In perfect harmony – A serene Helsinki home shaped by design

View of a home in Helsinki — The dark wood veneer, seamlessly paired with the original slatted ceiling, became one of the home’s recurring themes.

Stepping inside, the entrance and the view unfolding through the window instantly put the mind at ease. Guided by a pursuit of harmony, Juha Koskinen and Pauliina Tenho have shaped their home into a cohesive and refined whole, where precise lines and a carefully curated palette of materials flow seamlessly from one space to the next.

Text: Hanna Kääriäinen | Photos: Sameli Rantanen

AT THE END of the spacious entrance, a row of sturdy oak trees comes into view. The atmosphere in the foyer feels both welcoming and intimate, yet quietly grand at the same time.

The natural materials register instantly in the body as a sense of calm and warmth – dark wood veneers, sliding doors with leather-wrapped handles, and soft light filtering through the slatted ceiling. Everything feels both precise and effortless, perfectly in place.

Juha Koskinen and Pauliina Tenho — Pauliina and Juha are already dreaming of their next home project, even though this one was meant to be their forever home.

The home is shared by designer Pauliina Tenho and interior architect Juha Koskinen, founders of the recently established design studio Plot Partners, along with their five-year-old daughter and an elderly dog.

“One principle of good architecture I always strive for is that a successful entrance offers a view outside – or at the very least, something interesting to look at,” Juha says.

Sliding doors with leather handles — The sliding doors were designed by Juha, and the leather-wrapped handles are one of the home’s many refined details. The Swan armchair by Fritz Hansen and Eero Saarinen’s Tulip table are both auction finds.

The family had already settled on this end apartment in a 1960s building with just four units in Kuusisaari, Helsinki, several years earlier. While they had imagined their next home would be a townhouse or a detached house, embarking on a renovation in a building they already knew came as a surprise even to themselves.

“This apartment has the most beautiful views in the building, and it’s almost completely shielded from the neighbors’ sight,” the previous owner had emphasized. Over the decades, the apartment had undergone several renovations, leaving very few original features intact. In that sense, it offered a blank canvas for redesign, with only a handful of elements worth preserving: the herringbone parquet in the living areas, the combination of the slatted ceiling and copper light fixture in the entrance, and two fireplaces, one of which is located on the balcony.

Vintage Series 7 chairs around a dining table — The dining table and the sideboard behind it were designed by Juha. The vintage Series 7 chairs feature beautifully softened, patinated leather upholstery.

Vintage Egg Lounge chair in the living room — Arne Jacobsen’s Egg chair is one of Juha and Pauliina’s finest vintage finds. The wall behind it is still waiting for the perfect piece of art to complete it.

Collecting furniture and small objects from auctions and antique markets is a shared passion for the couple.

Metos kitchen countertop — For the kitchen, they chose a stainless steel countertop by Metos, a brand best known for its professional-grade kitchens.

Tumma viilupinta kaapiston ovissa — Dark wood surfaces run continuously from the kitchen to the entrance and from the living areas to the bedrooms.

Juha and Pauliina have already renovated several homes together, so their styles and preferences have become closely aligned.

In this home, one of Pauliina’s key ideas was to conceal the radiators. Juha designed elegant casings for them, which became one of the apartment’s fixed, unifying elements. In a way, they go almost unnoticed, as if they had always been there. Pauliina also points out how they subtly highlight the windows and the views beyond.

One of the family’s daughter’s favorite spots is the nest-like corner of the Adea sofa.

Carl Hansen & Søn, CH25 chairs — The CH25 lounge chairs by Carl Hansen & Søn are an auction find.

Juha describes himself as meticulous when it comes to structural lines, and here everything is aligned down to the last detail. He is particularly pleased with the spa area, where all the desired functions were seamlessly incorporated into a compact footprint without compromising the atmosphere.

By the window, a bathtub and sauna create a space for relaxation, while elsewhere in the same room the home’s laundry area is cleverly concealed from view.

Bathroom with a big window — Natural light pours in through the bathroom window. After dark, indirect lighting creates a soothing atmosphere.

Finnish sauna with a window — A bathtub and sauna were placed by the bathroom window, creating a space dedicated to relaxation.

This sense of precision runs throughout the apartment, from the meticulously measured kitchen to the overhead beams that rhythmically define the living areas, from the floor-to-ceiling, trimless doorways to the seamlessly integrated storage solutions.

“Maximizing storage makes everyday life smoother and keeps the home free from any unnecessary sense of clutter,” Pauliina reflects. She is particularly pleased with the proportions of the living spaces, which create a feeling of openness and effortless ease.

Ilmari Tapiovaara chair — At the workspace adjoining the bedroom, there is a Nana chair designed by Ilmari Tapiovaara.

Bedroom with a floor-to-floor carpet — Wall-to-wall carpeting brings a sense of luxury to the bedroom, while a full-width headboard adds structure and definition to the space.

In this home, every square inch has been carefully considered. A sense of luxury emerges from the cleverly designed storage solutions, which often blend seamlessly into the background.

The same curtain fabric is used throughout every room in the home. The Bertoia chair, purchased secondhand, was manufactured in Billnäs, Finland.

Jung electrical fixtures — Brushed stainless steel fittings by Jung were chosen for the electrical fixtures. In the walk-in closet, the cabinet doors extend from floor to ceiling.

One of the couple’s dearest shared passions is reflected in the home’s furnishings. Collecting furniture and small objects from auctions and antique markets, restoring them when needed, and finally placing them in their rightful spots brings layers of stories and beautifully patinated surfaces into the home.

For Juha, however, the most important goal in designing their home has been the pursuit of perfect harmony. “And harmony, in turn, creates clarity – it has a calming effect,” Pauliina adds.