Cat-friendly furniture meets vintage in Kiira and Jussi’s 1950s home: “We followed emotion and happiness first”

“Fortunately, we had no idea how extensive the renovation would be, because otherwise we might not have bought this home,” Kiira and Jussi say.

Despite the heavy traffic outside, the home is surprisingly quiet. “It’s amazing but true. We can barely hear any noise in the apartment,” Jussi says.

From the other balcony, you can see a peaceful garden. The outdoor furniture is from Fermob’s Bistro series.

Kiira Keski-Hakuni and Jussi Virta have skillfully renovated their three-room home into a cozy and stylish smart home. The layered interior is a delight to the eye, and everyone’s needs have been considered down to the last detail. For the cats, a climbing structure stands prominently in the living room. Meanwhile, the two-meter-tall Jussi can sleep, bathe, and lounge on the sofa with ease, and Kiira got her much-wanted stacked washer-dryer, home office, and dream artwork: a unique glass ice cream sculpture. Part of the home’s renovation budget was used for that piece.

The living room’s lounge feel reminds Jussi of a former bar in Helsinki. The oak-veneered Boven cat climbing structure is a prototype by Kiira and Marjut Alitalo. The lamp is Yki Nummi’s Kuplat, and the coffee table is Yrjö Kukkapuro’s Saturnus.

The cats cannot hide under the Kuusilinna Kolo sofa. The color of the durable Yedi fabric by Lauritzon was chosen to match the living room’s wall paint, Cover Story’s 017 Maggie.

A storage unit that blends into the wall offers a discreet solution in a space that serves both lounging and cooking.

What insights have you gained about living?

Kiira: A happy home is an enormous privilege, and we’ve always lived according to the same ethos of moderation—whether our home was rented or financed by a mortgage. First, we had 28, then 38, and now 52 square meters.

Jussi: Having a mortgage is indeed a privilege, as it enables building wealth. Feeling comfortable and having a functional home are crucial for experiencing happiness, and they matter more than having plentiful square meters.

Kiira: My father once said that a small home requires ongoing communication among its residents. A compact space inevitably brings you closer together, since you spend a lot of time in the same area. Compactness also ensures that clutter doesn’t accumulate.

The built-in kitchen cabinets are from Ikea’s Sinarp line, which has solid oak edging. The countertop is terrazzo, and the faucet is by Oras. The Kymi 220 wall lights are by Astro Lighting. The dining set features vintage Ilmari Tapiovaara Fanett chairs and a Bumling pendant lamp with a new orange cord. On the side wall is Paula Pääkkönen’s glass sculpture with an ice cream motif.

The String shelf is a special mint green edition. It holds Kiira’s “quirky and fun” pieces that are tied to many memories. The cameras reflect the couple’s love of film photography.

Which needs did your new home have to meet?

Kiira: More than anything, we emphasized everyday comfort and enjoyment. We both work a lot, and our free time is filled with ongoing projects. Our home is meant for relaxation and savoring life. You don’t need to escape daily life when you’re enjoying it.

Jussi: Certain conditions were practicalities, but we focused mainly on emotion and what would bring us happiness.

How have you renovated this home?

Jussi: The apartment, which was last renovated in the late 90s, had reached the end of its lifespan, but its floor plan was excellent and made fulfilling both of our wishes possible. We both dreamed of a large open-plan kitchen and living room, because we have guests over almost daily. We set an ambitious renovation timeline, and of course there were surprises. Right after we got the keys, we tested positive for COVID, so our friends started demolition without us. We supervised via FaceTime and sent pizza to the worksite.

Kiira: Most of the tasks were completely new to us. Apparently, you can learn a great deal from YouTube. Our friends often asked how we knew what to do, but you build skills by plunging into something new without hesitation.

Jussi: We’ve both been encouraged to try, learn, and trust our intuition. We get things done without second-guessing. Thankfully, we had no clue about the scale of the renovation beforehand; otherwise, this home might have stayed on the market.

The bedroom has features that fascinate Kiira and Jussi, like the angled bay window with deep windowsills. Choosing the parquet was a big decision and it pushed the renovation budget higher, but the final result suits the home’s atmosphere perfectly. The model is Bjelin Stockholm. The chair is Mademoiselle by Ilmari Tapiovaara.

On the bedroom windowsill, under the white graduation cap, is a sculpture created by Kiira’s mother. The Bumling bedside lamp is a vintage find. The headboard is by Hästens.

The walls in the bedroom and office are painted in Cover Story’s 019 Maya shade. The family’s cat Junnu briefly settled on the Tapiovaara chair.

What defines your interior design?

Kiira: To me, interior design is a blend of different layers and histories in their current form. A brand-new, fully renovated home initially felt a bit odd. Right away, we started figuring out how to make it feel more lived-in, although we had already reused old fixtures, doors, and door handles during the renovation.

Jussi: I have a cheerful attitude toward different interior design eras, and I enjoy homes from many time periods. This home’s interior consists of furniture, objects, and art gathered from grandparents’ places, childhood homes, student apartments, two shared homes we lived in before, flea markets, recycling centers, and dumpsters.

Kiira: Jussi loves the 1950s and the balanced proportions of that era. It can be amusing to watch a two-meter-tall man try to fit into a chair designed on a smaller scale.

Is a smart home a threat or an opportunity?

Jussi: Definitely an opportunity. Thanks to the latest technology, practicality meets fun in our home. We use our phones or voice commands to control everything from curtains to lighting and temperature. All the home technology is hidden away, because we don’t want visible cables or pipes. Daily life should flow effortlessly, but practicality must never overshadow aesthetics.

The sliding door to the office is painted the same color as the walls. The workstation is from the String collection, and the 1970s chair is from a recycling center.

The blue open shelves in the workspace fill the recessed niche left by the old fridge. The petrol-blue linen paint on the shelves was a bargain-bin find.

The bathroom’s soft pink color scheme was inspired by Pukkila’s Natura tiles. The built-in furniture is from the Svedbergs Epos range.

How have you accounted for your cats in this home?

Kiira: I’d argue cats make less of a mess than people. The sofa fabric is both pet-friendly and machine-washable. The cats have their own species-specific essentials like sleeping spots, a climbing tower, and litter boxes. Jussi has tried to train Veli and Junnu to use the human toilet, but for now we’re sticking with litter boxes. Cats don’t need that much.

Timo Sarpaneva’s Pallo handle completes the bathroom door. The adjacent interior door is from a demolished house. The top painting is by Urpo Wainio and the lower one is by Kiira’s father, Hannu Keski-Hakuni.

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

Kiira: I grew up in a creative family, and I’m creative myself. I can’t imagine a home without art. Alongside pieces by my mother and father, I also display my own work, art I’ve received as gifts, borrowed pieces, and even found treasures. Each one is meaningful in its own way.

Jussi: We bought a glass ice cream sculpture by Paula Pääkkönen for this home. At the same time, we decided that in the future, we’ll use part of our renovation budget for art, because we can’t normally afford it in our everyday life.

This 1950s three-room apartment in Helsinki’s Vallila measures 52 square meters.