“I’ve been spoiled rotten by the flea market prices in a smaller town”—Finnish blogger Katja Rinkinen shares her favorite flea markets

I got really into flea markets after we moved to the old Parola train station in Hattula, Finland. In an old house, brand-new pieces like a sofa feel totally out of place. So I started exploring flea markets. Meanwhile, I became hooked on DIY crafts and makeovers when I launched my Parolan Asema blog. People eventually asked me to write a DIY-themed book, and that’s how my love for makeovers really took off.

My first flea market purchases for our home were some furniture, coat racks, a chest of drawers, and a sideboard. I decided to refurbish them with a coat of paint: I washed them and chose colors I liked. I’ve learned that even flea market finds can be turned into something amazing at home, as long as you know how to do it. If you don’t get it right the first time, you’ll improve with practice.

Katja Rinkinen has honed the skill of modifying furniture to her liking.

Katja’s laid-back living room is filled with flea market finds. The sofas are from an online flea market, and she customized them herself. She turned an old army trunk into a coffee table by adding wheels from a recycling center. She made the bag chandelier using two lampshades. The three-legged floor lamp was created from an army tripod and a studio lamp. See the instructions for the lamp here [in Finnish].

I see potential in many pieces of flea market furniture. Once, I built a leaf extension for our round dining table that was just too small. The table cost 90 euros and was otherwise in good shape, so I filled in the wood veneer where needed and repainted it. I also painted our rattan sofa in the living room from brown to gray using linseed oil paint, then replaced the old cushions with a futon mattress. In my experience, furniture that isn’t too worn is the easiest to give a makeover.

Of course, sometimes you end up with a dud. I’ve occasionally assumed a piece was in better shape than it really was. One sink unit I bought needed a lot of repairs, but thankfully it’s still salvageable.

If a piece of furniture is broken but has the right shape and style, it’s worth thinking about how valuable your time is. Am I willing to fix something cheap, or would I rather buy something new and more expensive? Personally, I usually fix things unless the furniture is truly broken, like a chair with completely busted joints.

For instance, check the glue joints on chairs: does it wobble? If the joints are fully worn, it’s harder to fix. But if it’s just the paint that’s worn, I can always sand or repaint it.

In Katja’s view, old mirrors often have more soul than new ones.

I bought the Thonet chairs around the large dining table at an auction for 30 euros each. “School or farm auctions are worth visiting, even just for the atmosphere.” See Katja’s instructions for building a dining table extension here [in Finnish].

“My favorite piece is a chest of a hundred drawers in the hallway that cost about 120 euros. I painted it black with linseed oil paint and added wheels. It took me three months,” Katja says.

I love spending entire days going from one flea market to the next with a friend. We move at a pretty quick pace, and my eye has gotten trained on what I want to find. Once I had my sights set on Nuutajärvi Lypsäjä milk glasses and ended up collecting enough to reach my limit. Right now, I’m especially into old brass trays, bowls, and boxes, as well as lamps, artwork, and baskets. Baskets can serve so many purposes: carrying things, decorating, and storage.

At flea markets, I often think, will I regret not taking this? I’m also into mirrors. One time, I found a really charming gold, ornamental mirror at an auction for 170 euros. It was the most expensive mirror I’ve ever bought, but I love it. Old mirrors often feel more soulful than new ones. Faceted edges, in particular, are wonderful because the cut makes the glass so beautiful.

The Nuutajärvi glasses get daily use. Katja has bought old Arabia plates for no more than three euros apiece, and her friends have also picked them up for her. “Now I don’t even dare say which dishes I’d like next, so they don’t all get snapped up.”

I get interior design ideas from books and Pinterest. I ask myself what’s catching my eye in the pictures: the color or the piece of furniture itself. Then I see if I can find a comparable piece at a flea market to upcycle on my own.

I’ve been spoiled by the flea market prices in Hämeenlinna, central Finland. Often, outside the Helsinki area, prices are cheaper. I’m currently in the middle of a basket obsession and will pay around 5–10 euros for one.

Many people get frustrated if they don’t find anything during a flea market run, and sometimes you really do have to dig. But it’s worth remembering you can often get things cheaper at flea markets than at IKEA.