Oona and Kalle’s apartment with a ’90s-style kitchen and an old pulpit table in the living room

In the corner apartment of a stately brick building in Helsinki, Finland, lives a couple who don’t mind if laundry dries on a door or if there’s not enough cupboard space for all their groceries, so some end up in baskets on display. Communications consultant Oona, 29, and video professional Kalle, 34, say that a touch of imperfection fits well in their interior decor.

The living room best reflects the couple’s decoration style. The sofa is from an online marketplace; it was and still is in good condition. The marble top of the coffee table is also a marketplace find, and Ikea wall shelves serve as its legs. The woolen throw is from Olkkari secondhand shop.

Nearly all the home’s furniture, decor items, and textiles were purchased used. Why buy new when you can get almost everything secondhand for less and in a more eco-friendly way? When it came to decorating, they relied on intuition, the building’s atmosphere, and whatever secondhand options were available at the time.

The corner apartment has windows facing two directions, which opens up the space. Every guest is amazed at how this small one-bedroom home feels bigger than its actual square footage. The apartment feels airy, and the large light-colored surfaces make room for colorful objects.

“I’ve recently realized how crucial it is for our happiness and wellbeing to feel comfortable at home,” Oona says.

Oona, how did you and Kalle end up living here?

We browsed apartments online, and this was the first place we went to see. We paid attention to how bright it was and to the high ceilings. The brick-red tiled windowsills in the kitchen and bedroom also earned it extra merit. In fact, the details ended up being more important to us than a fully functional kitchen. Additionally, the location in almost the best part of this neighborhood really appealed to us.

There is a compact workspace in the corner of the living room. The Bauhaus-style chair is from a secondhand store. The sleek writing desk was rescued from Oona’s grandparents’ storage, and her mother originally repurposed it as a side table for herself. A poster designed by Pavel Milyakov for Post Bar hangs on the wall.

This classic Lundia sideboard was found secondhand. The displays on top of it are ever-changing. The poster is by Astrid Wilson, and the lamp is by &Tradition.

How did your interior come together?

We didn’t have many of our own furniture pieces before moving here, so we had to buy most of the important items all at once. Almost everything, apart from the box spring bed, we bought secondhand. We buy as much as possible used. We don’t think there’s any sense in always buying new things because the world is overflowing with stuff. Pre-owned furniture and textiles are more personal and carry a lived-in charm. I probably wouldn’t ever get a piece of furniture based solely on function; it has to captivate me somehow.

“Our home may look more like my style than Kalle’s. Kalle’s influence shows in its relaxed vibe: not everything has to match perfectly, and we don’t have to find all the pieces right away,” Oona says. They purchased the ‘Dyyni’ rug from Finarte because the material is recycled cotton collected from offcuts and leftover material from the clothing industry. The monstera is already ten years old.

The bedroom has a tranquil atmosphere. An old basket from Luhta serves as a nightstand when flipped upside down. The mirror is from Ellos, and the ‘Matin’ table lamp is by Hay. The light-colored rug from Anno was bought secondhand.

What kinds of items did you find?

We put a lot of effort into assembling a cohesive whole. We scoured Facebook and other online flea markets almost around the clock. One of our finds was a red Artek dining table, we found it just before we moved, and it happened to fit perfectly with our kitchen windowsill! It used to be a children’s crafting table, so it has a few glitter glue stains, but minor imperfections don’t bother us.

How would you describe your decoration style?

It’s hard for me to describe my own style because I like so many different things, but maybe that in itself says it all: a playful and imaginative mix of many styles.

Oona and Kalle enjoy cooking in a relaxed manner, without stress. On the windowsill, there is a ‘boob pot’ they got as a gift, created by Miia Beshari. The colorful rug was found on an online marketplace and is handmade.

In all its coziness, the kitchen proves that not everything has to be brand new. By highlighting materials and hues, you can create a personal atmosphere.

In Oona and Kalle’s kitchen, items can stay on display, and not everything has to be spotless. They found the Artek table online. The kitchen window overlooks a tranquil park.

The metal serving cart is a handy spot for the microwave and dishes. The painting, vase, and orange tray are from a secondhand store. ‘Sukat makkaralla’ glasses by Anu Penttinen decorate the lower shelf.

Where do you draw your inspiration for interior decorating?

I get the greatest pleasure from beautiful things such as colors, textures, landscapes, nature, people, and so on. We’ve both traveled a lot, which explains our love for colors and unconventional elements. It’s actually funny that our interior is now this light, because neither of us is truly drawn to white homes. However, the light color palette suits this apartment beautifully, and it’s a convenient backdrop for the decor.

The centerpiece of your home is that stunning stone table in the living room. Could you tell us a little about it?

We found the tabletop secondhand on an online marketplace; it’s Italian marble. The previous owner had attached ornate Singer metal legs to it and used it as a side table. I bought just the tabletop. Originally, it had come from a decommissioned church, where it served as a pulpit table. I purchased the marble top while living in our previous apartment, and it stayed in the basement until we found the perfect spot for it.

The marble table has a fascinating story. The well-traveled couple loves to bring bursts of color from around the world into their home, as they spark new travel dreams. Their next trip is going to be in South or Central America.

What’s the most important thing about your home, and what does home mean to you?

You need to feel comfortable at home, and it’s a place you should miss after a long trip. For Kalle, the main thing is that the combination of furniture, houseplants, and everything else is both aesthetically pleasing and practical. Home should allow you to truly unwind in every sense. For me, home is almost like an extension of myself. I love being at home, and the details that make each day special are incredibly important. We love the view of the park, its lush trees, and the sight of our home street climbing up. The brightness and the sense of spaciousness are the best features of this apartment.

Oona fell in love with the apartment’s details, like the brick-red windowsills. The couple found the vase at a secondhand store, and the jewelry stands are old souvenirs from Indonesia and Spain.

The couple opted for just one curtain in the bedroom. The overall look stays light when there’s no heavy fabric framing the window. The chair by Hay was found online.

What kind of interior decoration dreams do you have?

We’re dreaming of light, color, seeing the passage of time in a building’s architecture and identity, large houseplants, and our own peace and quiet. The cherry on top would be a balcony with a lovely view. Next, we hope to buy a place of our own that we can customize however we like. I’ve wanted to be an interior designer since I was a child, and now that I’m in a completely different field, I dream of decorating at least our home to my taste. The most important thing is how you feel when you’re at home.

This two-room apartment is located in an apartment building built in 1927 in Helsinki.

Given Oona and Kalle’s busy life, the apartment’s location in the bustling city center is practical. The impressive brick building was designed by Finnish architect Uno Valhelm.