Houzz Tour: More Color for a Fun Christmas in Sweden
In this bright house, the holiday spirit is palpable even without the traditional red and green decorations
You can definitely feel the Christmas spirit in Christine Cambring’s house in Sweden, even without traditional red gnomes or loads of fir branches to create the mood. Instead, the interior designer and fashion stylist got ready for the upcoming holiday with innovative decorations that you can easily make yourself. Let this colorful Christmas inspire you with decor ideas that work well for the rest of the year too.
It was the location that made Christine and David Cambring fall in love with this house in Karlsborg, in southern Sweden. “It’s a safe and welcoming neighborhood with a lot of children, and many of our children’s classmates live here,” Christine says.
This Christmas, Christine decided to decorate the house with some unusual colors. “I am not crazy about Christmas decorations that are only red and green,” she says, “but I love this holiday, and we have strong Christmas traditions. One doesn’t need to have loads of gnomes everywhere; more colors make Christmas more fun.”
This Christmas, Christine decided to decorate the house with some unusual colors. “I am not crazy about Christmas decorations that are only red and green,” she says, “but I love this holiday, and we have strong Christmas traditions. One doesn’t need to have loads of gnomes everywhere; more colors make Christmas more fun.”
After having worked in various service occupations, including as a tour guide, Christine took time off. That gave her the chance to explore her creative side, and it’s how she found her current career as a designer. “I’ve always felt good at being creative, and people said, ‘You are really good at this.’ That’s when I started to study to become a designer. But my strength doesn’t lie in drawing plans or things like that, but in making decorations,” she says. When it comes to Christmas decorations, she gladly blends traditional ones with more modern elements.
Wall cabinets and stars: Ikea; lights: flea market finds
Wall cabinets and stars: Ikea; lights: flea market finds
“When I go over to someone’s house, I like to find something unexpected, and that’s exactly what I try to do at my place,” Christine says. “There must be that special something. In my case, I think people are delighted by the colors. People tend to be afraid of trying out new things, but by having harmony in the tints and shades, a variety of colors can coexist.”
The stylish, colorful Christmas tree is decorated with crepe paper garlands, which can be purchased in rolls from the shop Theo & jag. Christine likes to buy things that can be reused: These also hung from the ceiling as decorations for her kids’ birthday parties.
The stylish, colorful Christmas tree is decorated with crepe paper garlands, which can be purchased in rolls from the shop Theo & jag. Christine likes to buy things that can be reused: These also hung from the ceiling as decorations for her kids’ birthday parties.
Pennants from Little for Mini add to the festive atmosphere.
The home’s first owner worked as a bricklayer. He installed an old wood stove in the kitchen, which now gives the house a cozy, old-fashioned feel.
“We use the stove in winter — it heats the whole house,” Christine says. “I have even cooked on it, but it’s difficult to control the temperature. The cards hanging above the stove also come from Theo & jag, and they are like a little Advent calendar. I put a little note on each of them with suggestions of different things that we can do together, like making crafts or going to the movies.”
“We use the stove in winter — it heats the whole house,” Christine says. “I have even cooked on it, but it’s difficult to control the temperature. The cards hanging above the stove also come from Theo & jag, and they are like a little Advent calendar. I put a little note on each of them with suggestions of different things that we can do together, like making crafts or going to the movies.”
Christine made the graphic black-and-white Christmas tree on the wall with decorative plastic. “I measured the triangles and glued them onto the wall. And, of course, I didn’t want it to be too ‘normal,’ so I replaced two of the black triangles with colored ones.”
Bestå cabinet and repainted stool: Ikea; B letter: Åhléns; bear paper bag: Tellkiddo; lights: Vita
Bestå cabinet and repainted stool: Ikea; B letter: Åhléns; bear paper bag: Tellkiddo; lights: Vita
She also created the paper stars. “You can find instructions online simply by Googling ‘folding stars.’ It’s a great way to reuse wrapping paper, and you can also make them with thin paper,” Christine says.
