This 1930s wooden house charmed Minna and Konsta the moment they stepped through the gate: “It felt like a world of its own”

How can our tastes be so similar? Minna gazed in amazement at interior designer Inge Uotila and her suggestion for the living room wallpaper. It was Lukko by Pihlgren and Ritola. Minna had already been considering that same pattern for their new home’s walls, but she hadn’t mentioned it to Inge.

Minna and Konsta bought the house when Minna was pregnant with Aava. They moved to Toijala from a nearby, larger city of Tampere in Finland, which is just a quick train ride away. Minna appreciates the services Toijala offers.

In the living room, two Finarte Nirvana rugs are combined. The sofa is an auction find by Minna’s mother. A piece by Eelis Knuutila hangs on the wall. The ceiling lamp was found at a yard sale. The 1970s floor lamp and coffee table came from Gusta Design.

The living room wallpaper is Lukko by the local company Pihlgren and Ritola, available in eight different colors. The couple’s interior design preferences match well. Konsta likes to be bold with colors and experiments, while Minna says she likes natural materials and tones.

Minna found the Maalla ja merellä ryijy wall rug by Ritva Puotila on Tori online marketplace in Tampere. The lightweight functionalist armchair is from her childhood home, gifted to her as a high school graduation gift. Her sister also got a similar chair when she graduated. The small nesting tables can be easily moved next to the armchair. The wall lamp is by Secto.

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Minna, did the Lukko wallpaper finally end up on your walls?

Of course! However, Inge had chosen the green Lukko for us, while my husband Konsta and I had tried a Lukko sample with a green pattern on a white background. Inge’s suggested colorway was new to us.

An interior designer might seem like an extra expense, but Inge really sped up and simplified the decisions. She also gathered quotes and calculated quantities. She got us great deals on products. We had a million other things on our minds besides choosing surface materials. I already knew Inge, so I trusted communication would be easy, and it was. I was pregnant during the renovation.

The Friviva floral wallpaper from Boråstapeter was suggested by interior designer Inge Uotila, and Minna and Konsta loved it right away. A glass panel protects the lower part of the wallpaper. The table is made with Hay’s Loop trestle legs and a tabletop, and the black spindle-back chairs are from Gusta Design. Minna thinks the Secto pendant lamp is light and lovely.

The kitchen came from Kvik. The countertop on the end wall is 72 cm deep, and the drawers are nearly 15 cm deeper than normal. The countertops are oak. The stool was found in the storage room, and the rag rugs also came with the house.

During the renovation, the kitchen was moved to a former bedroom. That explains the missing wood-burning stove. The original old, original oven was repainted and fitted with a new brass hearth plate.

Where was Inge's help most valuable?

I find choosing color shades difficult. Konsta wanted a colorful downstairs floor, and Inge gave us exactly the right hues. When renovating, you don’t want to repaint a wooden floor multiple times just because the color isn’t perfect first time around. We wanted to simplify our tasks and save time.

I don’t think I’d have dared to choose Boråstapeter’s Friviva wallpaper for the kitchen on my own if Inge hadn’t recommended it. Now the colorful wallpaper is one of my favorite things here. Another bold choice for me was the orange cabinet doors in the utility room. I absolutely love that color, and the cabinet doors bring me so much joy.

Minna wants a yard plan she can carry out in stages. She’s dreaming of a fire pit, a trampoline, and a playhouse.

The garden has ten old, large apple trees, and a big lawn around them where you can run freely.

A beautiful roof lantern accents the home’s facade, lighting the staircase and the upstairs hallway. The overgrown hedge offers privacy from the street.

What did you fall in love with first about the house?

This house has such a nice feeling to it. It felt like a world of its own when we stepped through the gate into the yard. A jasmine bush arched over the gate. Inside, I immediately noticed the large windows and all the light. The windows are still one of the first things to catch visitors attention when they come in. They’re Konsta’s favorite feature, too. We also loved that there were three original fireplaces. We both wanted an old, two-story house as a nostalgic reminder of our childhood homes.

The dark entryway walls create an intimate atmosphere. The dark mood turns bright in the living room, thanks to its big corner windows.

The coat rack was made from a broom handle. The electrical panel is hidden behind a cabinet door. The lovely 1950s stool suits the house’s spirit.

The larger upstairs end room is made prettier by a charming vintage-style built-in cupboard in between two fitted cupboards. The current office and guest room will someday become Aava’s own room.

The bedroom wallpaper is Herbarium by Boråstapeter.

An Aalto stool from Minna’s childhood home stands here. The upstairs floors have been repainted.

What condition was the house in when you bought it?

The house was almost in its original condition. It was last lived in full time in the 1990s by the wife of the couple who built it. Only the kitchen had running water. I was five months pregnant when we bought it, so we hurried to install fully functioning bathroom facilities before the baby arrived. The yard sauna is lovely, but it’s not practical with a small baby. If it had just been the two of us, we’d likely have lived here a while before renovating.

The utility room cabinets are from Ideal-keittiöt kitchen retailer. The softly pink walls carry over the bathroom’s color scheme. The sink is by Blanco and the faucet by Tapwell. A practical rod provides convenient drying space.

The bathroom now occupies the old kitchen space. Minna immediately fell for the pale pink LPC Oceano Line finger tiles Inge suggested. The Pukkila Natura floor tiles have a lovely bright look. The vanity and sink are from Ideal-keittiöt, and the shower faucet is by Gustavsberg.

How has the house changed during the renovation?

Originally, the downstairs was laid out so you could walk around it in a circle. We considered keeping it that way, but in the end it wasn’t possible. The kitchen moved to what used to be a bedroom, and the bathroom went into the old kitchen space. We’re still finishing the staircase, and Konsta is restoring the original windows. We don’t want to replace them, because that would take away part of the house’s character.