JANUARY:: Ristomatti Ratia

Finnish designer Ristomatti Ratia's cottage on Saaremaa, the largest island in Estonia. Featured in Phyllis Richardson and Solvi Dos Santos' book, Contemporary Natural.

JANUARY:: Tove Jansson

Beloved Finnish author Tove Jansson's Moomin stories. The Arabia Moomin collection. Her novel, The Summer Book, one of ten books she wrote for adults. For the 2011 reading list:  A Winter Book, a collection of her short stories.

JANUARY:: Scandinavian Inspired

Influenced by the Scandinavian design elements of washed wood and simple, natural details, the Shelter Island home of Harriet Maxwell Macdonald and Andrew Corrie, of Ochre and Canvas.

DECEMBER:: Kanel Bullar

From designer Lotta Jansdotter, a classic recipe for Swedish-style cinnamon buns.

For the dough:

1 oz. yeast

3 oz. sugar

1 cup whole milk

1 egg

4 oz. butter

1 tsp. salt

1 Tbs. ground cardamom

26 oz. flour

For the filling:

4 oz. butter

2 oz. sugar

2 Tbs. cinnamon

For the glaze:

1 egg

pearl sugar 

Crumble the yeast in a bowl and stir in a few tablespoons of milk.  Melt the butter and pour the milk on it.  Add the rest of the ingredients and knead the dough in a dough mixer for 10-15 minutes.  Let the dough rise while covered at room temperature for 30 minutes.

Roll out the dough so it is about 1/8 in. thick and 12 in. wide. Spread the room temperature butter on top.  Make a mixture of sugar and cinnamon and sprinkle it over the dough.  Roll the dough the long way and cut the roll into about 25 slices.  Place them with the cut edge upward in paper molds.  Place on a baking sheet and let rise under a towel for about 60 minutes or until the buns have doubled in size. 

Beat together the egg and water, brush the mixture carefully on the buns and sprinkle pearl sugar on top.  Bake in the oven at 425 F for 5-6 minutes.  Allow to cool on a rack.

DECEMBER:: HOLIDAY

For a festive table, Marimekko linens. Noitarumpu by Aino-Maija Metsola in red or gold and silver.