Parish hall turned dream home: a family's slow and loving renovation
Finnish Hanna-Riikka and Sami Räsänen bought an old parish hall and have spent years turning it into a dream home for their blended family of six children.
In the heart of Pori’s Uniluoto district stands a green parish hall from the 1930s, with a yard that opens toward the sea. Hanna-Riikka and Sami Räsänen’s blended family with six children moved into the house four years ago.
It’s no wonder that the couple found a home in Uniluoto, since Hanna-Riikka and Sami were married a few years earlier by the sea on the island of Kallo. They celebrated their wedding later in Luvia, also by the sea. They were already from Pori.
The house had been on the market and empty for years.
“We made the final decision to undertake the massive renovation very quickly, because the house was about to be auctioned,” Hanna-Riikka says.
Sami and Hanna-Riikka love cooking together. Today, the kitchen is filled with the aroma of a tomato-based chicken sauce.
The couple picked up the green wall cabinet from a country house whose owner was selling old furniture. Sami chose the kitchen backsplash tiles, and Hanna-Riikka installed them.
The kitchen faucet is by Damixa. The sink, the cabinets’ leather pulls, and the island are from Ikea. The beaded chandelier in the corner was ordered from Lampan.fi.
The macramé was created by Sirpa Sulin from Pori. The wallpaper is Lumme by the Pihlgren & Ritola wallpaper factory.
“There’s always something to do in an old house. You have to accept that when you take on a project like this.”
The coffee tins were bought from one of Hanna-Riikka’s coworkers.
Hanna-Riikka found the bar stools at a local Finnmari store.
Hanna-Riikka had always dreamed of renovating an old house, though she imagined a lacy villa. She believes it was meant to be that this particular parish hall became her family’s home.
Because the house was still in its original condition, it had to be stripped down almost from floor to ceiling. Sami had experience building a house, but completely renovating a nearly hundred-year-old place was new to both of them. They put great trust in one another, and their deep mutual love strengthened the decision to make their future home a sanctuary for shared dreams.
Downstairs, there were no separate rooms. Partition walls were added to create a bedroom, a home office, a living room, a kitchen, and a dining area. From the existing walls, they exposed a gorgeous, time-worn log surface.
They painted the living room’s log wall blue. The Natuzzi sofa was a bit pricier than Hanna-Riikka and Sami had planned, but once they sat on it, the choice was easy.
The wall lamp got a new look when Hanna-Riikka replaced the shade with a simple bulb.
The living room carpet is from Ikea, and the ceiling light is from Lampan.fi.
The unusual table is originally from Pori’s old cotton factory.
“I’ve saved a huge number of old furnishings from the trash.”
The doors behind the sofa originally came from an old hospital in Jyväskylä. Sami and Hanna-Riikka converted them into sliding doors so they wouldn’t take up extra space.
“Our family is happy within these walls. That’s what matters most.”
The table legs were cut to coffee-table height. The wooden sofa was purchased on the Tori.fi marketplace from the owner of an old school building. The chairs were once props for a photographer.
The family has lived in the house throughout the renovation. The upstairs once included a separate rental apartment with a few rooms, plus a small kitchen and a toilet. That’s where the family started out, even though it was cramped.
“We adapted easily to living in small quarters,” Hanna-Riikka says.
The renovation has lasted about three years. Still on the list are refurbishing the exterior and updating the bathrooms and laundry room. Those will be tackled later.
“There’s always something to do in an old house. You have to accept that when you take on a project like this. Now there’s no hurry, because the biggest work is done, and our family is happy within these walls. That’s what matters most.”
If you ask Hanna-Riikka which furniture piece is dearest to her, it’s the cupboard in the dining room, found on Tori.fi. The floor lamp was made by her grandfather, whom she calls Tuffa.
The collection of dining chairs is the result of years of searching. Several more chairs are stored in the attic for when they feel like switching things up.
Hanna-Riikka believes it was meant to be that this particular parish hall became her family’s home.
The cabinet painted with chalk paint was found thanks to a friend’s tip. They intended to pick up a completely different piece, but this impulse purchase ended up coming home instead.
The wall shelf was crafted by Hanna-Riikka’s grandfather, known as Tuffa.
“We made the final decision to undertake the massive renovation very quickly.”
The hallway cabinet was bought years ago at a secondhand shop. The rugged ceiling lamp and the vinyl floor covering mimicking mosaic tile came from Kodin Terra. Hanna-Riikka found the doorway curtain on Tori.fi and picked it up in Rauma.
Beneath the plastic floor covering on the staircase, they discovered an intact wooden floor. Sami and Hanna-Riikka painted the poison-green walls white, making the space feel bigger. They finished it off with wallpaper from K-Rauta. The light fixture is from Kodin Terra.
Hanna-Riikka loves old items. Friends already know to offer her pieces from their grandparents’ homes or their own storage. “I’ve saved a huge number of old furnishings from the trash,” she says.
“Still on the list are refurbishing the exterior and updating the bathroom and laundry room.”
Sami’s office has a rugged look. The army crates were found at a flea market. One even contained its original items.
The office chair was bought at auction. The prints are by ArtiksDesing, and the leather chair is from Tori.fi.
“I absolutely wanted a window and a bathtub in the bathroom,” Hanna-Riikka says. The dresser was originally meant for the living room, but after she found floral wallpaper for the bathroom, the original sink unit no longer fit. The dresser was then turned into a vanity. The tub was ordered from Netrauta.fi.
“I absolutely wanted a window and a bathtub in the bathroom”
Follow Hanna-Riikka and the life of the old parish hall in Uniluoto on social media @ninianbyhr.
In addition to their six children, Hanna-Riikka and Sami’s family includes dogs Niilo and Kylli.
The yard around the house offers fun DIY ideas.
The yard around the house offers fun DIY ideas. Wooden bakery boxes fit perfectly into an iron bed frame bought on Tori.fi. Summer flowers grow in the boxes.
Hanna-Riikka and Sami’s home is a former parish hall in Pori. It has eight rooms plus a kitchen and sauna, totaling about 300 square meters (3,230 sq ft).
