A Natural, Nordic Christmas
Materials found on woodland walks become holiday decorations for a simply beautiful house on the Danish coast
Egelund and daughter Karla Marie, 10, make almost all the natural decorations and festive sweets themselves.
Egelund’s passion for decorating comes from her childhood in the countryside. “I have loved being creative and decorating interiors ever since I was a child,” she says, “especially with flowers and other natural materials.”
Egelund and her family live in Højbjerg, a suburb of Aarhus. With both forest and beach, it’s a great source of natural materials. “I get plenty of inspiration and find almost all the materials for my decorations when I go for walks. The process of finding the materials is just as much a part of the experience as making the decorations,” she says.
Egelund and her family live in Højbjerg, a suburb of Aarhus. With both forest and beach, it’s a great source of natural materials. “I get plenty of inspiration and find almost all the materials for my decorations when I go for walks. The process of finding the materials is just as much a part of the experience as making the decorations,” she says.
Egelund’s decoration philosophy is that simple is often beautiful. “If you find a branch with moss on it, it may well become the center of your Christmas decor. It does not need to be complicated.”
At the same time, Egelund believes that it’s important to make your decor your own. “You should not try to make things the way a florist would because then they will not be yours. Even just tying a bouquet of branches with a bit of steel wire can be really beautiful. The most important thing is that everybody feels that they can participate and that they are doing it together,” she says.
At the same time, Egelund believes that it’s important to make your decor your own. “You should not try to make things the way a florist would because then they will not be yours. Even just tying a bouquet of branches with a bit of steel wire can be really beautiful. The most important thing is that everybody feels that they can participate and that they are doing it together,” she says.
The family’s renovated 1950s house emanates Nordic elegance and simplicity throughout the year. “My style is very much inspired by Danish and Nordic trends, but there are also Japanese influences, since my husband has lived in Japan,” Egelund says. “It is the combination of simple items that works so well for us. Plus, I have visited lots of flea markets over the last 25 years, which is why our home has always been a mixture of personal items that we have picked up and Danish designer furniture,” she says.
The leather-covered teak chair is an example of one of Egelund’s flea market finds, while the sideboard next to it is an heirloom.
The leather-covered teak chair is an example of one of Egelund’s flea market finds, while the sideboard next to it is an heirloom.
The Christmas decorations deliberately blend in with the wood tones and the brightness of the house, and much of the existing interior decor is integrated into the holiday decor.
Here, a classic Lyngby vase is decorated with red berries.
Here, a classic Lyngby vase is decorated with red berries.
Even Mogens Lassen’s iconic Kubus candleholder becomes an elegant Advent wreath with white candles, fir branches, pine cones and acorns.
The family dog, Teddy, has a spot next to succulents, cones and date palm seedpods displayed on an old French iron dish.
A simple but beautiful eucalyptus wreath hangs from a leather strap in the hallway in place of the jackets and coat hangers that are normally there.
Egelund isn’t the kind of person who decorates the same way every Christmas. “I am not a stickler for tradition, so I like getting inspired by the trends around me,” she says.
The family’s Christmas tree is decked with minimalist decorations. “[It] is also very natural, but I think that on Christmas Eve, I will add tiny fresh flower bouquets. That will look really nice,” she says.
Egelund has already thought about the Christmas Eve dinner table, which will be set for 10 since they’ll be hosting their extended family. “I am going to set the table with a beautiful white tablecloth from Georg Jensen Damask, which I was given for Christmas last year. So it will be gray and white tones with a natural feel. Among other things, I want to decorate with amaryllis, garden anemones, eucalyptus, Macedonian pine and a few larch cones. Also, I have inherited some crochet napkins from my grandmother, and I think I will decorate them with a bit of greenery,” she says, emphasizing that it will be simple but pretty.
Karla Marie is a faithful assistant — she has inherited her mother’s passion for creating things. “My daughter is very creative, so she helps me with the decorations, but she is also quite good at cooking. I am so looking forward to her turning 15 because by then I expect her to make me a big Christmas dinner,” Egelund says, laughing.
Here, Karla Marie is preparing oatmeal-and-chocolate sweets in the kitchen.
Here, Karla Marie is preparing oatmeal-and-chocolate sweets in the kitchen.
The Christmas wreaths that Egelund and her daughter make out of natural materials every year are another favorite. The ones here are fashioned from moss, fir, berries, cones and leaves.
This one is made out of acorns, cones and ivy.
This is a more compact version with fir, red berries and ivy.
Egelund maintains that beautiful wreaths made from natural materials are something that anyone can create themselves with just steel wire and lots of winter greenery. It’s not as difficult as it may seem.
She has four tips for making your own natural homemade wreath:
1. Collect greenery outdoors.
2. Make a base out of straw or a steel-wire ring.
3. Attach the greenery to the ring with wire.
4. Try to use an odd number of elements, such as three or five apples, to make your wreath look more rustic and natural, and not too symmetrical.
1. Collect greenery outdoors.
2. Make a base out of straw or a steel-wire ring.
3. Attach the greenery to the ring with wire.
4. Try to use an odd number of elements, such as three or five apples, to make your wreath look more rustic and natural, and not too symmetrical.
“Another easy way to create nice, natural Christmas decorations is to place bulbs in decorative containers,” says Egelund, who uses small coffee cups, candleholders and jars, which she collected from flea markets. They look great on windowsills, the Christmas dinner table, shelves and chests of drawers.
Holiday DIY: Mason Jar Forced Bulbs and Evergreen Gift Tags
Holiday DIY: Mason Jar Forced Bulbs and Evergreen Gift Tags
Although Egelund makes a lot of Christmas decorations and ornaments herself, not everything is homemade. “I usually buy a new item every year. It can be a star or a glass bauble I like, but I do not buy a lot,” she says.
The family goes to the Christmas market at the Aarhus School of Architecture every December, where Egelund finds and buys a nice Christmas ornament.
The family goes to the Christmas market at the Aarhus School of Architecture every December, where Egelund finds and buys a nice Christmas ornament.
“I wish I could say that I make everything myself, but I do not,” Maja says, laughing.
More
Make a Sophisticated Natural Wreath for Fall and Winter
Holiday DIY: Sweet and Festive Pine Cone Garland
Browse Christmas ornaments
More
Make a Sophisticated Natural Wreath for Fall and Winter
Holiday DIY: Sweet and Festive Pine Cone Garland
Browse Christmas ornaments
House at a Glance
Who lives here: Maja Egelund and her husband; their daughter, Karla Marie; and their dog, Teddy
Location: Højbjerg, just outside Aarhus, Denmark
Size: 1,615 square feet (150 square meters)
To Maja Egelund and her family, Christmas is for coziness, creativity and spending time together. “To us, Christmas means doing a lot together — making Christmas decorations, baking and going for walks through the woods,” she says.