Inside Iina and Iiro’s colorful retro home full of charming thrift finds—“I want home to be a place that brings joy”
In Iina and Iiro’s home in Nurmijärvi, Finland, every corner brims with surprises: two cats and two dogs, a giant porcelain tiger and other animal figurines, stacks of colorful quilts, and eight different wallpapers.
The dream of moving to the countryside stayed strong for Iina Taari and her spouse, Iiro, until a nearly 100-year-old house on the edge of a field in the village of Lepsämä won their hearts. The couple have decorated their red wooden home in their favorite colors, and the walls are dressed in no fewer than eight different wallpapers.
Home: A house built in 1928 in Nurmijärvi, Finland; 4 rooms + kitchen + toilet + bathroom + yard sauna; 110 m² (1,184 square feet).
Who lives here: Iina Taari, spouse Iiro, dogs Ilja and Iivo, and cats Hemuli and Hosuli.
Follow on social: @kotihiiriina
Iina, how did you approach planning the decor?
We moved here from a three-room apartment built in the 1980s. In a log house that’s approaching a hundred years old, it felt natural to choose furnishings with a history. What I love about secondhand decorating is the element of serendipity. I rarely have a fixed image of what I want. As I browse flea markets and spot something fun, the idea takes shape piece by piece. Not every thrift find is a perfect hit, but it’s easy to pass things along.
Iina and Iiro fell for the house’s location on the edge of a field, in the quiet of the countryside. The neighbors’ chickens sometimes wander into the field, and there’s a horse stable next door. The facade painting was still in progress at the time of the shoot.
A striking tiger greets you in the entryway. When Iina found the tiger on the Tori online marketplace, she didn’t realize it would be this big. Iina won the floor lamp at auction for €15. The old wardrobe was an €80 Tori find. The floral wallpaper is Tunturikukka by Pihlgren & Ritola.
The bench in the entryway is one of Iina’s favorite pieces. It’s Polish artisan work and came from the Tavara rahaksi recycling shop. The cat picture was found at the Suomen Kasarmin Aarteet store in Hämeenlinna for €15. The family’s cats, Hemuli and Hosuli, refused to be photographed for this story. The dogs, Ilja and Iivo, on the other hand, were happy to pose in several shots.
Your home is very colorful. Tell us about your color choices!
Red is my favorite color; it’s always been present in how I dress and in my homes. Iiro, on the other hand, loves yellow and its many shades. Those made a great starting point for building our palette. When we moved in, the first thing we did was paint the laminate floors yellow. The traditional Finnish masonry heater was already red, and to go with it we found a red coffee table and a sofa bed for the studio. I feel warm colors make our home feel nest-like and safe.
“When we moved in, the first thing we did was paint the laminate floors yellow.”
Iina collects old Finnish quilts. They kept the couple warm especially during the first winters before the house had air-source heat pumps. Iina has also collected the complete series of Arabia’s von Wright bird plates. The Saturnus coffee table, designed by Yrjö Kukkapuro for Haimi in the 1970s, was found for €40 at Elegantik in Klaukkala. The wallpaper is Nocturne by Boråstapeter.
What are your favorite objects?
Objects don’t make me happy, but the stories and memories behind them are valuable to me. Animal figurines are my favorites. I started hunting for a large dog statue and stumbled on Tassu, an Old English Sheepdog, on the Tori marketplace. The owner had received it as a gift in the 1980s in memory of their late dog, also named Tassu. When they moved into a care home, the statue no longer fit and it found a new home in our kitchen, in front of the baking oven. Mika the tiger, meanwhile, was a bargain close to our home. I didn’t tell Iiro; after a badminton session I just said we’d pick up a Tori purchase on the way. Iiro stared as I walked over carrying a huge tiger statue under my arm. I hadn’t realized it was so big. We had to fold down the seats for Mika to fit in the car.
The barrel stove was already red, and it got to stay that way. The handsome monstera is moved out of the way whenever the stove is fired. The blue-and-white wall plates are Arabia’s “Arabia 100 years” anniversary plates illustrated by Raija Uosikkinen; they cost €10 apiece at a vintage shop in Klaukkala. Some of the plants are potted in Finel enamel pots from the 1960s–70s.
