Anna’s sunny home brims with Finnish design: “Yellow always catches my eye at flea markets”
In 40-year-old Anna Kokkonen’s home, you’ll find secondhand treasures ranging from a stove to Artek chairs and Pehtoori coffee pots. You can admire them on her Instagram account @annako0.
I look for... Finnish design, tableware, furniture, and anything colorful I never knew I needed. Yellow in particular always catches my eye at flea markets.
Occasionally, I also pick up... clothes. But I usually get bored rummaging through them, so I prefer to browse household items, checking the shelves behind the clothing racks.
I never buy... cosmetics, obvious junk, or broken items to fix later, because I know I'll never get around to repairing them.
I’ll never forget... the time I was at a small local flea market and discovered two old Artek mirrors with wooden frames for just ten euros. That price was definitely missing at least one zero! I’ve had similar luck with Artek chairs, too.
“I manage to make good finds because I also make plenty of wasted trips.”
My secret weapon at flea markets... is that I often manage to find the items my friends are searching for. One of them says whenever I'm along, everyone else makes amazing finds, too.
I still regret... not buying a pair of armchairs I saw early on one of my flea-market rounds. I planned to grab them as I was leaving, but of course someone else had fallen for them first.
Last time, I found... an adorable pastel vase and a candlestick.
My most expensive purchase... is the heart of our kitchen, a wood-burning stove. I'd been searching for one throughout our renovation, and we couldn't finish the kitchen until we found it. The kitchen of an old wooden house really needs one!
I manage to make great finds... because I also make plenty of wasted trips.
