Some people have a way of filling an entire space with their personality. You walk into their home and it feels almost like a tour through the most private corners of their world.
Nothing is random. Every object has a story, and every piece of furniture seems to reveal something about the person who lives there. Walking from room to room, looking at the interiors and the things they have collected, you gradually get a sense of the homeowner herself.
This home in the small Finnish town of Porvoo, about a 40-minute drive from Helsinki, is exactly that kind of place. It is unusual both inside and out. Its owner, 68-year-old Marjo Lehtosalo, has created an atmosphere that closely reflects her own personality and imagination.
This is the home where Marjo lives.
She bought the house in the early 2000s. At the time, it looked very different: small, worn-out, and decidedly old-fashioned. The building dates back to 1912.
A few years after buying it, Marjo and her then-partner began a major renovation that eventually lasted seven years, from 2008 to 2015. They worked gradually, tackling projects whenever they had enough money to move on to the next stage.
Although Marjo is retired, she still describes herself as an entrepreneur. She is officially registered as one and pays taxes on her income. Her business is a small labor of love: she makes candles and holds workshops for people in her town. It is interesting work, though hardly lucrative.
During the renovation, the house grew from just 50 square meters to 127 square meters (approximately 1,367 square feet), finally making it comfortable enough for year-round living.
Marjo designed the entire interior herself, without worrying about trends or IKEA.
The house now has four rooms, a kitchen, a veranda, and its own sauna.
And here is Marjo herself—just as colorful and distinctive as her home. Every candle you see throughout the house was made by her.
“The flickering of candlelight is the most beautiful part of an interior,” Marjo says.
Friends and acquaintances love visiting Marjo’s home. They enjoy wandering through the rooms and looking at all the unusual objects, although many admit they could never imagine living in a space like this themselves.
That is perhaps the secret of the house. It wasn’t designed to be universally appealing. It belongs entirely to Marjo, and every room reflects one very particular personality. Naturally, it feels most comfortable to her.
The beautiful chairs in the living room are actually outdoor furniture. Marjo brought them inside for the winter one year and eventually decided to keep them there. She made the purple cushions herself.
“My home is a lot like me,” Marjo says. “It’s funny, but male guests often say there is some kind of mystical atmosphere here. Women tend to react differently. They usually like the house even more.”
An old wood-burning stove that is still fully functional takes center stage in the kitchen. Marjo lives alone, so she rarely cooks and usually keeps meals simple.
As for the supposed mystical atmosphere, I have to agree with the men. There is definitely something unusual about this place. Maybe it’s the candles, the low light, or the combination of both.
Another of Marjo’s passions is beautiful vintage tableware, which she has been collecting for many years.
In her younger years, Marjo traveled extensively on her own, exploring India and other parts of Asia. As a result, the house is filled with decorative details inspired by Eastern cultures.
Marjo painted the checkerboard floor herself. She also chose the wall color, mixing several paints until she achieved exactly the shade of pink she wanted. At dusk, the color takes on a distinctly purple hue.
The living room is my favorite part of the house. There is something almost magical about the atmosphere here.
The house originally had no fireplace. Marjo added one simply because she wanted one.
Lighting the stove and spending time in this living room are among her favorite things to do.
Scandinavian homes often have white-painted floors, but Marjo chose a very subtle shade of purple instead. It is another small detail that makes the house unmistakably hers.
The living room leads into the only bedroom in the house through a set of double glass doors.
This is Marjo’s bedroom. Pink fading into purple seems to be her favorite color combination. The iron bed dates approximately to the 19th century, while the unusual chandelier above it once belonged to Marjo’s mother, who bought it in the 1930s.
There is no traditional bathroom in the house. Instead, Marjo has a sauna.
And that brings us to the end of this tour of a house that was once a tiny, crumbling cottage.
I hope you enjoyed taking a look at the home of such an unconventional homeowner.
Photography: Timo Pyykkö