One living room wall shows off the beautiful old logs. The Junghans wall clock is inherited from Iina’s grandmother. The exact same clock is also in the home of Iina’s other grandparents. The Fauna wall plates illustrated by Tuula Lappalainen for Arabia are from Tori. The bear buddies are Lomonosov; the pitchers are Finel.
The living room shelving displays, among other things, Arabia pitchers and glass owls by Asmo Uutela. The wall cabinet holds a collection of porcelain felines by Lomonosov.
Tassu the Old English Sheepdog, who popped up on Tori, stands guard in the kitchen. On top of the baking oven sits a generous collection of tin boxes, enamel mugs, and enamel pitchers.
How have your pets influenced your decor?
Our cats and dogs are, in my view, pretty well behaved, but accidents do happen. Vases and plant pots are always at risk, and a cat may cheerfully sink its claws into curtains or a sofa corner. Because of our pets, it wouldn’t make sense to buy anything that has to be treated gingerly. The way we decorate follows the same thinking as investing and gambling: don’t acquire anything whose loss you couldn’t handle.
The kitchen cabinets were in good shape, but their white color didn’t speak to the couple. Iiro was a little nervous when Iina suggested painting the cabinetry orange. He figured that even if the result wasn’t perfect, it would still be better than white—and you can always repaint. In the end, both are very happy with the result. The floors were the very first thing painted, even though the hardware store clerk insisted laminate floors can’t be painted. The paint has held up for almost three years now.
The dining table was a free find on Tori. Some of the chairs are from a yard sale in Klaukkala, others from Joken Osto ja Myynti in Järvenpää. The set came to €80. The pendant light was a €5 auction find. The fish plates are Muurla’s vintage Atlantica series. The crocheted candies and cookies are from Vinted, and the ceramic candleholders are from Rusta.
The striped jars on the small kitchen shelf are from Aarikka’s Riemuraita series. The wallpaper came from Tapettitaivas’s clearance bin at €20 per roll.
“I also wonder why people are told to keep their home white so it’s easier to sell. Why live as if you’re just waiting to move out someday?”
What matters most to you at home?
I want home to be a place that brings joy. It doesn’t have to be so serious—there’s enough of that in the world already. I used to try to be restrained and think about what’s “right.” But I’ve changed my mind and realized there isn’t right and wrong in decorating. A home isn’t meant to be a work of art; the main thing is that you yourself love it. I don’t get why you should decorate by the trends or feel you must have certain items. I also wonder why people are told to keep their home white so it’s easier to sell. Why live as if you’re just waiting to move out someday?
The bedroom’s photo wallpaper is from Photowall. Iina painted the door in Tikkurila’s Harvest shade and added pretty florals using stencils. She made the artwork the same way. The armchair cost €20 in a local Facebook flea-market group.
The peacock mirror is one of Iina’s best auction finds. The auctioneer described the piece as “a shock,” one his wife wouldn’t let him bring back home. Iina was the only bidder and got it for €15. The nightstand and lamp are from Elegantik in Klaukkala.
The sofa set in the study is from an auction. The hat box is from Iina’s grandmother, and Kirsti Ilvessalo’s rya wall hanging Metsässä palaa is from her great-grandmother. The educational chart of horse breeds, illustrated by Ebba Masalin, was a flea-market find. The rug came from Iiro’s parents.
The upstairs study is called the bunny room because of its adorable wallpaper. The wallpaper is Långelid/von Brömssen’s Hares in Hiding.
The fun 1960s Minnie Mouse lamp cost €30 on Tori. The lamp was made by Arisuo, a lighting factory that operated in Finland from 1947 to 1981.
In the guest-and-study room, nicknamed the flower room, sits one of Iina’s best secondhand finds: a bright red sofa bed from Helander’s auction. No one else was interested, so Iina got it with the lowest bid—€50. The sofa is in mint condition and of Danish origin. The floral wallpaper is Anita by Boråstapeter.
The ceiling light and the yellow wall sconce are from Iina’s mother; they were found in an old house she bought.
Bird-themed artworks line the staircase walls. The mirror was a €20 auction find. The wallpaper is My Secret Garden by Boråstapeter.
From the entryway, you step into a corridor where the previous owner had built a laundry area. Iina came up with the idea to paint the white cabinetry and the tile floor green. The wallpaper is My Secret Garden by Boråstapeter. A playful collection of mirrors hangs on the wall.
