Once-abandoned house turned into gorgeous home—“To be honest, I loved this house long before it became ours”

When interior designer Päivikki Laatio first stepped into our house in the late 1990s, the upstairs was filled with snow, there was graffiti on every wall, and the windows were boarded up with plywood. She had spotted the yellow wooden house during her morning walk in Jollas, Helsinki, and saw the potential behind its wretched shape. At that time, the former dormitory for workers of the Vator boat factory had stood empty for 20 years and was in terrible shape.

There was no electricity, no sewer connection, and no running water. During its abandoned years, the house had seen a wide variety of visitors. Apparently, teenagers from the neighboring Laajasalo used to come over to drink beer. So many bottles had been smashed against the rock over the years that the moss is still pushing shards out even now.

Around the turn of the millennium, the house underwent a complete transformation. A small balcony was built at the back of the house, connected to the sauna area.

The house before renovation:

The house remained empty for 20 years before it was narrowly saved from demolition in the late 1990s. Photo: Päivikki Laatio

The history of the house is intertwined with the story of the Vator boat factory. Natives of Porkkala, Frans Hällström and Gustaf Johnsson built it in 1938 in Puuskaniemi, Jollas, at a time when there wasn’t even a proper road leading there. At the same time, they set up a boatyard on the shore. Soon, however, came the war, and their plans were disrupted.

After the wars, the boatyard changed owners and became the Vator boat factory. More houses in the same style were built nearby for the factory workers. When production moved away from Jollas in the 1970s, the factory’s houses were left vacant. The fire department had already burned down the other wooden houses when this one, the first built among them, was spotted by Päivikki Laatio. So it was at the very last minute that she and her then-spouse, architect Juhani Harju, managed to get a permit from the city to salvage the house and turn it into a home for their blended family.

The spacious, large-windowed porch is perfect for overwintering plants. The wooden cabinet was found through the neighborhood’s Facebook flea market.

“It took over two years to have the house removed from the demolition list and protected, and seven months before we could move in. The facade renovation took even longer. We approached it with great care, and no fiberglass insulation was used anywhere in the house,” says Päivikki Laatio.

Originally, the house had two entrances and apartments for four families. During the renovation, they were merged into a single home, and the house gained a spacious glassed-in porch and a couple of round as well as a couple of tall windows, typical of functionalist design. Nothing original could be saved, but for instance, the ceiling panels and moldings, window frames, and interior doors were recreated following the original designs.

Marko restored the Domus chairs he acquired at Auction House Helander. The table is an over-20-year-old IKEA piece. The Mogu Takahashi prints were bought from Fine Little Day, and the Mobil 100 lamp by Pholc from Finnish Design Shop. The wall color Toive, reminiscent of pistachio ice cream, is by Värisilmä.

The original fireplaces have not survived. Anu and Marko had a traditional cylindrical masonry stove built. The birds on the wall are from Trésorie and remind them of the best moment of summer, the return of the swallows. The wall color Toive is by Värisilmä.

After it was saved, the house had one more owner before it was our turn.

To be honest, I loved this house years before it actually became ours. Over 20 years ago, whenever we were in Jollas, we had a habit of slowing our car to a crawl each time we passed by so I could admire it and its round window looking out on the street.

Later, we happened to move close by, and we could see part of its black felt roof from our bedroom window. We had sold our previous home, and our dream house was on the market, but it was too expensive for us. Each night, before falling asleep, I would gaze at the roof and make a quiet wish.

Luckily for us, the house did not sell, and it eventually ended up in our hands after a long waiting game. Right after getting the keys, we dragged our mattresses in from our old home, and spent our first night in the empty house. I didn’t sleep a wink, but instead prowled around listening to its sounds, marveling at how it felt for a dream to come true.

The color Palmu in the living room is by Värisilmä. As evening falls, it deepens to an intense shade. The teak-veneered cabinet and table, as well as the large wooden cupboard were bargains found on Marketplace.

The corduroy chairs were found at a neighborhood Facebook flea market. The cushion is by Klaus Haapaniemi.

The HT Collection sofa was found on secondhand online store Tori. The wool rug is by Finarte, and the Pale lamp by the French brand Georges, was purchased at Smallable.

In the Halla vase by Pentik, there’s a mix of flowers from the garden and the florist.

On top of the teak linen cupboard are candleholders from Mifuko’s Kandili collection, designed by Hanna Anonen and made from soapstone.

We’ve lived here for nine years now. In our first year, we renovated the kitchen, bathroom, and sauna, and painted and wallpapered. We tried to create results that would stand the test of time on a minimal budget, meaning we did almost everything ourselves. Luckily, my spouse Marko is good with his hands.

