Inside set designer’s joyful treasure trove: “Minimalism just isn’t for me”
Set coordinator Meku Kauhanen’s atmospheric house springs to life at the end of the year. The entire home and yard fill with lights, and candles flicker on every table. “I’m always doing something—waving a paintbrush, wallpapering, or removing a wall,” says Meku.
Set designer Meku Kauhanen’s home is like a prop warehouse. Meku, who coordinates commercial shoots for a living, has decorated her home with affordable secondhand finds and treasures acquired from shoots.
Home: A wooden house built in 1954 in Paloheinä, Helsinki. 7h + k across three floors, 170 m² (1,830 ft²).
Living here:Meku Kauhanen, children Fiinu, 17, and Pietari, 15, as well as the cats Riemu and Muru. The oldest, Alex, already lives on his own.
The outdoor kitchen was built a few years after the family moved into the house. Every fall, Meku hangs it full of lights, making the space wonderfully inviting even in winter.
The covered outdoor kitchen can be used all year round. “We spend a lot of time out here from spring to fall,” says Meku.
Meku loves lace doilies and uses them for table settings and decorative arrangements. She has collected them from flea markets, and you can never have too many.
“When the kids were little, we lived in a 63-square-meter (680 ft²) three-room apartment in Helsinki’s Käpylä, which was inevitably too cramped for our family of five. We hoped to make the place more functional through renovation. One day, I called my brother to ask for renovation help. He happened to be visiting someone in the Paloheinä neighborhood just then, and I overheard them shouting into the phone: Don’t start renovating; there’s a house for sale here!
Indeed, there was a house in Paloheinä whose owners had recently decided they’d had enough of shoveling snow. I knew them from years back, and we went to see the place. The yard looked barren after winter, but inside, candles were lit and the atmosphere was just lovely. We decided on the spot to buy it.
This extendable corduroy sofa was originally found for a photo shoot, free from a Facebook recycling group. Around it are other pieces that fit the yellow palette. Meku found the snowshoe rattan chairs at a flea market. The wall hanging is from H&M Home. The wooden logs were brought from the family cottage.
Meku lights real candles from fall to spring, and sometimes in summer, too. The flickering glow brings a cozy atmosphere to the home.
The living room’s rough wood wall is adorned by gym bars from an old elementary school, painted black. Meku discovered them when she was picking up something from a recycling group and the seller asked if she needed anything else. She removed the thick varnish and painted the bars white at first, then later black.
In the black metal shelf, Meku stores props for shoots, such as glass dishes, old cutlery, and textiles.
We had to move in during the renovation in progress. We relocated the kitchen, tore down a wall, removed drywall, painted, wallpapered, and replaced all the ceilings.
The living room originally had a standard window. In 2018, I decided to replace it with a floor-to-ceiling window and a glass door opening out to the yard. Before, we had to go around through the front door to get to the yard, but now we can step right out from the living room. Our covered outdoor kitchen is used year-round—we even grill in winter under the string lights. For example, we smoke our Christmas fish out there.
“Candles were lit inside and the ambiance was wonderful. We decided to buy the house on the spot.”
Our home looks completely different from when we first moved in. Back then, everything was stark white—walls, floors, ceilings, and all the furniture. It may be hard to imagine, but I love variety in decor and enjoy many different styles. I’m always busy with some project—wielding a paintbrush, putting up wallpaper, or tearing down a wall. The furniture changes places and drifts from room to room and floor to floor.
The kitchen table was purchased at an atique shop 22 years ago. It was originally a dark mahogany. Meku created a plank-like effect on the table surface by hammering it with a regular hammer and a sledgehammer. The rya rug is from Meku’s childhood home in Sorsakoski. The wall cabinet is from an auction.
The white kitchen is a leftover from the time when the entire home was decorated in white. Meku has many ideas for a kitchen renovation that she’ll carry out when the time is right.
The lime-green fridge is the kitchen’s splash of color. The shelving unit holds Meku’s photography props and coffee supplies.
I never buy anything very valuable for the home. Most of our items are inexpensive secondhand finds or salvaged from dumpsters. We’ve had countless sofas over the years; I’ve lost track of the exact number. Our current sofa was free from a Facebook recycling group. I like that by acquiring furniture cheaply—or even for free—I can change up the look of our home easily and quickly.
“We do have a lot of stuff, no doubt.”
A large part of our household items also serve as my work tools. I run Peanuts, an office that primarily handles production for commercial films and photo shoots. We scout locations, do set design and costumes, cast, and arrange everything needed for a shoot if necessary. When props are needed, I check my own cupboards first. I especially enjoy styling props for food photography, and our kitchen is packed with dishes and supplies suited for food images. I can’t bring myself to throw anything away, because the moment I do, I’ll need it. I’ve also brought home various items from shoots over the years.
The fireplace gives off wonderful warmth during the winter months. On its mantel, there’s a display of candles, mirrors, and a small clay fawn made by Fiinu. The glass bottle is from Meku’s childhood home.
The staircase leading upstairs features a wall of old photographs. Meku crafted fun heart-shaped signs that guide visitors to the home’s bathrooms.
We do indeed have a lot of stuff. When I visit my friends, I’m always impressed by how few things they have. Then I come home and am startled by how much we have, so I try to pare it down, but I find I can’t really live without it.
My interior style is abundant and cozy. What I find horrifying is a white, high-gloss surface with nothing on it. I’m open to various styles, but minimalism just isn’t for me.”
The bed is made from pallets. The bench is from a Facebook recycling group. The lace bedspread is also a secondhand find; Meku dyed it gray. She painted the nightstand gold.
Festivo candleholders are gathered along the bedroom fireplace mantel. All are from Meku’s home village, Sorsakoski. Some come from her childhood home, some from a late friend, and some were purchased from an old manor.
There’s a small secret door between Pietari’s and Fiinu’s rooms, made when the kids were little. The wall on Pietari’s side is painted with chalkboard paint. The rattan chair was salvaged from a dumpster. The chandelier was bought at IKEA about 20 years ago. The cupboard is from Moko. The Desmond bunny on the chair has been beloved by all the kids. The wooden trunk was found at a flea market.
What used to be Fiinu’s room is now a dressing room where Meku’s daughter-in-law often sleeps when visiting. Behind the garment rack is the hidden door that leads to Pietari’s room.
Meku’s most beautiful clothes are displayed on the clothing rack. She collects cowboy boots. The armchair is from Jysk. It was originally purchased for a shoot, and Meku bought it herself once filming was over.
In the downstairs sauna area, the sink cabinet was customized by Meku herself. She searched for years for a suitable sink cabinet within her budget, but never found one she liked. At last, she discovered a metal cabinet with a look she loved, then added a wooden countertop, basin, and faucet, and cut holes for the pipes.
The ground floor of the house is the domain of 17-year-old Fiinu. The mirror evokes a movie star’s dressing room. It was purchased at Clas Ohlson for a shoot, and Meku later bought it herself. Originally white, she painted it black. The sideboard is from Jysk. The rattan chair is a flea market find.
The painting is by Fiinu, a version of John Singer Sargent’s famous painting “Madame X.” The green floor lamp is Swedish design and was found at a flea market for a bargain.
Meku’s office is located where the kitchen used to be. She scouts locations, handles costumes and set design, arranges props, takes care of casting, and organizes makeup for commercial shoots. On the wall are some of Fiinu’s small paintings and drawings. The clay cats were also made by Fiinu when she was little.
