How a Danish Family Decorated Their Home for New Year

A 200-square-meter house in the small Danish town of Glemsberg belongs to couple Pia and Stefanos. Just like any family with school-age children—there are three of them—preparing the home for New Year's celebrations becomes a tradition and a real ritual, engaging and responsible.

Despite the fact that the family's main provider has no background in design or interior decoration, there are a few interesting ideas for your own festive interior to draw inspiration from.

Christmas and New Year’s preparations usually begin with Pia. Weeks before the Christmas tree is placed in the living room or dining area, she lays out evergreen branches on tables and window sills, hangs white Christmas stars—echoes of childhood memories for Pia. She also pulls out festive baking shapes: the approach of Christmas and New Year in this family is incomplete without the scent of fresh gingerbread.

For Christmas decorations, as with all holiday decor, Pia takes a practical approach. “Everything should connect to what's already in the home,” she believes, and it’s hard to disagree. The colors of ornaments and garlands that Pia and her children hung on the Christmas tree can be found in carpet, furniture, and textile tones throughout the house.

Like most residents of Northern Europe, the home was decorated with an emphasis on Scandinavian minimalism. However, Pia added a few bright touches to please Stefanos: her husband is Italian, and Italians are used to decorating their homes more expressively. Therefore, the interior features vibrant shades of burgundy, pink, and gold. Despite such a contrast in decor, it turned out beautifully.