150-year-old Finnish farm gets a fresh start: see how Tiia and Tapio renovated their inherited home
The Finnish Tervaoja family’s home is more than 150 years old and made of brick. A new era for the property began when Tiia moved in. Tapio had agreed with his brother that whoever found a spouse first would continue living in this family home.
This house is deeply rooted in Tapio Tervaoja’s life. The farm has belonged to his family for five generations. Built of brick in 1872, the white-plastered house shows how large and significant the property once was. Alongside the main building stand a brick horse stable and a large stone barn, with the fourth side of the courtyard occupied by a granary.
Home: Built in 1872 in Oulu, with four bedrooms, a kitchen, a large pirtti (great room), an entry hall, a porch, a sauna, a bathroom, two toilets, and a laundry room, totaling 196 m² (2,110 ft²).
Residents: Registered nurse Tiia Tervaoja, 35, and HVAC designer Tapio Tervaoja, 39, three children, and their wire-haired fox terrier, Ansa.
Follow on social media: @Tapiola1872
Behind the six-pane windows, the Oulujoki River flows toward the Gulf of Bothnia. It’s about 20 km (12 mi) of scenic country roads to both the coast and Oulu’s center. Tiia Tervaoja sets out coffee on the red-painted table in the pirtti. Tapio sits across from her. The family’s preteen is off exploring. Their dog, Ansa, lounges on the pirtti floor.
A brick-built main building for a farm is rather uncommon in Finland.
“The choice of material probably came after some misfortune in the mid-1800s. Every building on the property burned down, and they decided on brick as a fireproof alternative,” Tapio says.
The bricks were produced right here in a small brick factory set up on the estate. The plastered brick walls give the great room a grand atmosphere—almost like a stately manor.
“During the renovation, we thought about revealing the brick wall at the end of the great room, but ultimately decided to leave it covered,” Tiia notes.
A new chapter for the estate began in 2021, when Tiia moved in with Tapio. At the same time, Tapio’s brother—who had been living there with him—moved out.
“The brothers agreed that whoever found a spouse first would stay on the family farm,” Tiia says with a smile. And there’s plenty to smile about: the couple, who already had one child, recently welcomed twins, and their two-year renovation is finally done.
“A year ago, we felt like we’d never take on such a project again. But looking back, maybe we would. We had friends pitching in to help, and skilled construction professionals on board,” Tiia reflects.
“The thick beams in the great room ceiling were once used to hang horse blankets to dry.”
The house needed refreshing, since its previous renovation happened in the early 1990s. At first, inheritance bureaucracy stalled their renovation loan.
“I dreamed about moving the kitchen, but a load-bearing wall made that impossible,” Tiia says.
Instead, they replaced the old kitchen with a new one in the same spot. Where the dining table used to sit, there’s now a big island with views of both the river and the yard.
They made a small layout change by dividing the office next to the great room. Just as they were about to order new door frames, they discovered a pleasant surprise behind the wall.
“There had been a doorway right there, hidden in the wall, complete with original frames,” Tiia says.
Tapio recalled using that very doorknob as a child.
Advances in building technology freed up considerable space in the great room. The enormous baking oven and a 4,000-liter (1,060 US gal) reservoir were removed. Cutting the steel reservoir was nearly impossible—until the Tervaojas called in a metal recycling company with the right tools.
“Clearing out the chimney was also tough because it was packed full of debris,” Tiia recalls.
But the result was well worth it. Now, where the oven and tank once stood, there are two reupholstered 1960s armchairs. From this cozy corner, you can enjoy the fire through the glass-fronted fireplace.
