If you have chosen the right Christmas tree you don’t have to prune it much.

”First, it’s best to measure the space where you plan to put the tree in and then measure the tree you plan to buy,” says Nina Mäkelä, a decorator from the interior design agency Sisustussuunnittelu Mäkelä & Roos. ”Outside, tree’s dimensions are hard to estimate.”

In Finnish homes, the tree is usually put in to a corner. We only dance around the Christmas tree in Christmas carols.

”I encourage everyone to put the tree in a central location where you can see it from all around the house, preferably even from the outside. The purpose of the tree is to create a feel of Christmas and you should be able to enjoy it everywhere.”

Every year, people talk about Christmas tree’s trend colours of the year.

”I don’t think there is any one strong trend colour this year, ” Mäkelä says. ”Gold and red, the traditional Christmas colours, always hold on. Pink and lilac trees are also popular this year. Families should be able to make their Christmas trees look like their own. You don’t have to decorate it according to the latest trends. The dearest decorations can go way back to your childhood.”

The green Christmas tree is not for every home. There may not be enough room, someone in the family might have an allergy or the family cat there might destroy the tree. There are other options besides a plastic tree, too.

”Garden stores sell miniature Christmas trees that are planted in pots. They look nice in a basket or zinc bucket. If you own a forest, you can get some branches and place them near the door so you can smell Christmas right when you walk in. If real tree is not an option, you can place some old plank boards and some gold–sprayed cones in a Christmas tree–like shape and decorate them with little lights.”

By hanging some beautiful Christmas balls from a chandelier or from the roof on a line, you can have a Christmas tree right in the middle of the room. If there’s only little space, you can make a Christmas card arrangement shaped like a Christmas tree, or buy a window shade with a Christmas tree print. There are many ways to create that Christmas atmosphere in your own home.

Sisustussuunnittelu Mäkelä & Roos carried out the decorations in Lakea’s Housing Fair house Mäihä.