“A chef and a hairdresser could never buy a home this large in such a prestigious location”—How this couple snatched up a coveted jugend gem

In the housing company meetings for the over 110-year-old jugend building in Tampere, Finland, every shareholder is listed in the minutes nearly without exception. The meetings, held twice a year, take place in the French restaurant on the building’s ground floor. When Ronja Löytty attended her first meeting, she was poured a glass of wine and handed a plate filled with French delicacies.

“There’s always unlimited wine at these meetings. I expressed my surprise to the building’s older residents, and they explained that this is how they encourage everyone to attend. It also fosters a sense of community, and people have more fun when they’re a bit tipsy,” Ronja says with a smile.

Ronja had always dreamed of living in an old stone building. About four years ago, when she and Anssi Lahdensivu were looking for their first home together, their plan was to find a place in need of renovation, fix it up, and sell it at a good profit.

One day, though, an apartment in a sought-after housing company in Tampere popped up online. Ronja went to see it with a friend on a winter afternoon. Although the apartment was dark, Ronja felt sure this had to be their home.

“The impressive high ceilings really struck me. I remember following the realtor without hearing anything they were saying. Everyone thought it was impossible—a chef and a hairdresser could never buy such a large apartment in a prestigious location. The homes in this building typically stay in the family, and no apartment had been sold to outsiders for 15 years.”

Anssi thought the idea was crazy too. His brother works in construction, and his father is a construction foreman. When they came to view the apartment and called it a good investment, Anssi started to become convinced of its potential.

The apartment was sold through a bidding process, with multiple agents and dozens of interested buyers. In the final moments, someone raised their offer by 5,000 euros, which exceeded Ronja and Anssi’s budget. They had to step aside.

“The home is on the top floor, and there’s no elevator in the building. The bidder who made the final offer planned to buy it for his mother, but she didn’t want to deal with the stairs, so the offer fell through. It was a miracle, and we sort of accidentally ended up with the home of our dreams,” Ronja says.

The apartment was in poor condition, dirty, and musty. The finger parquet had turned yellow, and there were dozens of layers of wallpaper on the walls with quick coats of paint on top. The bathroom was so small that Anssi’s legs stuck out the door.

Its previous renovation dated back to the 1970s. Since all their money went toward buying the apartment, they tackled the renovation gradually with limited funds. They saved as many original elements as they could, doing all the work themselves except for the bathroom renovation.

“We were done a few years after we moved in, and I’m really in love with the outcome. When the renovation started, I followed social media too closely, but for the bathroom, I focused on what I actually wanted and what suited this building. I learned not to chase trends but to trust my own taste and ideas,” Ronja reflects.

The home’s interior is made of design classics and vintage furniture. Most items were purchased secondhand; Ronja makes weekly rounds to flea markets and secondhand stores. She travels abroad often and finds inspiration especially in restaurants and cafés, which often have more unique decor than those in Finland.

Ronja loves beautiful objects, furniture, and planning cohesive ensembles. One of her favorite memories is when a realtor friend called her after hearing they’d secured the apartment. They were pleased that it went to ordinary, middle-income folks.

Ronja says her childhood home was fun and full of character, and she only later realized how much it influenced her own style.

“I admire both of my parents’ sense of style as well as my uncle’s and my creative friends’. My grandma and grandpa lived in Africa with my dad and his brothers because of missionary work, and their homes have always been wonderfully different, with an African vibe.”

Anssi and Ronja’s dining table is quite large for two people, but they didn’t buy it just for themselves. Friends often gather around it for cozy evenings.

Their most memorable party was after the pandemic, when everyone got tickets to Tammerfest, a music festival in Tampere. The festival was just a stone’s throw away from their home, so their apartment became a gathering spot for all their friends.

“It’s amazing nothing broke. I almost wish a glass ring would appear on the marble table, just to spark memories and make the apartment feel lived-in, rather than too clinical and new. Items are meant to be used—I’m not so particular about them.”