Valpuri's 1950s apartment looks just like grandma's: “Ryijy tapestries, carpets, and vintage clothes are my passion”
Childhood Saturday flea market visits with her mother made a lasting impression on Valpuri Liimatainen. This visual designer is like a treasure hunter who can’t resist art, ceramics, and Finnish designer clothing.
Valpuri Liimatainen visits the Metka flea market in the Vallila neighborhood of Helsinki near her home every day. She has brought home old paintings, graphic prints, Finnish vintage ceramics, and furniture. When this graphic designer had to skip her favorite flea market for a week because of a cold, the manager admitted he was worried about her absence.
Her partner Tuomo is also a collector, much to Valpuri’s delight. His extensive vinyl record collection outnumbers the Finnish designer clothes Valpuri has acquired secondhand, which she often shows to her Instagram followers.
The backdrop for her Instagram photos is the living room, decorated with art, rich textiles, and secondhand furniture. The windows of this 74-square-meter three-room apartment, built in 1953, face a large old courtyard tree that Valpuri admires in spring with her four-year-old Olga. The mother and daughter love watching which branch the birds choose for their nest.
“I love grandma style: old display cabinets, antique side tables, art, and small lamps with interesting bases and pleated shades.
One of my favorite things to do is hang paintings. The living room wall features old paintings and graphics from different decades. I arrange variously sized pieces on the wall, and whenever I find a new piece at a flea market, I adjust the arrangement.
When I was a child, I spent Saturdays at the Myyrmäki ice rink flea market with my mother and aunt. It made a lasting impression on me. I feel like I can always find treasures at the flea market.
I’ve always loved reading interior design magazines, and I often took them as gifts for my partner Tuomo’s grandmother, who was passionate about crafts and design. She adored Avotakka and could read late into the night. She has passed away, but she would have been thrilled to know our home is featured in Avotakka.”
“Japanese aesthetics are close to my heart. It might show more in how I dress than in how I decorate. We took a family trip to Japan and visited Tokyo, Kyoto, and Osaka. I was fascinated by how suburban residents could make their living area look so beautiful, for example by arranging plants on tiny outdoor plots.
I also find Japanese graphic warning signs adorable. The sign for closing elevator doors is depicted by two crabs pinching together.
You can see Japan’s influence in my ever-changing table displays, where I combine ceramics and colored glass. I always have cut flowers in vases, and the window sills are filled with trailing houseplants.
I fell for Japan’s earthy ceramics, which is why I collect old Kupittaan Savi and Pentik cups and bowls in my display cabinet.
I don’t worry much about whether items or artworks of different styles match. I like a spontaneous approach to decorating and often move items and paintings around.”
“I couldn’t imagine living in a home without a bookshelf.”
“I couldn’t imagine living in a home without a bookshelf. I read a lot, and if I kept every book I’ve ever read, we’d run out of shelf space. I regularly take books to the recycling spot at the Vallila Library, yet our shelves are always full.
I love Elena Ferrante’s Naples trilogy, which has a permanent place on our shelves. We also have many art and cookbooks, but they’re not organized in any logical order, and even less by color.
My favorite pastime is reading in a sleeper from Ahti Taskinen’s Easy collection. I got it through commercial collaboration, which I do with ethical and responsible Finnish brands. I’m still looking for a vintage reading lamp to go with it.”
“I started posting photos of myself and my home on my @valpur Instagram account a couple of years ago, when I got tired of wearing pajamas during the Covid era. I wanted to cheer up myself, and others, by dressing in vibrant secondhand Marimekko, Vuokko, and Samuji pieces I had found.
I hope my Instagram posts encourage people to see how easy it is to find high-quality, unique clothes—and also furniture—in secondhand shops. Fast fashion and throwaway decor really bother me.
“Old ryijy tapestries and rugs are, along with clothes, my great passion. They add a warm, cozy feel to the home.”
Old ryijy tapestries and rugs are, along with clothes, my great passion. They add a warm, cozy feel to the home. We have colorful ryijy pillows and wall tapestries woven by Tuomo’s grandmother, and other relatives of Tuomo also weave ryijy rugs. We got the one in the living room as a wedding gift from his godmother, although we haven’t had the wedding yet because Covid forced us to postpone it two years ago.
I like Oriental rugs because they’re large, colorful, and practically last forever. The big carpets also help muffle the creaking of our old wooden floors. I’ve found some wonderful rugs on Tori.”
Daughter’s small, colorful atelier
“I draw every day with Olga, and she’s formed into an enthusiastic artist. We draw at the breakfast table on weekends, and during the week Olga often asks if we’re having ‘drawing porridge’ today.
I’ve put Olga’s drawings on one wall of her room, and we rotate them whenever she paints something new. Arranging them all on a single wall creates a fun, wallpaper-like look.
All of Olga’s furniture is from flea markets. The 1950s side tables and shelving units have the perfect proportions for a child’s room.
I don’t refurbish old furniture. The dings and scratches tell their story. Olga decides for herself how to use them in her play.”
3 × Valpuri’s Helsinki treasure trove
1. Fasaani Antik & Helsinki Secondhand
“An inspiring place with lovely textiles, unusual objects, glass, ceramics, and wooden cabinets.”
2. Fida thrift stores (locations around Finland)
“A paradise for clothing enthusiasts. They offer a wide range of clothes, and I’ve found Vuokko dresses there. If you’re hunting for a specific vintage item, you have to be patient and visit often.”
3. Metka self-service flea market
“My favorite flea market. I stop by every day and know the sellers. Besides children’s clothing, Metka has wonderful old paintings, ornaments, and dishes.”
