Art and textiles bring warmth to this carefully curated home

When two minimalists moved in together, they decorated their shared home with a discerning eye and understated elegance. Warmth and coziness are added to the overall look by large textile surfaces, the patina of the furniture, and art.

HOW TO CREATE the atmosphere of home in a rental flat when you cannot decide on fixtures, surface materials or even the color of the walls? Heli Juuti and her partner were thinking a lot about that when they moved together into a new home.

“Rental housing provides a pretty tight framework for home furnishings. The rental terms of the flat include, for example, a ban on painting the walls. It was quite a challenge to make the home look our own. The art, textiles and furniture took the center stage,” Heli says.

The couple’s 70-square-meter flat, is located in a housing building from the 1960s in Laajasalo, Helsinki. The residential area is built loosely in the middle of a large forest area, typical of suburban construction of the time. The view from the windows is green, no sounds of the city can be heard inside the flat.

The couple usually carefully consider what kind of objects they acquire around them.

The interior of the 1960s flat has been designed to be simple and clear: each everyday activity has its own separate space. The couple’s minimalist and harmonious style has been adapted to the stripped-down architecture of the time. Furniture and belongings are scarce and placed loosely in the premises.

The couple, also working with design, usually carefully consider what kind of objects they acquire around them.

“The acquisition of goods is accompanied by the responsibility of ownership. Every purchase is already a tricky commitment, as getting rid of unused or otherwise extra items can be laborious. This leaves stuff in corners and in the back of the cupboard. We had to make some purchases for this flat, as we moved from two ascetically decorated studios to these around 70 square metres,” Heli says.

Heli, who describes herself as a dilettante organizer, regularly takes inventory of the home, meaning even minor unused items end in circulation or as donations. She finds organizing things very meditative.

Another striking feature of the couple’s home comes with the harmonious color scale. Almost all household items are either different shades of off-white and beige, or made of natural materials such as stone, wood and linen.

When all items follow the same color scheme, the decor achieves a calming, cohesive atmosphere.

When all the objects repeat the same color gamut, a cohesive and peaceful atmosphere is ready. Soft yellow-brown light curtains stretching from ceiling to floor bring extra warmth to the interior. Same curtain material has been used abundantly throughout the flat. This way the different spaces have also been visually tied together. The plush wool rug in the living room with the jute rugs in other spaces also add softness to the whole.

“We wanted to add warmth. The walls were painted in painter’s white and the floors are cold grey. The overall feel made the premises pale. With the large curtain surfaces, we were able to bring warm color and atmosphere to the interior.”

The couple’s furniture mix modern design with older and recycled furniture and lighting. Their patinated materials and surfaces add personality to the whole. Not forgetting beautiful décor items and art.

In the bedroom, for example, there is a sleek 1950s Danish teak chest of drawers, the details of which show the craftsmanship of the carpenters. The interior of the living room, on the other hand, creates a beautiful material combination of leather safari chairs, a vintage coffee table with a travertine surface, an old peasant bench and a plush Moroccan wool rug. Newer furniture and lighting, such as Basta’s minimalist sofa and Rubn’s ceiling lamp, on the other hand, bring a sharp Scandinavian spirit to the whole.

Beautiful decorative items and art add a personal touch to the interior. Each room in the apartment features striking design glass, mementos from world travels, curiosities like a ceramic bull decanter, and artworks the couple has acquired from vintage shops, auctions, and even created themselves.

The home is a great example of how creating a unique atmosphere doesn’t necessarily require large piles of belongings or a full-scale renovation. With just a few carefully chosen, impactful elements, you can infuse your space with your own spirit.

See also:

• New arrivals at Finnish Design Shop >

Text: Anna-Kaisa Huusko Images: Niclas Mäkelä

Featured products may not be available worldwide. The story was previously published in Asun magazine 42.