When you step into this small Finnish cottage, it feels like you’re stepping back in time. Flowered wallpaper, an old stove, mid-20th century furniture… And in the kitchen, instead of modern appliances, there’s a samovar and a hand-cranked coffee grinder. The old-fashioned interior is the work of the…

I love watching how simple people live — what kind of houses and apartments they have, how they arrange their life, what furniture they buy, and how they make their modest homes cozy with affordable things. Such stories always inspire me — first, you can find interesting ideas…

Today, I’ll tell you about a couple who rent an apartment in Helsinki. They renovated it at their own expense and furnished it with second-hand items bought at flea markets and through ads. “Our friends asked why we were renovating someone else’s property. For us, it was natural.…

It’s not often that you meet people who voluntarily move from a big city to a village. Those who make such a drastic change in their lives often face misunderstanding from relatives and criticism from acquaintances. The main complaints are that the parents didn’t think about their children,…

This two-story wooden house is located in the provincial Finnish town of Loviisa, which has a population of only 15,000 people. Here’s what the streets of Loviisa look like. There aren’t many attractions, but the town attracts many people with its slow-paced life and proximity to the sea.…

Both well into their 70s, they took a big risk and completely changed their lives. The elderly couple moved to the capital, quickly settled in, and now live just a two-minute walk away from their children and grandchildren. “Our son lives in the house opposite, and our daughter…

People can be divided into two categories. Some love big cities, the constant hustle and bustle, morning subway rides, and developed infrastructure. But for others, that kind of life is pure torture; they’d prefer the predictable life in the countryside to any bustling metropolis. That’s exactly what the…

While some dream of escaping from the provinces, others without much thought exchange city life for a peaceful existence far from skyscrapers, noisy highways, and perpetual rush. Today, I want to tell you just such a story. A few years ago, a young family from Helsinki surprised all…

This triangular house is nestled in Lapland, standing alone amidst the forest. For miles around, there is not a soul in sight, and even the residents of the nearest settlements (which are a 20-30 minute drive away) are unaware of the existence of this woodland gem. “In this…

This 1920s-built house sits in the quaint Finnish town of Heinola, home to approximately 18,000 people. Once owned by the father of the renowned Finnish singer Irwin Goodman, the house has a rich history. The oldest part of the building was constructed in 1925, and decades later, in…