Goodbye newly built detached house, hello 80s rowhouse! Their new home was “pretty much the opposite” of what the Reini family was looking for

Throughout the home, you can see this wasn’t just a simple prefab design but one that an architect has had a hand in. The spacious living room is accessible from two directions via stairs that rise in different directions.

The large living area is divided into an everyday living room and a guest living room. The thick oak parquet was in poor condition but was saved by sanding. The ryijy rug from an online secondhand store is Ritva Puotila’s design Valkoinen Koski (“White Rapids”). The Arne Jacobsen Egg chair was another secondhand find.

Previously, the Reini family of four lived in a new house so close to neighbors they could see what was being served for dinner next door. On Midsummer 2022, the family moved to a rowhouse and finally got the privacy they wanted.

The backyard extends into forest as far as the eye can see, and nature can be admired from every window. Salla and Juha-Matti decided to restore the magnificent 1980s rowhouse to the condition it deserved.

Juha-Matti: We wanted privacy, but we were actually looking for the opposite of what we ended up with. We were looking at plots where we could build a house. We had only lived in new houses before. So an 80s home wasn’t exactly on our list. We didn’t want a kitchen upstairs, which we now have.

Even though it was pretty messy, Salla could see its potential.

In the architect’s original drawings, a sofa and Artek 406 chairs were arranged in front of the fireplace in the living room. The coffee table was a five-euro find at a secondhand store, and the Adea sofa was also bought secondhand. A Secto lamp, bought as a display model at around a third of its current price, hangs from the ceiling. The lovely red Mademoiselle chair, designed by Ilmari Tapiovaara in the 1950s, was another secondhand score.

The framed poster features Portrait of Wally Neuzil, painted by Egon Schiele in 1912. The planter is Aino Aalto’s Riihitie design.

The everyday living room is the family’s favorite spot in their home. They also have slipcovers in ochre for the gray Hakola corner couch. The Artek coffee tables nest together neatly. The poster is from Posterlounge, and the rug is from Ellos.

Salla and Juha-Matti built the slatted wall themselves, and even they were amazed at how it turned out. The Laveri 710 daybed is Alvar Aalto’s 1933 design for Artek.

Character is added to the dining area by a wall painted half-green in Tikkurila’s shade V386 Nile. The color highlights the String shelving system. They bought the table new from Jysk, not wanting to risk vintage design for the dining table of a family with kids. The rug is Dyyni by Finarte. The lamps are Artek’s A110 pendants, and the chairs are Domus.

The kitchen is original from the 1980s. It has its merits, but the family are considering a kitchen renovation. The countertop is granite and the cabinet door handles are brass. The vases are from H&M Home.

Salla: The home wasn’t supposed to be over 120 square meters or have two floors. We weren’t going to buy an old house because we can’t really renovate. Now we have double the space, two floors, and we’ve done renovations, too! When I saw this house in such bad shape, I had this a bit silly urge to rescue it. The architect had put a lot of effort into the design, and it was a really solid build. The idea of that going to waste made me sad.

Salla: Many elements here take inspiration from Alvar Aalto’s design, which is why Aalto’s furniture fit so well here. I’m not a full-fledged collector, but I’ve been acquiring Artek furniture since I was 15. That’s when I bought my first stool with my summer job money and took it home on my motor scooter. Since then, I’ve purchased used Artek furniture every couple of years. Used pieces are more affordable than new ones and still retain their value. Thrifting is trendy now, but I’ve always frequented flea markets.

The wall lamp in the bedroom is a real treasure. It came from Salla’s grandparents’ home. The teak dresser was bought via a secondhand online store. The poster was ordered from Posterlounge and features Ramon Casas’ painting After the Ball.

The orange-yellow wall color in the children’s room is Tikkurila’s L396 Beeswax. The original oak ceiling is a rarity. The curtains are made from Marimekko’s Kaksoset fabric. The rug is from Ellos.

The bathroom, with its red mosaic tiles, was renovated by the previous owner. It took some getting used to but soon felt refreshingly different.

This is the first house we’ve bought that truly feels like home. New builds never had this warmth and coziness; they were a bit stark for my taste. This feels like a forever home.

We weren’t sure if we were the right people to own an older house since we’re not especially handy. However, I see the fix-up as a ten-year project—we’re learning gradually.

I’ve found my style through this home.

From the entrance, tiled stairs lead up to the living room. The downstairs has a guest room, a TV room, and the bathrooms; upstairs are the living areas, bedrooms, kitchen, dining area, and home office. An Oriental rug works perfectly in the entryway.

The three-unit rowhouse is built of imposing brown brick. The living rooms open out to terraces, and the backyard merges with the forest.