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An Inspiring Finnish Home With an Element of Surprise

It was such a long while since I featured a Finnish home, wasn't it?! I have absolutely no idea why since I love Finnish style. In fact, one of the highlights of my second book The Scandinavian Home was that I got to visit Finland for the first time and photograph two inspiring homes. Naturally both had saunas (they are such an integral part of daily life that there are said to be more saunas in Finland than cars!) - but with one being in the countryside and one in the city the two styles were very different. The home of interior design and lifestyle blogger Sini Liikala, her husband and two children reminds me very much of the second place we visited. It's modern, bright and minimalist with a beautiful, large open-plan living space.  But it also harbours an element of the unexpected...

In the kitchen, sleek, white kitchen cabinets from Finnish brand Topi Keittiot  (IKEA sells similar) are broken up by a black mat faucet and sink (both Tapwell) . The shelves above are laden with ceramic and glassware including the classic Oiva Stoneware Teapot* by Marimekko (loving the gentle silhouettes).

I like how Sini has combined marble (the large square tiles are from Tarratinta) with wood flooring to create a distinct kitchen zone and add a lorry load of warmth! I'm not sure if you're thinking what I'm thinking: how about stubbing a toe in the night?! On closer inspection however, it looks like the wood floor has a soft gradual edge. The oak bar stools are from Hay and the lights are the Artek A110 pendant (FYI!). 






 "I think our home is quite a typical modern Finnish house. Nowadays people like to build modern houses with big open spaces, large windows and minimalist shapes. Although, I still think our home is quite unique and looks like us."




The family dining area includes some real Scandinavian classics including the Artek beehive light and wishbone chairs. I like how the inclusion of a black chair balances the dining area with the black door behind (US readers - check out Target's budget friendly look alike!). The white storage cabinet in the background (and below) is by Finnish brand Lundia.






"The best thing about our home is that we have a big open space which incorporates a kitchen, dining room and living room. It means we can all be together as a family but there is still enough space for everyone to do their own things if needed."



Despite the open space, Sini has created a cosy spot for the family to relax (I bet it's even toastier when the fire's going!) using layers of textiles (including a Beni ourain rug), plants and a raft of new nordic design pieces such as a pink Ferm Living Plant Box (I've got my eye on that, how about you?!) and the Around coffee table.

"I think that the best interiors come with time, and years bring different interesting layers to it. I usually buy furniture that I hope will last decades and tell the story of our home to our visitors."

 "Every interior guide says that all the rooms should be in 'perfect harmony' with each other to create a complete look. I am quite a 'safe' decorator who loves neutral tones but I wanted to have one room with a completely different look." 


To achieve the darker look,  Sini covered the back wall with bold floral wallpaper from Ellie Cashman Design (if you have the time you must check out this insta feed!). The rest of the room has been painted in Stiffkey Blue from Farrow & Ball. A rattan pendent from Bloomingville, and an IKEA bench and cabinet add a soft, light touch to the overall look.

"I really love our bedroom because it's like going to a completely different land! It's dark and kinda romantic and that's what I like in a bedroom. People are always so surprised when they enter the room! They're like "wow! this is awesome!" it's not what you'd expect from our home when you look at the other rooms. And that's why I love it so much, it's my hidden flower garden."



"We have black window frames so I figured black doors would go well with them. I also wanted to add an 'edge' to the interior since most of our walls are white. I have not regretted them, I love them!"


Thank you so much for inviting us into your home Sini! Love that you have broken the design rules and followed your heart - that's what makes a house a home - don't you think?

If you'd like to know where more of the items give me a shout in the comment section below and I'll do my best to help. Sini is also great at tagging her images over on instagram, so you can always check there too (and see more of her home over on her blog!)!

If you fancy taking a peek at more homes in Finland today, how about this home in a converted factory,  a living space where old meets new and the calm Finnish home of Anna Pirkola. Yup, the Finns know what they're doing when it comes to interiors!

A little bit of Finnish trivia for you too - did you know that when a baby is born in Finland they are given a box which includes every single item thing they might need for the best start in life? The box itself is designed to be slept in too! You can find out more about what it contains and why they provide it here (it makes for a fascinating read!).

Have a lovely day all!

All photography © Sini Liikala shared with kind permission. 

*My Scandinavian Home posts include some affiliate links.

LATEST COMMENTS:

  1. Such a nice text! Thank you for this ❤️

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    1. Thank you for the kind permission to share your lovely home today!

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  2. Perfect! None of the kitchen utensils seems to have use. Suspect.

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    1. Such an eager eye! It could that they're very well look after and not left burning at the bottom of the pan like mine are!

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  3. Hello Nikki! What a beatiful house!!I love the bedroom and the way she breaks total black and white look. Very inspiring!

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    1. Happy you enjoyed today's tour. I love these twists too!

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  5. Hi nikki, I live in Edinburgh, and I believe new parents in Scotland now receive a similar box. It's a great idea, isn't it? Love your blog,especially liked your new bedroom colors!

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    1. I didn't know that (I also used to live in Edinburgh but it was a while ago now), so great that Scotland is also giving out a similar box!

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  6. This is a beautiful and inspiring home. I wish those kitchen shelves were in my budget; they look great in pretty much any room.

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    1. I love the shelves too. I think it would be possible to receive similar results with some basic white shelves :)

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  7. Thank you for this tour - I just love it! When we're ready, we'd love you to feature our Scandi home (built on Vancouver Island) - for now, we get so many great ideas here! Thank you.

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    1. I would so love to see more / hear about your project - how exciting!

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  8. I love this home. Does anyone know if that beautiful rattan IKEA cabinet is ever coming to the US?

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    1. I'm not sure actually - it's called the 'STOCKHOLM 2017 Cabinet' - I hope this helps your search. It's such a great piece!

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  9. If possible, can you share sources for some of the stone/cook ware above the sink? I'm loving the salt and pepper mills, small storage pink and black containers and, well...all of it! As an aside, we're due for new dishes in our house. We go for simple white ones with a touch of modern style in edges or other ways. Any recs? Thanks for any help you can offer!

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    1. Hi Rachel - I know what you mean, I love ALL the items above her sink! if you're on Instagram the best would be for you to nip over to her feed and find one of the pictures of her kitchen, she's great at tagging products. As a quick guide the items appear to be a mix of Marimekko, Menu (the black and white vessels on the worktop), Tuias (love these Finnish handcrafted ceramics), the pink dishes are from Zone Denmark. Hope this helps!

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  10. I love the way the black doors are made to really feature as part of the composition of the room, it really works... it's strange how we use less furnishing materials, curtains, carpets etc in the colder countries, I personally like the look and understand we need all the light we can get, nonetheless it's odd when we really need comfort and warmth.

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