From crisis zones to a bohemian attic home: “When I get home, I always spend the first few days alone”
Anna Palmén, who works in Iraq, discovered the home of her dreams overlooking Turku’s rooftops. When she comes back from an assignment, she longs for time alone to rest in her beloved linen sheets. Her decor blends oriental rugs, bold colors, and heirloom furniture.
Having worked her entire adult life in crisis zones around the globe, Anna Palmén’s home is filled with mementos from every country she has lived in. Many items fit into her suitcase, but bigger pieces needed help from Finnish soldiers to get home.
One such piece is a tea table handcrafted by an Afghan carpenter, which she acquired in Kabul. The austere shipping container she stayed in became more welcoming with this custom-made table, and it mattered so much to Anna that she wanted to bring it back to Finland.
“Finnish soldiers travel on Defense Forces aircraft, and I knew they didn’t have strict limits on luggage weight. A soldier friend promised to take my table on his next leave flight. He hauled my eight-kilogram (18 lb) solid wood tea table in taxis, on planes, and on trains.”
“I gave him a restaurant gift card in appreciation,” says Anna, who works as a communications manager.
After finishing her studies, Anna lived in Palestine, Chad, and Afghanistan. From time to time, she returned to Finland, only to realize she was soon itching to go abroad again. At the beginning of 2019, she started work in Iraq.
Despite her global outlook, Anna’s home in Finland has always been her heart’s anchorage: a place to spend her vacations and reconnect with friends and family.
“During my years in Chad, I realized I no longer wanted to be a woman drifting from couch to couch, picking up possessions from storage units across Finland. I wanted to come back from faraway lands to a home where everything was under one roof.”
At home, I enjoy slowing down, regaining my calm, and sleeping in my own bed.
Initially, Anna had a small apartment in Helsinki’s Lauttasaari. She spent a long time searching for a more spacious home. She finally found it in Turku near the end of 2018. A friend who was renovating the place to sell persuaded her to come take a look. Though it was still a complete mess, Anna saw amazing possibilities amid the torn-up floors. Buying it felt risky since she already owned two investment properties and had yet to sell her Lauttasaari apartment. For a time, she was stuck with four apartments.
“I studied in Turku back in the day, and the city has always been important to me. Many of my friends are here, and it felt wonderful to return. Coming back also made my dream home possible at last.
Anna was instantly charmed by this attic apartment near Mikaelinkirkko, perched above central Turku. It’s flooded with natural light from its large windows and numerous skylights. From here, it’s only a short bike ride to the banks of the Aurajoki River, the Market Hall, the Market Square, and the city’s top restaurants.
“What I value most in Finland is freedom. I can walk out my door alone without bodyguards or bulletproof vests. It’s clean and safe here. After being away, I’m so grateful to carry a Finnish passport.”
In decorating, Anna blends modern design with vintage and repurposed items. She adores textiles and color—especially rugs, which she also brings back from her travels as gifts for friends and family.
She’s drawn to oriental rugs for their vibrant patterns and local artistry. While based in Afghanistan, she regularly visited the rug vendors on various military bases, where they offered tea and shared intriguing stories behind their rugs. Sometimes Anna persuaded her security detail to drive her to rug shops—even when it wasn’t strictly permissible for safety reasons.
“I’ve found my finest rugs in Afghanistan, where rug-making has centuries of tradition. I’ve also discovered gorgeous and affordable ones in Istanbul. My favorite scarves and ceramic items come from my friend Asem’s shop in Bethlehem’s Old City, where I can spend hours chatting about politics and life.
Her belongings and furniture have moved with her from home to home, carrying her memories of life in crisis zones. The only snag is accumulating so much that it’s hard for the space to breathe.
“When I get home, I always spend the first few days alone. In Baghdad, I’m with my coworkers around the clock, working nearly non-stop. At home, I enjoy slowing down, regaining my calm, and sleeping in my own bed.”
Posters make wonderful keepsakes from my travels. I have one from every country where I’ve worked.
In the Middle East, celebrations and get-togethers abound, welcoming everyone from close friends to near-strangers. Anna’s most memorable was Christmas 2010, when she invited her Scandinavian friends in the area to her home in Bethlehem for Christmas Eve dinner. A surprise guest arrived—a woman from Turku named Linda—who quickly became a close friend. Palestinian weddings are also unforgettable.
Anna loves hosting in Finland, too. Her attic dining table often gathers both friends and family, many of whom stay the night. Her vacations are usually a few weeks long, and by the end, she’s already itching to head back out.
“I start feeling restless if I’m at home for too long. I can turn any space—a cramped shipping container or a five-star hotel suite—into my home. Granted, it’s not always idyllic, and limited square meters remain a challenge. But I have a restless spirit, and ultimately, the whole world is my home.”
