Nine children and a 1970s house intended as temporary housing: how a family forgot all about their dream lakeside home

The garden is surrounded by a brick wall. Designed for easy maintenance and accessibility, the gem of the garden is the ‘Kevätsuudelma’ ornamental cherry tree (Prunus ‘Accolade’) with its pale pink blossoms. The garden won the ‘Finland’s Most Beautiful Garden’ competition in 1992.

Some of the Tyyskä family gathered for a juice break. The Amigo table set by Asko withstands both rain and shine.

Maiju, how did you end up in this home?

We were starting our the construction project of our dreams on our recently acquired lakeside plot and needed temporary accommodation for our family during the construction period. A cousin’s ad for a large detached house caught our interest, especially since I was already familiar with the house.

What made you fall in love with the house?

The 1970s architecture of the house appealed to us. The low ceilings create coziness, and the space is sensibly allocated. For a large family, the L-shape of the house is very practical and provides the necessary spaciousness. The kids’ own wing, complete with its own entrance, works well for us. They can make noise even when the rest of us want to relax. Their friends often come over for sleepovers. The most significant change we made was converting the large living room into three bedrooms to ensure enough rooms for the children.

For now, only candles are used to create ambiance at the open fireplace. The coffee table was found at a flea market in Jyväskylä. The Mademoiselle rocking chair is one of the few pieces of furniture in the home that were bought new. The leather armchair was rescued from a rental cottage.

Michel Cadestin’s Karate armchair was found for free secondhand and reupholstered. The color on the end wall of the living room is Tikkurila’s N494 Nefriitti. The flea market cabinet was refurbished in black.

Why do you call the house Mendelin?

When we were moving, we always talked about going to Mendelininkatu (Finnish for “Mendelin street”). Over time, the phrase ‘let’s go to Mendelin’ stuck. Nowadays, I also have an Instagram account with the same name.

What’s your interior design style, Maiju?

I’m attracted to old, well-loved furniture. It’s been fun to play boldly with colors here. We’ve used whatever colors first came to mind on our walls.

The sturdy table found on online secondhand store Tori got a new life after Maiju sanded off the ugly paint. The bentwood chairs have been collected over time; some have been painted black. The clock is from Kodin1, and the lamp and jute rug are from IKEA. Flowers are from Vehkanna.

Under the kitchen’s worn parquet, a wooden floor was discovered and painted white. A little refresh made the old kitchen cabinets look so nice that they weren’t replaced. Maiju rescued her father’s old welding stool from a pile of scrap metal and refurbished it with the help of her father’s brother. The youngest girls like to watch mom’s activities while sitting on the stool.

The ‘Pohjan Poika’ ryijy (a traditional Finnish rug) designed by Ritva Puotila was made by Maiju’s mother in 1964. It took 270 hours to make. Maiju loves baking cakes and organizing parties. Her favorite flower shop is Kukkapalvelu Vehkanna, where master florist Hanna Vehkalampi creates stunning bouquets. The lamp is from MiniMani.

Which items are dearest to you?

At the top is the glass cabinet in the coffee room, which has a permanent display of children’s handmade bears, cars, pillows, and other treasures. The handicrafts made by my mother are also dear to me. Nearly all our rag rugs were woven by her. On our bed, we have a shawl woven from the wool of her own sheep. This lovingly made craft reminds me of the Savonian shawl that my mother’s grandmother wove during the famine in the 1800s from spun wool of her own sheep.

Under the skylight in the small hallway is a favorite hangout and pool-playing spot for the family’s youngsters. The wall surface is cork.

Evia and Tea’s room features powdery old rose. The wall paint was found at Rusta. The bed is a refurbished flea market find. The table is a 1970s treasure in children’s size. That and the pram were found on Tori. The chairs are from Jotex.

The gold frames of the family photo were found on top of the safe in the house. Numerous artworks were once stolen from the house, leaving only the frames. The shawl was woven by Maiju’s mother and is special to Maiju.

Are you still dreaming of the lakeside house?

For now, the plan is to first build a lakeside sauna on the plot, and the time for the detached house will come later. With our large family, we’re comfortable living in this home, and we’ve grown very fond of the area. Daily life works well, as we’re close to services and the children’s schools. We’ll let time pass and enjoy the moment! Life is here and now, and the children bring energy and joy to every day.

As a fun detail in the bathroom, there are light brown grout lines on the tiled wall. The jute rug and the rattan basket for toilet papers, which was found at a flea market, match the color well. The mirror and porcelain-based sink are original to the house.

The children’s long-held dream was their own playhouse. Jyväskylä’s Hankkija had one that matched the garden in size and style. All they had to do was assemble the ready-made parts, so the pink cottage was quickly put up.