We got most of our furniture secondhand, and only the beds, rugs, and some of the lights are new. I tend to get attached to things and am terrible at both letting go and buying new. At flea markets, though, I sometimes indulge myself. I love turned wooden pieces and other handcrafted items, which my family are not always so keen on.

The large kitchen has served the family in its current form for nine years, and Anu is already tempted to repaint or change the doors and replace the black countertops. The cabinets are from IKEA, and the handles and light fixtures come from Rakennusapteekki. The black countertop is matte nanolaminate, which has proved a challenge to keep clean. The faucet is by Tapwell. The mirror is a Tori find, and the pharmacy bottles came from a colleague and from Viitasaari pharmacy.

The large island is the focal point of the kitchen-dining area. It’s made from thick birch plywood and a birch countertop. The family are always on the lookout for more splint baskets. The ball lamp is by Dyberg Larsen, and the dishes are from flea markets.

Upstairs houses the children’s rooms, plus the sauna, bathroom, and laundry room. The framed picture is a nautical chart of Lake Ylä-Keitele. The chair was found at an antique market in Loviisa. The paneling on the staircase is painted in Tikkurila’s shade M495 Tunturipaju. Under the stairs is a small WC with a view of the sea.

The design for the handrail was drawn by Päivikki Laatio. The column is from the staircase of an Art Nouveau style building in Kallio, Helsinki. The Pine wallpaper by Sandbergs echoes the pines seen through the window.

The blackbird on the shelf was carved by Jönne Malmström and purchased from Fine Little Day. The metal number sign came from Metsänkylän Navetta, which sells old building materials. The wallpaper is Pine by Sandbergs, and the paneling is painted in Tikkurila M495 Tunturipaju.

I trust that the things we like will naturally go together. The most important thing is a cozy, warm atmosphere where everyone feels at home. The kids have mostly decorated their rooms on their own, and even though I suggested colorful walls, they chose shades of gray, beige, and white.

“I like our kitchen, but we could have more art on the walls,” our youngest, Taimi, says about our decor.

It’s liberating to think that this house was once just an ordinary home for ordinary people. We don’t have to make it grander than it is.

The parents’ bedroom is downstairs. The bed and bedskirt are from Matri, other textiles from Anno and H & M Home, and the wall lamp is by Dyberg Larsen. The wall color is Tikkurila’s gentle Y467 Shaali.

Iris chose beige walls in the shade Linen by Rusta. The bed, rug, and lamp are from IKEA, and the sheets from Anno. The Oiva Toikka poster is by Iittala, and the Viennese chair is from a flea market.

The young adult Otto’s room displays his hobbies and signs of everyday life. The illuminated letter was bought from Armas a long time ago. The map on the wall shows East Helsinki.

On the upstairs hallway wall hangs a collection of the kids’ old artwork and an original illustration by Matti Pikkujämsä. The paneling is painted in Tikkurila 1950.

The educational poster in Taimi’s room was salvaged from a decommissioned school in Viitasaari, and the Finnish wooden cupboard came from Tori. The wall color is Tikkurila X420 Neito.

When the people who saved the house stripped away the wallpaper and layers back in the day, they found a message scrawled in pencil in Swedish on one of the diagonal boards. It feels comforting somehow to know there’s a spot on one of these walls that says: May God protect this house.

It has certainly taken some protecting for the house to still be standing. An old wooden house is a demanding companion that needs constant upkeep and attention. The to-do list never ends. It can also feel like a bottomless money pit.

“Some days, the best part about living here is the road heading back to the city. But even though this house can be a real handful, I feel that everything we do for it is about preserving history for future generations,” Marko says.

When the sun warms the rocky yard so it’s pleasant under bare feet, and the sunset over the sea is at its most glorious, all the challenges fade away. How clever those builders from Porkkala were to choose this spot! I still wouldn’t want to live anywhere else.

From the bathroom, you can step out onto a tiny balcony to cool off, with a view of the sea. Marko built the benches from leftover sauna boards—and the little stool back in elementary school.

Houseplants thrive in the bright bathroom. The small orchid on the round window has been blooming nonstop for nine years, ever since the bathroom was finished. The tiles are Italian. On the right is the sauna.

In the upstairs bathroom, the vanity and lights are from IKEA. The rug is by HK Living.

The old garden swing is the best place to watch the sunset. Marko and Anu have kept much of the rocky garden in its natural state.

The house before the renovation:

Built in 1938, the house originally served as a home for boatyard workers, with two entrances and four apartments. After standing empty for 20 years, it was in a dreadful state. Photo: Päivikki Laatio

The house is now a single dwelling, although there are still two entrances. During its renovation, more windows were added as well as a large porch with paned windows.