Clever renovating

Challenging space transformed into stunning home library—here’s how they did it

The tall space, sloping ceiling, and tricky angles posed many challenges, but Kaisu and Juha’s meticulous planning and creative problem-solving made their renovation a success.

Author Elsa Savaloja

Images Antti Vettenranta

January 15, 2025Lue suomeksi

Discovering an unneeded space in your new home calls for some good advice. Kaisu Sandberg and Juha Kivivuori spent a long time thinking about what to do with their empty upstairs landing.

“At first, we considered expanding the bedroom into the landing, but as we brainstormed ideas, we settled on building a library. We have a lot of books and enjoy playing games, so having a space dedicated to them was appealing,” Kaisu says.

The high ceiling and sloped roof presented their own design constraints.

“We thought that by doing this ourselves, we could make better use of the challenging space and not be constrained by the dimensions of ready-made furniture.”

Kaisu has long dark hair and is wearing a dark-patterned dress. She is holding Helvi, a black and white cat, in her lap. — Kaisu and Helvi the cat enjoy spending time in the library.

This is what the landing looked like before the renovation:

The space has white walls and a reddish-brown floor. There are a few pieces of furniture scattered here and there.

An open door from the landing leads to the bedroom. There is an A-frame ladder in the window corner.

At the lower edge of the sloped ceiling, there are two identical skylights side by side.

Kaisu sought inspiration for shelving solutions on Pinterest and Instagram. After exploring various ideas and sketches, the couple decided on a corner solution that could be naturally extended if needed. Juha created a 3D model based on Kaisu’s sketches, which helped visualize the furniture’s details and the room’s tricky angles.

To make the landing thoroughly cozy, Kaisu and Juha also updated the surfaces. They stripped the old wallpaper off the walls and smoothed and painted them. They added classic decorative paneling using moldings, which matched the style of the house and the upcoming shelving solution. They replaced the floor with Pergo vinyl planks.

For the shelving material, the couple chose laminated wood panels because they are durable, easy to work with, and paintable. The most challenging aspects of building the shelf were the sloped ceiling and the ventilation window.

“We figured out the window issue when we got to it. We narrowed the shelves near the ventilation window just enough to allow it to open.”

The green shelves are at the end of the room. On the left wall is an old dresser, and in the foreground there’s an armchair. — The shelving unit in the library looks as if it has always been there. The couple is still considering completing the ensemble with library ladders that match the style.

On the left, in the slanted ceiling, are two large, identical skylights side by side. — The plentiful natural light enhances the sense of spaciousness. Kaisu loves finding interior design treasures at flea markets and other surprising places. The armchair is from grandpa’s attic.

The narrow part of the shelf holds books and decorative items. — Kaisu sketched a sleek narrowing into the bookcase that doesn’t make the storage space too narrow for books and provides just enough room to open the ventilation window.

Above and next to the window in the corner of the room, there are open shelves. — The height of the ceiling, its slanted shape, and the angles added extra challenges to the design and construction work. The couple used 3D modeling during the planning phase, which helped with measurements and visualizing the structure.

There is a full-height bookcase next to the bedroom door. On the adjacent sloped wall, shelves surround the window. — The bench under the window adds storage space to the room and turns the piece of furniture into more than just a bookcase. The bench is still missing a fabric-covered cushion.

To find the right shade, Kaisu painted some test samples. They ultimately chose the color ‘Tunturipaju’ by Tikkurila.

The couple completed the renovation and built the shelving unit themselves after their workdays. The renovation took about a month, and building the shelving unit took a couple of weeks.

“I often work remotely from here. Completing the renovation ourselves and succeeding in it add extra joy to the end result,” Kaisu says.

How much did the renovation cost?

Floor: €1,110
Lumber: €835.25
Moldings: €423
Other renovation materials: €270
Paints: €315.75
Furniture and lighting: €854.80
Total: €3,808.35

The cost of labor is not included, as the landing was renovated by the couple themselves.

Build & Renovate Renovation Before and After

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Challenging space transformed into stunning home library—here’s how they did it

This is what the landing looked like before the renovation:

How much did the renovation cost?

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