{"id":4572,"date":"2022-02-25T10:00:23","date_gmt":"2022-02-25T09:00:23","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.homesandantiques.com\/?p=27043"},"modified":"2022-02-25T10:30:38","modified_gmt":"2022-02-25T09:30:38","slug":"an-vintage-filled-farmhouse-restoration-in-finland","status":"publish","type":"rss_feed","link":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/homesantiques\/rss_feed\/an-vintage-filled-farmhouse-restoration-in-finland\/","title":{"rendered":"An vintage-filled farmhouse restoration in Finland"},"content":{"rendered":"

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By Molly Malsom\n \t\t<\/p>

Published: Friday, 25 February 2022 at 12:00 am<\/p>

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\u2018We knew right away that it was meant to be,\u2019 says interior architect, Ilkka M\u00e4lki\u00e4inen, recalling his first visit to the farmhouse in western Finland that he and his partner, architect Janne Kupiainen, have been restoring since 2008.<\/p>\n

The couple had been looking for a restoration<\/a> project for several years without much success, but on arriving at the property, which dates back to 1800 and was converted into a house in the 1920s, they knew their search was finally over. Externally, the traditional wooden building, with its painted tongue and groove panels and pretty dormer windows, was picture book perfect. Inside, however, it was another story. \u2018The house hadn\u2019t been lived in for several decades,\u2019 Ilkka explains. \u2018The ceilings had been lowered in the 1970s and there were tons of layers of ugly and inappropriate materials.\u2019<\/p>\n

Despite the lack of a bathroom or access to running water, dodgy electrics and a general air of abandonment, the building was structurally sound and exactly the challenge they were looking for. Basic renovations took a year to complete and, during that time, the hidden beauty of the house was revealed \u2013 ceilings were restored to their original heights, old lino was pulled up exposing original floorboards, layers and layers of wallpaper were peeled away and a bathroom<\/a> was installed. As work progressed, they decided that decorative plans for the house should be guided by the simple lines of the period features they were revealing. Walls would be painted rather than papered as they had been in the past, in order to focus attention on the couple\u2019s collections instead.<\/p>\n

Twelve years on and the ground floor is almost complete. The rooms radiate from a central entrance hall, leading off in three directions in the manner of a stately home<\/a>, and offer impressive views through aligned doorways when the doors are open. But the visual spectacle of each door framing the room beyond was something of a challenge when it came to decorating \u2013 decisions for individual rooms had to be made with adjoining spaces in mind. As an interior architect, colour is very much Ilkka\u2019s department and he was in charge of the palette used throughout the house. \u2018I go by a rule that there can be a maximum of five basic colours used in the whole house,\u2019 he says.<\/p>\n

His preference is for muted hues with a hint of black, he explains: \u2018They are more flattering than bright, clean tones.\u2019 The paint shades in each room were carefully chosen to complement both the architectural details and the textiles and antiques<\/a> they individually contain. Another of Ilkka\u2019s rules is that only sofas<\/a> and beds should be new when bought. Apart from a pair of bedside tables and the kitchen cabinets, which the couple designed themselves, almost everything in the house is vintage<\/a> or antique, found at auction or from dealers<\/a> and flea markets<\/a>. The walls\nare hung with architectural prints, gilt-framed mirrors<\/a> and ornate 18th and early 19th-century clocks, which are something of a passion for Janne. \u2018They are full of details such as columns and cornices, or animals. I admire the craftsmanship required to create them,\u2019 he says.<\/p>\n

Ilkka\u2019s taste is more eclectic and he is a fan of creating \u2018surprise moments here and there\u2019, he says, explaining that his surprises often take the form of vignettes that feature interesting things from very different eras. This approach is evident throughout the house: in the sitting room, a taxidermy pheasant strides alongside a Bitossi lamp, in a corner of the dining room a pair of Philippe Starck Ghost chairs are grouped with a 19th-century sofa reupholstered in a bold Ikea stripe. \u2018I always say that decoration should not be that serious,\u2019 he says.<\/p>\n

Plush, luxurious bedrooms<\/a> are part of his signature style. \u2018There can never be enough blankets, throws<\/a> and pillows!\u2019 he says. The aesthetic mix is underpinned by the couple\u2019s careful positioning of mirrors, chairs and lighting<\/a>, all of which bring symmetry and balance to the rooms. \u2018Janne believes that mirrors and chairs only come in pairs,\u2019 Ilkka laughs.<\/p>\n

The couple are now embarking on the second phase of their \u2018never-ending\u2019 renovation project: more guest bedrooms and a bathroom upstairs. Time spent with friends is part of the charm of country living, they explain, and sharing the fruits of their labour is what makes it all worthwhile.<\/p>\n

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