Mia snagged her dream rental in the Lappeenranta fortress: “This really is a dream come true”
Mia and Olli live in a former barracks building in the historically significant Lappeenranta fortress area, located in Eastern Finland. A home in this very building had been Mia’s dream for years and the result of persistent effort.
One day in March 2022, Mia Kosonen stood in the middle of a grocery store, shopping basket on her arm, and cried. Thankfully, they were tears of joy. Mia’s long-held dream had just come true.
Home: An apartment in a former officers’ house built in 1910 in Lappeenranta, Finland, 3 rooms + kitchen, 70 m² (750 sq ft).
Who lives here: Mia Kosonen and Olli Niskanen.
Follow on social: @mia_kosonen
“Three years earlier I’d visited a friend’s home in the Lappeenranta fortress and fallen so head over heels for the building and the area that after that I couldn’t imagine living anywhere else. I submitted an application to Housing Services and then, I admit, pestered them with calls embarrassingly often. Persistence paid off. An official called while I was on a grocery run to say an apartment had become available, and I reserved it on the spot. No matter what the apartment was like, we’d move there. My partner Olli didn’t share my enthusiasm at first. Later he’s said he’s grateful I held on stubbornly to my dream,” Mia says.
Mia’s father has a knack for finding treasures in the oddest places. The old wooden door was found in a dumpster, and it’s adorned with a conifer-and-eucalyptus wreath finished with a string of lights. Mia learned wreath-making from her mother.
Mia wanted the kitchen to be a relaxed space where you can lounge, cook, or tinker to your heart’s content. After much persuading, her friend agreed to sell her the pantry cupboard that had once stood in a playhouse. Its depths hide, among other things, recycling bins. Open shelves hold dry goods in glass jars. The neo-rococo-style chairs were rescued from a trash load and painted.
The fortress area feels like its own community yet sits close to downtown Lappeenranta. You can even pop over to a friend next door in your bathrobe. Mia loves to keep busy in the garden and tends the plantings lovingly created by the home’s previous resident. At Christmas, evergreen wreaths and lanterns set the mood.
The handsome brick building has a significant place in Lappeenranta’s history. During the period of Russification in the early 1900s, the Finnish army was gradually disbanded and the garrison was taken over entirely by the Russians. The building that is now Mia and Olli’s home became barracks and training premises for Russian machine-gun and reconnaissance troops. The solid structure represents turn-of-the-century brick-barracks architecture and the fortress’s final Russian phase. Since the 1940s, the building has housed rental apartments.
”My partner Olli didn’t share my excitement at first. Later he said he was glad I held stubbornly to my dream.”
The large windows and walls nearly a meter thick (3‘3”) stole Mia’s heart. The building is also astonishingly quiet.
The neo-renaissance cabinet was a lucky flea-market find on a work trip. The grand solid-wood cabinet had its upper doors removed so Mia’s collection of soup bowls and pitchers could be beautifully displayed. Mia’s great-grandparents’ wedding Bible is a beloved piece of family history. The fragile book is from 1900. The box was purchased from an antiques dealer, and the candlesticks have been gathered over the years from flea markets. Mia spotted the wallpaper in a home magazine and loved it so much she bought her own. The paper features a portrait of Madame le Fèvre de Caumartin by French rococo painter Jean-Marc Nattier.
The Asko sofa is one of the few pieces bought new. The chest serving as a coffee table was purchased by a relative at an antiques auction. The floor lamp is a find from the fortress recycling shop. A mirror hung sideways creates the illusion of a window. Flipping through interior design books and magazines is Mia’s way to unwind—and a huge source of inspiration.
To Mia’s great dismay, the house’s many fireplaces had been dismantled long ago. An electric fireplace is a fitting stand-in for ambiance, especially on the dim days of winter. The rattan chair from Jysk was bought secondhand, and the rug is from Veke. The chandelier is from Pentik.
“The previous renovation dated back to the 1970s, so the surfaces were refreshed before we moved in. Light walls and vinyl plank flooring are a suitably clean, invitingly blank canvas for me to bring my decorating ideas to life. We also got to freshen up the kitchen cabinets with white paint,” Mia says.
“In our decor, the warm memories of my grandparents’ wooden house ring out—filled with the spirit and furnishings of the 1930s–40s. I want our home to have that same gentle, safe atmosphere. For me, that means a calm, nature-inspired palette,” Mia says.
Christmastime is one of Mia’s favorites. Everyday joys include beautiful table settings and cozy moments over mulled wine. The statue is from a decor thrift shop, the Arabia cups are from a thrift store, and the teapot designed by Ulla Procopé came from an estate sale.
A collected mix of chairs surrounds the dining table; Mia refreshed some of them with chalk paint. The skillfully made tablecloth was bought from a friend. The wooden ladder came from a local dumpster-diving group.
The striking double doors were found in a friend’s barn loft under cement sacks and rat droppings. Now they are a key part of the living room and make a perfect backdrop for various wreaths. The fluffy paper ornament was made by rolling vintage wallpapers. Want to craft your own? Follow our guide and transform an old book into a lush paper dahlia.
Mia says she inherited from her father “the knack for peeking into places”: you never know where the best treasures are hiding.
“I was on a work trip when, during my break, I decided to make a quick visit to a nearby flea market. There I was greeted by a stunning early-1900s European solid-wood cabinet at a bargain price. I told the seller we wouldn’t be back for another month, but I could pay a deposit right away if they could hold it until then. They agreed, so on the next work trip my boss and a helper had to drag the cabinet into the van, and it traveled with us back to Lappeenranta. Once home, there was still the workout of getting the cabinet up to the second floor, and for a moment I feared my boss and my partner would collapse in the stairwell under the heavy piece of furniture. I’m still so happy about that cabinet.”
Mia and Olli were delighted that their one-bedroom had a small anteroom. The space serves as a guest room. The rustic coat rack is from Mia’s grandparents’ home. The painting came from a dumpster group. The chair is from a relative and the pillows from a thrift shop.
Mia bought the turquoise dresser at a farm clearance sale. It’s a cheerful splash of color in a home that favors natural tones. The window embellished with wallpaper came from a Facebook dumpster group; the urn is from an antiques dealer at the Rautalampi market.
”Often when I wake up in the morning, I wonder if it’s really true that we get to live in such a lovely home.”
The painting was a gift from Olli’s parents. The sheepskin bed throw and sheepskin neck pillow are from Villapuoti. The wallpaper inside the wall niche was found during the renovation as the lowest of several layers and, at the Heritage Agency’s recommendation, was left in place.
The black sideboard, along with the window and mirror, were bought from a friend. The Virgin Mary statue was found on Facebook Marketplace; the candelabrum is from a thrift shop. The wreath is woven from larch branches.
Aunt Hipu’s pillbox hat from the 1950s and pearls bought at a thrift shop adorn a milliner’s mannequin head. The concrete hearts have traveled along for years. Old colorful books make a charming decor element.
Home, to Mia, is a place you never feel like leaving. When the dark evenings arrive, candle season begins and the atmosphere peaks. A homemaker at heart, she delights in switching up themes—and decorations—as the festive seasons change.
“Often when I wake up in the morning, I wonder if it’s really true that we get to live in such a lovely home. This really is a dream come true.”
The view toward Lappeenranta Harbor and Lake Saimaa delights every day, always looking a little different. The building’s great age is gently announced by winds blowing in from the lake, which send you to fetch wool socks and extra blankets.
