From big yard to city heart: Nana and Henri find an old-soul home—and more hours in the day
“These days we spend more time at home, because we don’t have to be constantly taking the kids somewhere.” The coffered ceiling and teak cabinets breathe the atmosphere of a bygone era in Nana and Henri’s 1930s apartment.
Moving to downtown Turku changed family life for Nana and Henri in many ways. They traded their detached house and big yard for urban apartment living. A very different floor plan and finishes opened up possibilities for a new kind of home life.
“The size of the fridge-freezer is really the only challenge in the new home. These days we have to go to the grocery store several times a week and think carefully about how we use the fridge space. At least our ice cream consumption has dropped dramatically,” Henri smiles.
residents Nana, 43, who works in communications; Henri, 38, a pilot; and their two elementary school–aged children. Instagram: @casagrahn.
home An apartment in a building from 1938 in downtown Turku. 170 square meters (1,830 square feet).
The family’s previous self-designed, lovingly built home was in the nearby town of Kaarina. The children’s schools and hobbies, however, were in downtown Turku, and the constant hours in the car shuttling between home and the center started to wear on Nana and Henri. When the family bought a summer cottage in Nauvo, they eventually wanted to swap modern detached-house life for something entirely different.
“Nowadays we spend more time at home, because we don’t have to be constantly taking the kids somewhere. They can get around the center independently. I can walk or bike to work, and the downtown parks and Ruissalo nature island tempt us outside more than before. I love taking evening walks in Mannerheim Park and stopping to admire the window of the lovely vintage shop nearby,” Nana says.
When the couple stepped into the apartment in the heart of Turku on a dark day in October 2024, they walked straight to the large living-room windows. The apartment’s dimness at the time didn’t showcase all its best features, but the windows offered gorgeous views of the Mikaelinkirkko church and of Mannerheim Park and Puolala Park.
Nana knew immediately she was home, but the rest of the family needed time to let it sink in. Henri had his thoughts on another apartment that needed renovating, but gradually he warmed to this one too.
“We wanted a three-bedroom apartment in an old building that felt soulful in a special way. A utility room was a non-negotiable—or at least it had to be possible to add one. We also dreamed of a balcony,” Henri recalls.
There was no balcony, but because the apartment was in good condition and all the finishes suited the couple’s taste, the decision to buy came quickly. They moved in January 2025.
The best thing about this home in Nana and Henri’s view is its old soul. The home has an old-world feel, visible in the wooden coffered ceiling and the vintage teak wardrobes in the parents’ bedroom.
The apartment once belonged to the owners of the Ruola furniture factory, and the ceiling and cabinetry were made at Ruola’s plant in nearby Raisio specifically for this home. Later, in the 1970s–80s, the apartment served as a bank’s reception space and the bank manager’s residence.
The building has a huge, lush inner courtyard with old, towering trees. In the mornings Nana is always the first to wake up and go to her favorite room, the kitchen, open the windows to the courtyard, and listen to the birdsong.
“We love having breakfast together in the kitchen, even though there’s much more space in the dining room. On weekends when we’re at home, Henri fries us banana pancakes, and we often pick up fresh rolls from the nearby Koski bakery to go with them. A heavenly €9 sweet bun cake often ends up tucked under an arm too,” Nana laughs.
“Nana finds objects that look wild on their own but work in context.”
When it comes to decorating, Nana and Henri are effortlessly on the same page. Their previous home was a harmonious composition of black, white, and gray, but the color palette in their current home is far richer. The dominant wood elements in the ceiling and on a few large walls give them ample freedom to use color.
The furnishings are a mix of high-quality, timeless design and affordable vintage and thrift finds. Nana thinks it would be a pity if a home consisted only of furniture and objects from a single style and era. She likes to break up clarity and calm with surprising pieces, and in her view, good taste doesn’t come from money.
“Between the two of us, Nana is the one who can think outside the box. She finds singular objects that look wild on their own but work beautifully in context,” Henri says.
The whole family’s favorite moments at home are when they gather together on the living room sofa for movie night. Out come veggie sticks, dips, and popcorn popped in coconut oil.
The apartment is unbelievably quiet, even though one of Turku’s busiest streets runs right next to it. At night, only the sounds of emergency vehicles make their way inside.
“I don’t want to plan life five years ahead. This home is perfect for us right now, and we’re exactly where we need to be. With this choice, we wanted to make everyday life easier—and that’s exactly what it did. We’ve managed just fine, even without the big yard we used to have and that hoped-for balcony,” Nana says.
