Step into Santa’s Snug, a bright and cosy festive home in Alloa and our first interview for Scotland’s Christmas Home of the Year 2024

Scotland’s Christmas Home of the Year airs on BBC One Scotland on Monday 16th December from 8pm, showcasing some of the country’s most charming Christmassy homes, each decorated with love and a passion for all things festive.

The judges will be viewing abodes in Alloa, Cumbernauld, Dalkeith, Fraserburgh and Lesmahagow. From decorated doorways to tinselled trees and festooned fireplaces, the judges look at every detail before choosing one winter wonderful winner. While architectural merit and stylish interior design are factors, they’ll also mark the five homes on festive flair and seasonal style.

We had the pleasure of speaking to Ann Maitland, who owns Santa’s Snug in Alloa with her husband Rolf. A bright and chatty personality, she opened her home to us with warmth. The true meaning of Christmas, to her, is family and traditions – and the joyful spirit of Christmas lies in re-using family decorations that don’t just look beautiful, but hold lovely memories too.

About Santa’s Snug

This unassuming cottage in Alloa is over 250 years old which has a surprising tardis-like feel inside that really comes to life at Christmas. Ann and Rolf reconfigured the original layout of Santa’s Snug to create more open-plan living which includes a kitchen with a vaulted ceiling – perfect for their giant floating Christmas baubles.

Ann loves to mix old decorations with new festive ideas transforming ‘trends’ into her own unique style. “I like to carry on the traditions of loved ones who are no longer with us,” she says. “And I hand make so many gifts each year!” Rolf adds, “It seems like there’s a new theme each year – one year, we had robins and the next, it was gingerbread houses… There are so many elements, but whatever Ann makes turns into my favourite decoration.”

We particularly love the handmade paper wall hangings in the entryway, which Anna Campbell-Jones describes as, “Absolutely ingenious. It looks just like printed wallpaper.”

In conversation with Ann…

Firstly, how does it feel to be featuring on the 2024 edition of Scotland’s Christmas Home of the Year?

Quite surreal! It is strange letting strangers into your home while you’re gone, but it has been fun!

In terms of decorations, your cottage’s exterior is quiet and understated – a huge contrast to the interior. Are visitors surprised to see the brightness and colours when they step through your door?

Yes! People will step inside with utter surprise – some love it more than others, but it is nice to get that big reaction. And all of the little familial details like the handmade decorations and the natural materials. My mother’s wooden ornaments really tie everything together and make it feel familiar when people come over too.

Why don’t you have decor on the outside of the cottage?

Oh, local kids, mostly. They take anything they can! So the closest I get to exterior decor is our lovely door wreath and some window ornaments. But even that is enough to still delight passersby, I hope.

Which is your favourite Christmassy corner in your home?

I love our little snug. We have an armchair with plenty of cushions sat next to the fire. It signifies the end of the day, which means I can relax and think about where looks a little bit bare and where I can add more decorations!

What do you think is the key to creating a truly joyful Christmas home?

For me, it is about selecting things that bring you joy because at the end of the day, you will be living in the space for over a month, so you have to at least enjoy the decor that surrounds you.

I remember shopping with a friend and being torn between two ornaments – one brighter than the other and a little bolder too. She asked which brought me happiness, and I told her that the bold one did but I didn’t know if it was too much… but she said that it is my happiness that matters. And I realised she was right! So really, that’s the approach I take to decorating: if it brings you joy… use it!

Do you think it is important to re-use, recycle and hand make Christmas decor where possible?

Definitely. I like to hand make a lot of my pieces. My husband Rolf is always surprised when more and more decorations turn up each year… but I love to create little pieces myself that will be entirely unique to our home – and that hopefully I can hand down for years to come.

What do you feel enhances Christmas magic in the home?

Lighting. It is all about lighting. Keep your tree lights and any others you hang in the home golden. LED lights are a little too overbearing. Lace golden lights throughout the home so that every space has a magical glow. That is what sparks the Christmas feeling.

What do you hope judges will notice when they visit your home?

That a lot of love has gone into hand making the decor. I like to try making most of our decorations because it is often easier than you think!

How can others be a little bit more conscious about sustainability when decorating their home at Christmas?

I’d say, most simply, stay away from tinsel. Stay away from too much plastic and try your best to look after your pieces so that they last longer. Stay away from the consumerist mindset, so if there’s something that you think would look lovely, consider that maybe you could make it yourself – or a variation of it. We reuse our decorations over and over again and the pieces never look old. Looking after them sustains the Christmas joy over the years and instantly injects the home with so much joy.

Anna Campbell-Jones on shopping sustainability at Christmas time