
This home is in an old fire station—and filled with unique DIY projects
Inka and Tuomas’s pastel-toned home is a delightful surprise. It’s located inside an old factory building that once served as both a factory and a fire station. High ceilings and a loft layout immediately won the couple over.
A pale-yellow brick building features a tower revealing its past as a fire station. The structure was turned into housing a few years ago, and a compact 50-square-meter loft apartment became home to Inka Tikkinen and Tuomas Merikanto and their dog, Urho. They created a cotton-candy-soft nest in the brick building.


The young couple has been together their entire adulthood. They were captivated by the building’s history, once a shirt-and-apron factory and later a fire station. The tall ceilings, classic windows, and loft astounded them. Standard solutions didn’t suit the place, so they learned to make furniture themselves. They wanted pieces that were both practical and matched their personal style.
Inka and Tuomas wanted to preserve the apartment’s character. Still, they made it their own—a pastel-hued space that’s stylish, relaxed, and playful all at once.

Plenty of DIY projects
They didn’t want the TV to look like a black box, and there was no reason to replace a functioning TV with a Frame-style model. Inka decided to craft her own frame. The outer part is made from thin wooden strips. The white inner frame is DC Fix adhesive film. You can switch between different “art screen savers” found on YouTube.


A tiled table made by hand

- The coffee table was made from 12 mm glued wood boards and wooden strips. First, the legs and their supports were attached to the tabletop, then the table was tiled.
- Mosaic tiles were attached to a mesh backing, making installation easy. They were glued to the wood surface with wood glue, so no mortar was needed since they wouldn’t get much wear.
- The tiles were grouted with black grout. A small batch was easy to mix by hand, so there was no need for a drill mixer.
- Once the grout was finished, thin wooden strips were attached to the table’s edges. Finally, the wooden parts were painted.
Inka praises the landlord’s choice of kitchen—she would have gone with the same herself. This white kitchen is modern and works as a blank canvas for the rest of the decor.
There’s no dining table in this home at all. The pair eats at the island, on the sofa, or on the floor.
“I wanted more cabinet space than a table, so we made the island. We did plan on adding a wider countertop, but it never got finished,” Tuomas says.

The island was built from a ready-made IKEA Malm dresser, finished on the back with fluted paneling. Neither of them had any carpentry experience, but they decided to give it a try. Once their first project turned out well, they felt encouraged to keep going.
They didn’t buy a large set of tools right away. They started with a drill and saw Inka got from her mother, refining each detail as they collected more tools over time.
“Apparently, woodworking runs in the family. I’ve always been creative—drawing, painting, and making clothes,” Inka says.

Off-the-shelf furniture wouldn’t have worked in the low-clearance loft with its beams and enclosures. The headboard was built around one of these enclosures, creating a fairly deep design that also serves as a wide bedside surface. The top was covered in paint stir sticks.


The workspace is usually brimming with Inka’s projects, clothes, and jewelry.
Tuomas calls it an “explosion of creativity”.
Inka studied fashion and clothing design. Today, she teaches zero-waste pattern making, aiming to leave no scrap fabric behind. Alongside teaching, she works at a clothing store and designs her own clothes and jewelry.


Items and colors in the home recall the late ’80s and early ’90s. The couple loves the vibe, even though they weren’t born yet at the time.
“We’re both old souls,” Tuomas explains.
They find the style of those times experimental, clever, and fearless.



Inka’s tips for DIY beginners
- You don’t have to know everything immediately. After my experience with woodworking in elementary school, I hadn’t handled a saw or drill, so I truly started from scratch. You learn by doing. Don’t be afraid of mistakes.
- You can always paint over it. This is something a friend once said, and I’ve followed it ever since.
- Don’t settle for something off the shelf. It’s better to spend time and effort building furniture that really fits than constantly buying new pieces.
- Start small. Develop your skills little by little. If picking up a drill feels daunting, ease in with simpler projects.
- Ask for help. If there’s no expert around you, the internet is packed with how-to videos, Facebook groups, and Instagram accounts offering advice.