages share the same style.

What do you love most about your Christmas?

The whole package is important: getting to feel the holiday mood, decorating the home for Christmas, and being together without any rush. We stay at our place for Christmas, and my husband’s parents and my sister’s family come over on Christmas Eve. Because everyone contributes to the meal, the preparation is easy, and we often try new recipes. It’s a lot of fun to cook together. On Boxing Day, we usually head to my in-laws to enjoy a meal and good company.