15 Jun Creative Decor – Finnish Century-Old House Comes to Life
Niina and Veli-Pekka Koivula live in the village of Rauma Kolla, Finland. Since the couple’s children have all grown up and moved out, they now live with their dog trio: Lyyti, Namu and Elmo. Built in the 1920s, their 861sqft (80sqm) house has an interior decorated with lots of DIYs made from flea market finds, many great gifts from friends, as well as some new items only where necessary. Although the charming house’s old age has some inconveniences (such as the petite size of its indoor space, outdated water lines etc.), it has taught Niina and Veli-Pekka to slow down and be creative with living space extensions. For example, they had plans for making an outdoor barbecue place, which now turned into a covered “summer kitchen” with antique shutters and logs as side walls. Read on to find out how this Finnish couple transformed their century-old house into a cozy, rustic, country-romantic home. (Cover Photo Source: Hanne Manelius for Meilla Kotona)
A semi-outdoor extension is built connecting to the outer wall. With the foreground of flowering rockery plants, the red barn looks radiant.
Source: Hanne Manelius for Meilla Kotona
Source: Hanne Manelius for Meilla Kotona
The summer kitchen has transparent roof coverings, which makes it a semi-outdoor area that’s nice to sit in even on rainy days. The table top is made of an old door. Antique windows are embedded in piles of wood logs letting more natural light in.
Source: Hanne Manelius for Meilla Kotona
Source: Hanne Manelius for Meilla Kotona
Source: Hanne Manelius for Meilla Kotona
The foyer used to be a bedroom, which is now decorated with recycled furniture. The living room is full of roses — both on the wallpaper and in the vase.
Source: Hanne Manelius for Meilla Kotona
Source: Hanne Manelius for Meilla Kotona
A bright kitchen with a cozy dining area is the their favourite spot at home. The kitchen may not be spacious, but it has all the necessities in their own places. By the dining table, a few different chairs are put together and turned into a fun bench.
Source: Hanne Manelius for Meilla Kotona
Source: Hanne Manelius for Meilla Kotona
Source: Hanne Manelius for Meilla Kotona
Little DIY decor pieces add interesting details and personal touches to the home. We especially adore this cactus ferris wheel made from recycled materials such as tin cans, metal cupcake molds, and an old bicycle wheel. The concrete lace lamp shade in the kitchen is also made by Niina.
Source: Hanne Manelius for Meilla Kotona
Source: Hanne Manelius for Meilla Kotona
Source: Hanne Manelius for Meilla Kotona
In the bedroom, the frame of an old pull-out sofa-bed has turned into a headboard, and reclaimed barn wood into curtain rods. Turquoise accessories highlight the neutral colour scheme with liveliness. Antique doors are made into sliding doors for the wardrobe, and a chair is fixed on the wall to be a coat rack alternative for nightgowns.
Source: Hanne Manelius for Meilla Kotona
Source: Hanne Manelius for Meilla Kotona
What used to be their children’s room is now a guest room as well as Niina’s craft room. A fun wall clock and the cute pillows on the bed tell us that someone in the family must be a marathoner. Old cabinets are combined together to form an effective storage system, keeping Niina’s craft supplies in a decorative way. Antique books are displayed in a stack between an old wooden press. The wall is papered with pages of old books, making the space look appropriately homey and handcrafted.
Source: Hanne Manelius for Meilla Kotona
Source: Hanne Manelius for Meilla Kotona
Source: Hanne Manelius for Meilla Kotona
Source: Hanne Manelius for Meilla Kotona
Source: Hanne Manelius for Meilla Kotona
▼Create the look of Niina’s home with these great products:
(Left to right, top to bottom)
Old Rustic Barn Window Frame
Matos Metal Ferris Wheel Iron Pot Planter
Countryside Adamstown Vintage Newspaper 3D Embossed Wallpaper
Vasser Rustic Hanging Shuttered Wall Shelf
*Disclosure: Our articles may contain affiliate links. If you buy something through one of these links, you won’t pay a penny more, but we will receive a small commission to keep us going. Thanks for your support!