Houzz Tours
Decorating Guides
Houzz Tour: Flea Market Decor Done Right in Finland
Forget fusty and dusty. Secondhand finds in this home are as bright and cheery as if they just stepped off the showroom floor
Vintage shopping is an art — usually you either have a talent for it or you don't. I fall into the latter category. Generally, I feel lucky if I end up with a funky postcard when I leave a flea market. But when Jutta Rikola goes vintage shopping, she discovers old army trunks, golden midcentury pendants and pristine kitchen cabinetry. Almost all the furniture in her Oulu, Finland, home has been salvaged, found at a flea market or handed down.
The 1956 home's architecture mimics the furniture's cheerful tribute to the past. Over the past five years, Rikola and her husband have uncovered the original floors and preserved the walls and floor plan while slowly remodeling. "Respecting the history of the house is one of the most important things to keep in mind for us when renovating," she says.
Houzz at a Glance
Who lives here: Jutta Rikola, husband Panu, 1-year-old son and 2 dogs
Location: Oulu, Finland
Size: 1,100 square feet; 2 bedrooms, 1 full bathroom, 2 half baths, home office
The 1956 home's architecture mimics the furniture's cheerful tribute to the past. Over the past five years, Rikola and her husband have uncovered the original floors and preserved the walls and floor plan while slowly remodeling. "Respecting the history of the house is one of the most important things to keep in mind for us when renovating," she says.
Houzz at a Glance
Who lives here: Jutta Rikola, husband Panu, 1-year-old son and 2 dogs
Location: Oulu, Finland
Size: 1,100 square feet; 2 bedrooms, 1 full bathroom, 2 half baths, home office
BEFORE: Little of this previous kitchen remains. Rikola retained the general layout but tore out all of the outdated cabinetry, countertops and flooring.
AFTER: Salvaged kitchen cabinetry saved money — these cabinets cost about $200. A little plywood and several coats of paint were all that was needed to fix them up.
Tile: Emery et Cie; sink: Domsjö, Ikea; range hood: Savo
Tile: Emery et Cie; sink: Domsjö, Ikea; range hood: Savo
BEFORE: Although Rikola wanted to brighten up the home, she preserved as many of the old layers of wallpaper as possible underneath the new treatments.
AFTER: A vintage pendant, table and chairs feel like a natural tribute to the home's 1950s roots.
Refrigerator: Gorenje
Refrigerator: Gorenje
This kitchen china cabinet was made by Panu's great-granduncle.
BEFORE: Structurally the house was in great condition. Despite the 1980s remodel, original details — doors, trim and wood-paneled walls — shone through.
AFTER: The family's German shepherd, Muru, sits in the new entryway.
Rikola used a traditional pasting method of wheat flour and water to install the new wallpaper. She also made the origami-style pendant herself, using cardboard and instructions from Finnish blog Kolmas Kerros.
Wallpaper: Grove Garden, Osborne & Little; floor paint: Tikkurila 0405
Rikola used a traditional pasting method of wheat flour and water to install the new wallpaper. She also made the origami-style pendant herself, using cardboard and instructions from Finnish blog Kolmas Kerros.
Wallpaper: Grove Garden, Osborne & Little; floor paint: Tikkurila 0405
BEFORE: The couple lucked out when they discovered original wood flooring underneath linoleum and vinyl. The hardwood just needed a little sanding and painting.
AFTER: Peppy lime-green walls dose the living room with a jolt of modern color. A coordinating room screen made from from fabric and plumbing pipes sits on casters, ready to separate the space as needed.
Yellow chair: Hee chair, Hay; fabric for partition: Ananas, Marimekko; wall paint: Tikkurila H388
Yellow chair: Hee chair, Hay; fabric for partition: Ananas, Marimekko; wall paint: Tikkurila H388
Original lighting hangs in several parts of the living room. The daybed is an old hospital bed from the 1950s, outfitted with a new mattress and a vintage-inspired bedspread.
Bedspread: Ebba, Ellos
Bedspread: Ebba, Ellos
The red hue of a vintage armoire-turned-TV-console stands out against the green walls.
Mansikki, the family's other dog, lies on comfy woven rugs in the living room. The coffee table is a vintage army trunk on casters.
Red side table: Stone, Kartell; couch-armchair: vintage
Red side table: Stone, Kartell; couch-armchair: vintage
BEFORE: This small butler's pantry became a changing room for the couple's son.
AFTER: A colorful wallpaper backsplash has completely transformed the space. Beech countertops and a small ceramic sink make baby bath time easier.
Wallpaper: Paradiset, Josef Frank
Wallpaper: Paradiset, Josef Frank
The cabinetry in the changing room was recycled from the kitchen. The framed pants hanging on the wall belonged to Panu when he was little.
Unlike the rest of the home's bold colors, the master bedroom's pastel color palette creates a soothing feel.
Pendant: vintage; curtains: Eurokangas
Pendant: vintage; curtains: Eurokangas
Rikola, a graphic designer, does most of her work in the home office. Her favorite turquoise hue covers the walls.
Wall paint: Tikkurila V370
Wall paint: Tikkurila V370
"I'm by no means a form-follows-function or less-is-more kind of gal," says Rikola. "I put beauty over practicality. You need practicality too, but not at the expense of beauty."
Green lamp: Loft Zig-Zag Floor Lamp, Jielde
Green lamp: Loft Zig-Zag Floor Lamp, Jielde
"Eat" sign: Oh Dier, Etsy; counter: beech, Bauhaus; cabinetry paint: Tikkurila M350