Jussi bought his beloved grandmother’s house—furniture and all: “History makes the house meaningful”

A newer residential area hides a well-kept garden and a roomy 1940s wooden house from passersby. It previously belonged to the visual artist Jussi’s grandparents, who designed and built it themselves. After his grandmother passed away and the house stood empty, Jussi decided to purchase it.

A 1960s addition was originally used as a TV room. For Jussi and his partner Aura, they first used it as a guest room, and now it serves as their shared workspace.

Art has always been at the heart of this unique house. Jussi’s grandfather was an avid art enthusiast who collected contemporary works from Finland and abroad. Although Jussi and Aura renovated the house to suit their own style, art is still front and center.

About a decade ago, the original kitchen was updated, but its old-time charm was carefully preserved. The backsplash tiles were crafted by Jussi’s mother, a ceramic artist.

They found the kitchen cabinets in Isku’s collection at the time. The mugs are also Jussi’s mother’s creations.

The serving cart once belonged to Jussi’s grandfather. A small Limppu etching by Pentti Kaskipuro and a piece by Heli Kurunsaari hang on the wall.

Modern pieces like the Hay dining table coexist seamlessly with chairs inherited from Aura’s father.

What does this house’s history mean to you?

Jussi: The house belonged to my grandmother, and I spent a lot of time here as a child, so it’s always been special to me. The entire big property and the distinctive, spacious house felt mysterious when I was young. I dreamed of living the way my grandparents did when I grew up—and that’s exactly what happened.

Was it difficult to begin making the house your own?

Jussi: At first, it was tough to move on from my grandparents’ choices, but that feeling eased year by year. The property needed extensive repairs because most of the house’s systems were at the end of their lifespan. We had to dive in. We replaced the oil heating with geothermal, renewed the sewer, water pipes, the roof, and the drainage. We also redid the exterior siding and restored some windows. We replaced the original kitchen, and I added another WC on the main floor. Obviously, we didn’t do all this at once—it happened gradually over the years. I don’t question whether I can make changes anymore. You never run out of things to fix in a wooden house. The sauna still needs a renovation.

You can get to both the kitchen and the entryway from the spacious living room. The only piece of new furniture here is the turquoise sofa from Bo Concept. The large painting is by Antti Arkoma, and the watercolor by the door is by Hanna Saarikoski. The smaller artworks and sculptures are by artist friends or inherited.

A pendant lamp by Paavo Tynell beautifully ties the decor together.

The original stairs still feature the intriguing stone-like finish from Jussi’s grandparents, while the walls display graphic art by Pentti Kaskipuro and Reino Harsti.

The guest room’s bright turquoise floor is original. Its light fixture, shelves, sofa, and large classical painting also date back to Jussi’s grandmother’s era.

The landing area is filled with shades of blue and green. A green wall-to-wall carpet and a dark blue jute wallpaper—found in the house’s storage—were installed during a renovation. The inherited sofa is an Olof Ottelin Duetto, the lamp is a Louis Poulsen AJ, and Jussi’s grandfather’s old chess table sits by the window.

How did the interior design come together?

Jussi: I took over the house fully furnished. At first, I knew exactly where everything had been when my grandmother lived here, but over time, as we rearranged things, I couldn't remember anymore. I felt a lot of nostalgia for everything. Letting go of items that didn’t even work anymore, like the broken radio in the living room corner, was surprisingly tough. Sorting through everything was a huge job, because I didn’t just inherit the cabinets—I got everything in them too.

Aura: When I first moved in, it felt a bit like a museum, as if someone I never knew had designed it. We often debated whether to keep things we didn’t actually use. Now, the place really looks and feels like ours. A lot of the furniture comes from both Jussi’s family and mine. We’ve hardly bought anything new—just the bed, sofa, and dining table—and we’ve had some pieces reupholstered.

What kind of decorators are you? Do you have similar tastes?

Aura: We’re quite relaxed. We rarely stress over where to put things, and usually they just end up where they feel right. We mostly discuss where to hang the art.

Jussi: Aura is more open-minded than I am. She comes up with ideas like ornate patterned curtains or a plastic lamp that looks like a fried egg. She’s great at nudging me out of my nostalgia and suggesting perspectives that create an exciting blend of styles.

You have a lot of art. What does it mean to you?

Aura: We own a lot of pieces by artist friends. It’s wonderful to see them on our walls. Maybe the art says more about our life and the people in it than anything else.

Jussi: The layers in this house carry over into the artwork. Our friends’ pieces mix with what Aura’s father collected and what my grandparents once bought. Art is such a big part of our life that it would feel strange not to have it on our walls. Personally, I find homes without art quite bewildering. You can never have too much art.

On the living room sideboard, there’s an ink painting by Timo Partanen and a ceramic sculpture by Emma Helle. From left to right, the smaller sculptures are by Arni Aromaa, Laura Pehkonen, and Emma Helle.

Pete in the upstairs workspace. On top of the chest of drawers, inherited from Aura’s father, are paintings by Mari Sunna, Marja Eerola, and Sampo Apajalahti, among others. Behind the stool is a graphic print by Vappu Rossi.

The home includes a lovely collection of glass vases from both families.

Is it easy to decide where your art goes?

Jussi: We consider it carefully, given our professions. We think about how to display each piece and how it fits the space. Nothing is set in stone, and a piece’s character can change depending on what it’s paired with. Sometimes we’ll even use a piece to cover an old screw hole.

Aura: We rotate our artwork quite often. Sometimes we bring a piece out of storage and rediscover our love for it.

The bedroom’s color palette has dark but fresh hues. The original jute wallpaper was painted blue. Other than the bed, all the furnishings date back to Jussi’s grandparents. The ceramic wall vase was made by Seenatti, which operated from 1976 to 2015.

A painting by Mari Sunna also hangs on the bedroom wall.

Your home is full of color. How do you feel about color?

Jussi: Color, like art, is woven into our everyday life and work, and we enjoy experimenting with it.

Aura: We’re not too serious about color. I often think, ‘What a gorgeous shade—let’s see if we can use it somewhere.’ I also like lighter interiors, but if I’m going to paint, I might as well go vivid. Since this is an old house and we want to care for it responsibly, we look for paints that meet our ecological standards. And we only renovate when it’s really needed.

What do you love most about this house?

Aura: I love how many distinct rooms it has, and the unique features—like the staircase leading upstairs and the spacious landing.

Jussi: Its history makes it meaningful. It’s amazing how many people over the years have left their mark on how it looks now.