Classic shopping is an art — usually you either have a gift for it or you do not. I fall into the latter category. Ordinarily, I feel lucky if I end up with a funky postcard once I depart a flea market. However, when Jutta Rikola goes vintage shopping, she discovers old army trunks, gold midcentury pendants and immaculate kitchen cabinetry. Almost all of the furniture in her Oulu, Finland, home was salvaged, found at a flea market or given down.
The 1956 house’s design imitates the furniture’s cheerful tribute to the past. Over the previous five decades, Rikola and her husband have discovered the first floors and preserved the walls and floor plan whilst slowly remodeling. “Respecting the history of the home is one of the most important items to keep in mind for us when renovating,” she says.
in a Glance
Who lives here: Jutta Rikola, husband Panu, 1-year-old son and two dogs
Location: Oulu, Finland
Size: 1,100 square feet; two bedrooms, 1 complete bath, 2 half baths, home office
Kootut murut
The couple did most of the job on the kitchen, with the help of a carpenter and close buddy. Rikola chose her favorite color, blue, to contrast with bright whites for a fresh feel.
“Eat” hint: Oh Dier, Etsy; counter: beech, Bauhaus; cabinetry paint: Tikkurila M350
Before Photo
Kootut murut
BEFORE: Small of this preceding kitchen stays. Rikola retained the overall layout but tore out all the outdated cabinetry, countertops and flooring.
Kootut murut
AFTER: Salvaged kitchen chimney saved money — these cabinets price about $200. A little plywood and several coats of paint were all that was required to correct them up.
Tile: Emery et Cie; faucet: Domsjö, Ikea; array hood: Savo
Before Photo
Kootut murut
BEFORE: Although Rikola wanted to brighten up the house, she preserved as many of the previous layers of background as possible under the new remedies.
Kootut murut
AFTER: A vintage pendant, table and seats feel like a natural tribute to the house’s 1950s roots.
Refrigerator: Gorenje
Kootut murut
This kitchen china cupboard was made by Panu’s great-granduncle.
Before Photo
Kootut murut
BEFORE: Structurally the home was in great condition. Despite the 1980s remodel, first details — doors, cut and wood-paneled walls — shone through.
Kootut murut
AFTER: The family’s German shepherd, Muru, sits in the new entryway.
Rikola utilized a traditional pasting way of wheat flour and water to put in the new background. She made the origami-style pendant herself, using cardboard and instructions from Finnish blog Kolmas Kerros.
Background: Grove Garden, Osborne & Little; floor paint: Tikkurila 0405
Before Photo
Kootut murut
BEFORE: The couple lucked out once they found original wood flooring under linoleum and vinyl. The wood just had a little painting and sanding.
Kootut murut
AFTER: Peppy lime-green walls serving the living room with a jolt of modern color. A coordinating room screen made from from cloth and pipes pipes sits on casters, prepared to separate the distance as needed.
Yellow chair: Hee seat, Hay; cloth for partition: Ananas, Marimekko; wall paint: Tikkurila H388
Kootut murut
Initial lighting hangs in several parts of the living space. The daybed is an old hospital mattress in the 1950s, outfitted with a new mattress and a vintage-inspired bedspread.
Bedspread: Ebba, Ellos
Kootut murut
The red hue of a vintage armoire-turned-TV-console stands out from the green walls.
Kootut murut
Mansikki, the family’s other dog, is determined by comfy woven rugs from the living area. The coffee table is a vintage army trunk on casters.
Red facet table: Stone, Kartell; couch-armchair: vintage
Before Photo
Kootut murut
BEFORE: This little butler’s pantry turned into a changing room for the couple’s son.
Kootut murut
AFTER: A colorful wallpaper backsplash has completely altered the space. Beech countertops and a tiny ceramic sink create infant bath time easier.
Background: Paradiset, Josef Frank
Kootut murut
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.
Kootut murut
Contrary to the remainder of the house’s bold colors, the master bedroom’s pastel color palette creates a calming feel.
Pendant: vintage; drapes: Eurokangas
Kootut murut
Rikola, a graphic designer, does the majority of her work in the house office. Her favorite turquoise hue covers the walls.
Wall paint: Tikkurila V370
Kootut murut
“I’m by no way a form-follows-function or less-is-more sort of gal,” says Rikola. “I put beauty over practicality. You need practicality also, but not at the expense of beauty”
Green Paint: Loft Zig-Zag Floor Lamp, Jielde