Artful living

Finnish visual artist Oona-Maija sleeps in the living room: “My parents also slept in the living room of my childhood home”

In visual artist Oona-Maija Hyle’s family home, one of the bedrooms is dedicated to art. Renovations have been done creatively on a small budget by painting cabinets, doors, and floors.

Author Anna Riikonen

Images Anna Riikonen

January 5, 2026Lue suomeksi

The shelf is from Oona-Maija’s childhood home. The lamp is from the Elegantik vintage shop. The mermaid poster is from Come to Finland. The baskets are flea-market finds. The vegetable-themed painting was painted by Oona-Maija.

Having a studio connected to the home is a lifesaver for a mother of small children. It makes it possible to squeeze in short painting sessions, for example during the youngest one’s nap time.

Our home: A two-bedroom apartment in a building from 1982 in Espoo, Finland. 83 m² (about 895 square feet).

Who lives here: Visual artist Oona-Maija Hyle, partner Juha Paulamäki and sons Eino and Iivo.

Follow on social: @oona_maija_art

Oona, how has your home’s layout changed over the years?

When we moved here about four years ago, our firstborn Eino was two. We chose what is now the kids’ room as our bedroom, and Eino got the smaller room, which is now where my studio is. When Iivo was born, we switched rooms so the boys would have more space.

We squeezed my workspace into our small bedroom, but as my painting picked up, it started to feel cramped. I suggested to Juha that we move our bed into a corner of the living room so one of the bedrooms could be a studio. A sleeping nook defined by a Lundia bookcase fits beautifully into our roomy living room. My parents also slept in the living room in my childhood home, so it feels perfectly natural. I love that our home adapts to many needs.

Oona-Maija, Iivo, Eino, and Juha enjoy a sofa that Oona-Maija assembled from a daybed found at a thrift store and a bench bought from a recycling center. She sewed the slipcovers from old linen tablecloths sourced at flea markets. Oona-Maija painted stripes on a rice-paper shade from Rusta with acrylic paint.

”We’ve also stripped wallpaper and painted the walls, interior doors with their frames, and the kitchen cabinets.”

What kind of renovations have you done?

We’ve done only surface-level updates on a modest budget. I’ve painted the dark laminate floors installed by the previous resident to a light color. Under the laminate lies the original mosaic parquet, which I dream of uncovering someday. We’ve also removed wallpaper and painted the walls, the interior doors and frames, and the kitchen cabinets. When we moved in, I covered the large mirrored closets in the entryway and kids’ room with a dc-fix film that mimics birch veneer.

The kitchen cabinets were in good shape, but Oona-Maija wasn’t fond of their stark white. She first painted the doors pale green and, about a year later, deep blue. The cabinets got their current hues a couple of years ago. The knobs were swapped for ceramic ones, too.

The kitchen table and wall shelf are from Oona-Maija’s childhood home. The painting on the shelf is from Oona-Maija’s paternal grandmother. The Artek chairs are from Oona-Maija’s sister. The lampshade was found at Clas Ohlson.

How would you describe your home’s decor?

My sister once described our style as “grandma’s cottage meets the ’70s,” and I think that’s pretty spot on. I love layers and the kind of beauty that’s a little rough around the edges, a little lived-in.

The workspace in the studio is mostly used by Juha. The desk came from Oona-Maija’s sister. The chair is from Ikea, and its cushions are seat pads found at a recycling center. The statue is a flea-market find. The textile on the wall was bought at a charity shop.

”I love hunting for treasures at flea markets.”

What’s your decorating style like?

I like muted tones and earthy materials, like old ceramics and baskets. Dings and chips don’t bother me—on the contrary, I find them interesting. Flea markets, vintage shops, and recycling centers are dear places to me. Before the kids were born, I worked at a Fida charity shop and I really loved the job. Working there left a strong mark on me and shaped what I find appealing and interesting even today. I love hunting for treasures at flea markets, but since I can’t own everything myself, starting a vintage shop feels like a tempting idea.

Eino had long dreamed of a space-themed mobile. The Ikea bed was painted with Rust-Oleum furniture paint in the shade Belgrave. The Lundia dresser is from Juha’s parents. The rug is from the Tori online marketplace.

The boys love playing with the dollhouse. The dollhouse is from Oona-Maija’s childhood home.

Eino and Iivo share the larger bedroom. Eino loves drawing and painting, and the walls have filled with his work. The pink frames hold a poster by Marika Maijala. The wall is painted in Rusta’s Innocent Blue.

”The sleeping nook defined by a Lundia bookcase settled beautifully into our spacious living room. I love that our home is so versatile.”

Have you always enjoyed making things with your hands?

My favorite pastime as a child was playing with the dollhouse—I’d rearrange it a different way every day. I made wallpaper for it and changed its decor with the seasons. I also hand-sewed clothes for my Barbies. As a kid, I didn’t so much “play” as tinker with things. I still love building little vignettes, moving objects around, and playing with our home’s decor.

I’m naturally quick to get excited, and we often have several projects going at once at home. Unfinished doesn’t bother me—it’s part of life. Home is a place that doesn’t need to be “done.” What matters most is that it feels good and safe to be there.