When Sane moved into her grandmother’s former home, her dream came true—with a Moomin-esque fireplace in the living room!
Which item looks best in which place? That’s not something Sane Keskiaho worries about. She believes an interesting home is full of things that don’t necessarily match, and her favorite part is the silly surprises her children leave behind.
When Sane’s children were young, she lived in the countryside near Lahti, Finland. After her two youngest started high school, the logical step was to move into the city. Sane had long dreamed of living in her grandmother’s old apartment—the same place where her father and his siblings grew up. That dream came true.
This apartment near Lahti’s marketplace has spacious rooms filled with memories, including professional ones. After Sane’s grandmother was widowed and moved out, the local newspaper Uusi Lahti rented it as its editorial office. Sane began her communications career there at 17, working as a youth reporter for the paper.
Over the years as an office, unsightly soundproofing panels and plug strips had been installed. They were removed, and the space was renovated from floor to ceiling. A separate studio was also created in the space.
Almost every week, one of Sane’s adult children, their partner, or her nine-year-old granddaughter visits Lahti. They often plan weekend get-togethers, and the home turns into something of a commune. At those times, there isn’t a single square foot too many.
Residents Entrepreneur in communications, non-fiction writer Sane Keskiaho, 55, and her rescue dog, Timi.
Home A 167-square-meter apartment in Lahti, Finland. The oldest part of the building, where Sane lives, dates back to 1908. Its architects are Valter Jung, Emil Fabritius and Uuno Alanko.
What was your first morning in your own home like?
I remember walking my dog at the time in the nearby Kirkkopuisto park. I had returned to the scenery of my childhood and youth, and it felt like I hadn't ever lived anywhere else. It was pure luxury to enjoy a fireplace in a city apartment and see the marketplace through the window. The living room’s open fireplace is ugly-beautiful and looks like a hattifattener.
Sane has discovered many of her treasures in the attic or at her friend’s antique shop.
How have you decorated these rooms?
The decor has gradually come together. It’s a mix of design pieces and memories. I have many inherited items, some of which have been restored. Others may be in need of attention, but I haven’t had the heart to fix them. Even the armchairs are waiting for my interior designer friend Ilse Juola to find the perfect upholstery fabric for their worn sections. Often the right lamp, rug, or other item appears when I’m not even looking. I’ve found many treasures in the attic or at my friend’s antique shop.
How do you use colors?
I love colors and shy away from the idea of an all-white home, even though my first place in my twenties was filled with white, chrome, and glass, with my piano as the only pop of color. I mix colors without worrying if they match. For example, the chairs around the dining table don’t go with the bright red tablecloth. And the velvet sofa behind it is a different shade, but everything still looks beautiful together. My velvet sofa is perfect against the blue wall. I first fell in love with it as a teenager when I was babysitting in the home where it belonged.
What is your favorite spot?
My grandparents’ dining table is my favorite spot because everything happens around it. My children, friends, and extended family can all gather there. I hope the table and chairs eventually continue their life in one of my children’s homes. By then, today’s dents and scratches will have more stories to tell about our shared moments.
How does your personality show here?
A friend likes to describe me as someone who grows roots. Almost every object, painting, or piece of furniture has a story. When we moved from the countryside to the city, I went through my library and planned to keep only my most important books. It turned out they were all important, because they each represent a chapter of my life. My first book club selections sit on the shelf alongside classics, mysteries, my childhood Famous Five books, and my children’s books.
What does art mean to you?
For me, there’s no home without art. My childhood home and my grandma’s home both had plenty of art, too. I made my first art purchase at 19 when I bought a ceramic piece by ceramic artist Heikki Rahikainen, my best friend’s stepfather. I’ve been growing my art collection ever since, bit by bit. I’m also a loyal customer of Lahti’s art lending service, where I almost always have a piece on loan that I pay off gradually. It’s a great way to acquire art!
Sane figures that in a year, she might not like blue anymore, but that's okay as she can easily paint over it.
Which decorating project will you start next?
If I had the energy, I’d paint my bedroom pink, but now that all my artwork and objects have found their places, the project remains a thought.
What does your home reveal about its resident?
In this home, there’s a big love for reading and cooking. The best part are the little surprises the kids leave behind, like the painting that appeared at Christmas in the second bathroom showing my rescue dog doing its business, or the sticker on the front door asking why Lahti was founded. I never remove them, no matter how outrageous they might be.
What have you realized about living?
You shouldn’t take it too seriously. Maybe in a year I won’t like blue anymore, but that's okay since it’s easy enough to paint over. A friend once painted her bedroom burgundy from top to bottom, even though her interior designer advised against it. She did it anyway, and it turned out absolutely fantastic!
What is your dream piece of furniture?
It’s my Lundia bookcase, because that’s where I keep all my favorite things—my books. Without a book case, is there even a home?
