Anna has brought the sunshine into her bright and vibrant Nordic home
I’m excited to announce that I will be featuring a vibrant Nordic home on my blog every couple of months. The very first home belongs to Anna and her partner in Finland. Anna’s colourful Scandinavian interior stopped me in my tracks when I came across her account on Instagram. She has skilfully combined minimal, paired-back Scandinavian style with bright and cheerful pops of yellow, vintage furniture and retro pieces. I interviewed Anna to find out more about her home, style and inspiration.
HOUSE TOUR & INTERVIEW
Could you tell me a bit about yourself?
My name is Anna Kokkonen and I live in south-west of Finland with my partner and two cats. I’m a nursery teacher and I really like my job. In my spare time I love browsing second-hand shops, spending time at home and undertaking various home improvement projects.
Where do you live?
We live in a traditional ‘rintamamiestalo’ just outside Kokemäki town centre. Rintamamiestalo is a design classic in Finland from mid last century. It’s a style of detached, wooden house built all over the country for returning soldiers and their families after the Second World War.
How would you describe your interior style?
My interior style is a mix of old and new. I like adding layers such as vintage furniture and elements that match the style of the house, and then blend in design items and colour. And indeed, I have sourced most of our furniture and Finnish design pieces from flea markets and second-hand shops.
Did you have to do a lot of work to your home to achieve the current look?
The house was in original condition when we bought it as was our preference. We wanted to start with a clean slate so that we didn’t need to tear down any recent refurbishments and we could choose all the materials ourselves. We selected interior surfaces that I believe go well with the style of the house and are breathable. It was important for us to keep the original layout intact so that the iconic design would remain recognisable also inside the house. Consequently, we didn’t remove any walls or change the rooms around. Almost the entire house was renovated including wiring, pipes and drainage. We even restored the original masonry stoves, revealed the old wooden floorboards and sourced a traditional AGA style cooker for the kitchen. We renovated the house for a whole year before we were able to move in.
Where do you find inspiration for your interior design?
I get a lot of inspiration from Instagram and interior design magazines.
Where do you source most of your pieces from?
I love visiting flea markets and keeping an eye on second-hand shops online. My favourite interior design shops are without a doubt Katoko and Finnish Design Shop.
In which room do you spend most of your time?
I probably spent most of my time in the kitchen, my favourite room in the house. I like cooking and the kitchen island is where I have a cuppa with my friends.
What is your favourite piece of furniture or item in your home?
I have several favourites; all the vintage Artek furniture is particularly close to my heart. I’m more attached to second-hand bargains than to items that I’ve bought new. One of my favourite pieces is the Domus chair by Artek in our dining room and also the Bumling pendant light by Atelje Lyktan in the master bedroom.
Is there still something you want to change in your home?
Next on the list are the bathrooms, sauna and the utility room as they haven’t been touched yet. We also have loads of plans for our garden but we’ll see when we get round to implement them. I’m dreaming of a greenhouse made with old glass panels and a little garden room.
Describe your dream home?
My dream home is without a doubt an old wooden house. So, the next house of my dreams would be an even older, large log building on a sizeable plot in an ideal location.
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Thank you so much Anna for introducing your beautiful, vibrant Nordic home to us!
Photography: Anna Kokkonen
