Former sausage factory becomes a home in a whirlwind renovation—only the toilet was bought new

Looking for an unusual home. That was the subject line of the email that visual artist Pia Sirén and musician Mirella Pendolin sent to a real estate agent in spring 2020. Nine months later, the couple got the keys to the former sausage factory in Loviisa. Built over four decades, the over-500-square-meter building with its winding spaces perfectly fulfilled the blended family’s desire for something out of the ordinary.

“It was important for us to find a building that could accommodate both of our families and allow us to spend time together while also giving our children space of their own. We also hoped to include Pia’s art studio and a space where I could teach my music students and host concerts—all under one roof,” Mirella says.

From the living room, a door leads to another lounge area, which also has a small stage. The pink sausage-themed artwork is a playful nod to the building’s past. The velvet sofa set was purchased secondhand.

The rooms are lit by original factory lamps. The steel basin used for houseplants was left over from the factory, and the tandem bike came as a bonus with the house. Some of the original corrugated metal paneling was left on the walls of the event space and the hallway that leads to the studio.

A stage of her own was Mirella’s dream that has now come true. The first concerts have already taken place, and the couple are now planning their winter lineup. Upcoming performances will include new music Mirella recorded in the spring, released one track at a time on Spotify.

Completed in the 1930s, the mansard-roofed main building houses the shared living areas and the performance space with a stage on its first floor. Upstairs belongs to Pia’s sons, and the 1950s annex is the domain of Mirella’s daughters.

Traces of the building’s history are evident throughout this layered home. The turquoise-painted entryway leads through a solid steel door into the kitchen-living area, where a cast-iron factory clock adorns the brick wall. The vegetarian family hangs their pots from old meat hooks.

The interior, made up of vintage finds and houseplants, looks like it evolved organically over the years. In reality, the factory was turned into a home during an intense, fast-paced renovation.

Meat hooks repurposed as coat racks can be found in both the kitchen and the hallway. The coffee table was found at a friend’s moving-out sale—it stores plenty of children’s drawings. The striking partition wall is made from old windows found in the house.

Pia’s last name, Sirén, means “mermaid” in French. Copenhagen, the home of The Little Mermaid statue, is one of Pia and Mirella’s favorite cities.

Houseplants are a brilliant decor element in this home. Whenever they've ran out of planters, the couple have used old paint cans for a cool industrial look.

The couple planned and largely carried out the renovation themselves. Mirella came to the worksite each day after her music teaching job, while Pia devoted herself to the project full-time. A visual artist known for her spatial and site-specific installations, Pia tackled the renovation with the same intensity she brings to her art.

“I’m used to having just a couple of days to set up a large installation. I tackled the renovation with that same mindset, although instead of three days, I worked 15-hour days for three months straight. Looking back while nursing my repetitive strain injuries, I’ve pondered where the line lies between madness and efficiency,” Pia laughs.

In the end, the result was worth the effort.

“The project was endlessly inspiring. I had always rented before, so I never had the chance to choose exactly how my home would look. It was wonderful that we could decide everything ourselves, starting with where the kitchen would go.”

For the interior solutions, they cleverly used what was already on-site. Pia drafted the design for the kitchen’s concrete countertop, which was poured on location. The old workbench they found in the factory now serves as the kitchen island, and the wire baskets on the wall are remnants from the factory as well.

In this vegetarian kitchen, pots and pans hang neatly from old meat hooks.

When Pia broke open part of the upstairs floor, it opened up the downstairs and gave it a Mediterranean-like “turquoise sky.” The dining room furniture came from recycling groups, except for the birch chairs rescued from an old elementary school. The birch table can be extended even further.

The downstairs was fully covered in steel sheeting. Now, the only reminders are a steel door, cast-iron switch boxes, and the factory clock. The upstairs belongs to Pia’s sons.

Pia, in particular, has a deep connection to the house—there may not be a single interior surface she hasn’t touched. With a bit of help, she also broke open the ceiling above the dining area. Now, between the concrete beams, you can glimpse a turquoise ceiling that calls to mind Mirella’s second homeland, Spain.

The space and the house’s details guided the renovation. Along with embracing the industrial style, the couple wanted a “paradise vibe” too. That’s why the original tile floor was painted a warm sandy color, and they sourced palm trees, as well as other plants that had outgrown more typical homes, from recycling groups.

The toilet is the only newly purchased item. Everything else, from appliances to furniture, is secondhand.

“Above all, it’s a matter of environmental principles. And our budget wouldn’t have allowed for all-new purchases anyway,” Mirella says.

The main building, completed in the 1930s, has a brick first floor and a wooden upper level. Pia’s mural enlivens the staircase leading upstairs. The entryway colors are taken from the house’s original palette.

Houseplants make the bathroom feel like an oasis. At first, there was some disagreement about the red grout, but once the bathroom was finished, everyone loved it. The cast-iron tub was found through a recycling group. The idea for the checkered tiles came from the old terracotta floors in the sausage factory, still visible in the space that now houses the stage.

Mirella Pendolin and Pia Sirén mostly handled the renovation of the former sausage factory in Loviisa—nicknamed Nakkikartano (“weiner manor”)—on their own. They host concerts in the house, among other events.

A diverse old structure, the house sparks a variety of associations. Inside, it evokes Berlin, while the exterior cladding suggests Reykjavík. Work on the factory’s rugged yard begins next summer. The first saplings are already growing in planter boxes.

The interior solutions make creative use of materials found in the old factory, bringing a sense of spontaneity as well as character. A beautifully patinated wooden workbench became the kitchen island, and the factory’s metal baskets now serve as open shelving.

“Pia has a remarkable ability to envision spaces, thanks to her work. During the renovation, she was my eyes, because she can picture how everything will eventually come together long before I can.

Mirella trusted Pia’s suggestions—though she admits she was a bit worried about how the concrete countertops or terracotta-painted pipes would look. But when she saw the finished kitchen, with warm terracotta set off by turquoise and lush greenery, she was amazed.

“I see our home as one of Pia’s artworks.”

Pia also sees the home as a reflection of her artistic work.

“While I was smoothing the wall with a palette knife, I thought, ‘This is like a sculpture, and it’s my first permanent piece.’ The kids named it Nakkikartano.”

First and foremost, it’s a home for six people, where everyone has the space to be themselves. Yet Nakkikartano is also a communal house, where private and public blend together, when the doors are opened to the public for concerts on Mirella’s stage and art workshops in Pia’s studio.

Built between the 1930s and 1980s, the former sausage factory spans about 500 square meters. It’s home to Mirella and Pia, along with Mirella’s children Alma and Elvira and Pia’s children Vilde and Alaska.