Kirsi renovated her own little Britain in Finland—a Chesterfield sofa, a mantel fireplace, and riding boots in a row!

Interior designer Kirsi Luttinen's mouth curves to a smile as she thinks about describing her home's style. She has two ideas, but each has a ‘but.’

“When I was looking for renovation inspiration ten years ago, I especially liked American modern farm and beach house–style homes,” she says.

This detached house is near the center of Oulu, so it’s not exactly in the countryside, and the shore is about five kilometers away.

“So maybe you could call it a country house without fields or a beach house without a beach?”

In any case, it's clear Kirsi’s home has a distinctly British vibe.

“I’ve always been drawn to the English way of decorating,” she says.

The entry floor is brushed limestone. Kirsi added slatted paneling to the recessed porch wall. She had always dreamed of living in a white wooden house, and that dream became reality in this single-story home built in the 1960s, just outside Oulu’s city center. As a designer, Kirsi particularly loves country style.

Patio hydrangeas greet you at the entrance.

Welcome to a horse lover's home. Kirsi slips on her riding boots every day to go to the stable and ride her horse, Deanna. The entry floor is brushed limestone.

In the summer of 2013, Kirsi took on something new. She had purchased her first renovation project. The single-story wooden house, painted green, stood empty, surrounded by an overgrown garden. While renovating and especially renovation design were familiar from her work, she had only been the planner until then. This time, she had to manage the entire renovation herself.

“The house felt very familiar. I lived in a similar low wooden house as a child. I knew I could make it nice. I treated my own home as a project in the same way I do for clients,” she says.

The centerpiece of the living room is an ottoman Kirsi bought about twenty years ago, covered with tapestry-like fabric by Lauritzon. A Chesterfield is the ultimate classic sofa. This one was purchased from Jean Vernet, as was the blue armchair. Originally, four large windows lined the wall behind the sofa.

Kirsi loves cozy British decor. The mantel fireplace, which is purely decorative, brings just the right touch of classic English elegance to the living room. She bought the mantel from Jean Vernet, and picked up the rattan tray while living in Vaasa, Finland, in the early 2000s.

Kirsi made subtle updates to the 1960s house. She removed the vestibule as it wasn’t needed, and enlarged the doorway between the kitchen and dining area. She also converted the former garage into her office. Kirsi approached the renovation with a creative mindset rather than a hefty budget. A good example of this are the office’s large windows, which replaced the garage doors: they came from the living room, whose row of windows felt too 1960s–70s for her taste.

“I lived through that era. I wanted this house to feel warmer. The living room feels cozier now that there are only two large windows.”

Originally, there was a vestibule here, but Kirsi considered it unnecessary and removed it. The door leads to the terrace in front of the house. An old pair of horse bridles hangs as decoration. Kirsi made the bird prints from a calendar featuring Von Wright’s bird paintings.

The stove fits along the window wall. The range hood is built into the upper cabinet by Savo, with open shelves on either side for spice jars. The kitchen cabinets are by Köökinikkarit, and the black countertop is oak. The decorative bricks came from Bauhaus and were painted before installation. The table’s marble top was a lucky bargain on Tori online marketplace. The roman blinds are sewn from Voyage Maison fabric. Kirsi loves lantern-style lights.

Kirsi settles into the blue velvet armchair. The home has a gentle, calm energy, with everything in its place and nothing breaking the harmony.

“I took my time with the renovation. I moved in here with my two daughters and three dogs, and we got used to living surrounded by paint cans.”

Over the years, it’s now just Kirsi in the house.

“Now, twelve years later, I’m happy to say we got through the renovation. I got to do it exactly how I wanted, and that was the best part of the entire project.”

Kirsi’s favorite place is at the round dining table, a perfect spot to admire her home. The chairs are by Artwood, and the black display cabinet is from Meuble Charme. She has owned the crystal chandelier for ages. She’s thinking of replacing the window with French doors opening to the backyard—an idea she still hopes to carry out. The floor is oak from Eklandwood’s collection.

Kirsi loves authentic materials. This home has a more streamlined look than her previous ones, but they all share her admiration for classic British style.

Kirsi didn’t want the kitchen to look overly polished. Its relaxed vibe comes from horizontal paneling, simple open shelves, and straightforward Shaker-style cabinet doors. The countertop is quartz, and the faucet is by Tapwell.

Kirsi used trim to create paneling on the bedroom’s accent wall. At first, the paneling ran the full length of the wall as a headboard, but sometimes she moves the bed to the door wall for a different look. The bench is an old Billnäs piece she's had for years.

The floor is matte-sanded Tundra Grey travertine by Ekland Stone. The whirlpool tub is wrapped in paneling. The small wooden stool is from Ratia’s collection.