For Christine, making Christmas crafts is a way to relax and do something fun with her family. “It’s so easy to exaggerate everything when it comes to Christmas, and it can be stressful to know that you have to decorate and cook a lot of food,” she says. “A few years ago, we actually gave up on cooking most of the Christmas food, and instead focused only on a few tasty things, such as the traditional Swedish Christmas dish Janssons frestelse,” a creamy casserole featuring potatoes, onions and anchovies.
“When you don’t hurry and just give yourself an hour to sit down and do crafts, the whole family gets time to talk to each other, and this is how you find out things, like how your children are doing at school, in a natural way. And even if you don’t finish your crafts, the important thing is that everyone can take part in the process.”
Fun figures: OMM Design
“When you don’t hurry and just give yourself an hour to sit down and do crafts, the whole family gets time to talk to each other, and this is how you find out things, like how your children are doing at school, in a natural way. And even if you don’t finish your crafts, the important thing is that everyone can take part in the process.”
Fun figures: OMM Design
It’s bright in the Cambrings’ bedroom, and Scandinavian colors dominate the room, which is also full of fun details. “Road signs come from a shop called Chili. I have always liked patterns and simply love the spruce pattern you see on the pillow and sheets.”
The pair made the headboard themselves out of an untreated oriented strand board, which has been screwed to the wall.
Nightstand: Kartell; bed: Ikea; spruce-patterned linens: Fine Little Day; lamps: flea market finds; ball lights: Iris Lights
The pair made the headboard themselves out of an untreated oriented strand board, which has been screwed to the wall.
Nightstand: Kartell; bed: Ikea; spruce-patterned linens: Fine Little Day; lamps: flea market finds; ball lights: Iris Lights
In the TV room, the focus is not actually on the TV, but rather in creating a place where the Cambrings can socialize and spend time together as a family. The spruce-patterned pillow is from Fine Little Day, and the coffee tables are from Ikea, as are “many other things in the house, though we’ve repainted them,” Christine says.
String lights: Granit; sofa: Bellus
String lights: Granit; sofa: Bellus
For her room, daughter Ebba chose black-and-white decor. “She’s not infatuated with color like me!” Christine says.
Dotted wallpaper: Ellos; prints on the wall: W:Form
Dotted wallpaper: Ellos; prints on the wall: W:Form
Sven Markelius’ Pythagoras design adorns the staircase. The Cambrings had to buy 12 rolls of the wallpaper to cover the 13-foot-high surface. “My husband was not sure … before we bought it,” she says, “but now he’s really into it.”
Table: Kartell; lamp on staircase: repainted flea market find; Pythagoras wallpaper: Scandinavian Designers collection, BoråsTapeter via Mr Perswall
Table: Kartell; lamp on staircase: repainted flea market find; Pythagoras wallpaper: Scandinavian Designers collection, BoråsTapeter via Mr Perswall
Hanging up cheeky Christmas sayings is a clever way to decorate a wall.
“I made these decorations from one of those packs with letters you can find in stores, and stuck them on a large Masonite board we fastened to the wall,” Christine says. “This way, we can easily replace paintings and decorations without having to drill new holes. We bought animal masks at Ejvor and clamps at Granit, but I’ve added the beads myself.”
Browse holiday decorating DIYs on Houzz
“I made these decorations from one of those packs with letters you can find in stores, and stuck them on a large Masonite board we fastened to the wall,” Christine says. “This way, we can easily replace paintings and decorations without having to drill new holes. We bought animal masks at Ejvor and clamps at Granit, but I’ve added the beads myself.”
Browse holiday decorating DIYs on Houzz
Who lives here: Christine and David Cambring and their two children, Ebba, 10, and Oliver, 8
Location: Karlsborg, Västra Götaland County, Sweden
Size: 1,442 square feet (134 square meters); three bedrooms, two bathrooms
Year built: 1981
Table: Mio