The holiday season is a time of joy and enjoyment. Sustainable and careful choices help make the best of the end-of-the-year festive season without having to compromise on aesthetics, in a way that saves both money and nature and – above all – with a clear conscience.
THE UPCOMING FESTIVE SEASON at the end of the year brings along distinctive colors, lights and scents. When you purchase timeless items, you can decorate your home for the holidays without having to buy new products every year. High-quality products last for decades and bring joy both when bought as gifts and for your own home.
This Design Stories column provides answers to popular questions, which may be helpful and inspirational to others, as well. Miina Lindblad from Finnish Design Shop’s customer service team answers the questions.
How can I prepare my home for the holidays with small changes?
“You can create a cozy holiday atmosphere in your home with various textiles, such as cushions, curtains and tablecloths. If you want to give your table setting a more festive look, use more decorative drinking glasses, saucers or cutlery. Various string lights and candles also help create a nice atmosphere and are often already taken out after the first fall rain. For example, HAY’s delightfully colorful candles are a great choice, regardless of whether you’re buying them as gifts or for yourself!
My personal favorites include the rich, dreamlike cushion covers by Klaus Haapaniemi that can instantly transform the atmosphere of even a light-colored, minimalist home. Of the new products launched in the fall, check out MENU’s beautiful, sculptural Flambeau wall candleholder.
“My personal favorites include the rich, dreamlike cushion covers by Klaus Haapaniemi that can instantly transform the atmosphere.”
If you’ll get a tree for the holidays, I recommend selecting beautiful ornaments made of glass, ceramics or textile that will last for years to come. For example, ferm LIVING offers embroidered ornaments made of organic cotton, and the fans of Marimekko’s patterns are sure to love the ceramic ornaments in the shape of familiar patterns. Long-time favorites, on the other hand, include Iittala’s glass apples and balls, and don’t forget to take a look at Alessi’s mouth-blown glass ornaments!
I also recommend exploring the selection at Franckly, where various design gems are waiting for a new home.”
I’m looking for something small to give my employees for the holidays. Any tips?
“It’s nice to give employees and co-workers timeless design as a gift before the holidays, and it’s advisable to select something that brightens up everyday life and is suitable for as many persons as possible. For such gifts, I recommend textiles, kitchen utensils, cosmetics, vases, art glass, tableware or even small storage products that bring joy at the office or desk used for remote work.
Finnish design is always a good choice, and popular items include products such as Iittala’s Aalto vases or Fiskars’s knives. If you want to give textiles, I’d recommend towels or bathrobes by Lapuan Kankurit or oven mitts by Saana ja Olli. For a desk at the office or home, choose items such as Verso Design’s Koppa Tool Box or Pino boxes designed by Antrei Hartikainen. To help with gift choices, our online store features a section called Gifts, containing gift ideas organized in different categories, and I recommend checking out at least the category Gifts from Finland.
For business gifts, one easy option is the ready-made gift sets available via Finnish Design Shop’s Contract Sales. There are three different beautifully wrapped gift set options, from pampering to kitchen utensils.
Of course, a Finnish Design Shop gift card is the easiest option and guaranteed to suit everyone. We also give many tips for gifts in our newsletters and social media!
• More gift ideas >
When’s the last date to order gifts for the holidays from Finnish Design Shop?
“We recommend placing the gift order well in advance, but no later than the second week of December. We deliver products to 180 countries across the world, so the delivery times vary greatly depending on the country and shipping method. All our orders are dispatched from our own logistics center in Turku, Finland.
“Finnish Design Shop delivers products to 180 countries across the world, so the delivery times vary greatly depending on the country and shipping method.”
You can check the estimated delivery time at the checkout before placing the order. You can view the delivery times and prices of different logistics companies, and after entering your address, you can select the shipping method that suits you best. The provided dates are always estimates and may be affected by, for example, the availability of flights, customs formalities, weather conditions and possible traffic peaks.
Also remember to check that all the products you are about to order are in stock, as we ship the entire order in one batch to save nature. If you have questions about placing an order, please contact our professional customer service!”
• New arrivals at Finnish Design Shop >
Miina Lindblad works as a design sales representative in Finnish Design Shop’s Customer Service team. She prepares for the festive season by adding something new, old, borrowed and red to her home, and cooks the traditional Christmas dinner on an almost hundred-year-old wood stove.
For help with your design purchases:
• Finnish Design Shop’s Customer Service >
Text: Miina Lindblad Illustration: Evi Rinkinen