Julia’s home is full of sustainable design choices: “I only buy furniture that will suit my style for decades to come”
Julia and Rufus have been living in their Etu-Töölö home for about three years now.
Residents:
Julia Ruuskanen, creative designer at an advertising agency, and Rufus the dog. The home is located in a building completed in 1926 in Helsinki’s Etu-Töölö district. The studio apartment is 42 square meters.
Julia has decorated the living room in calm, serene tones. Atrium rug is by Finarte, and the large Tolomeo Mega pendant lamp came from her mother.
Julia had long dreamed of the GUBI Pedrera coffee table and bought it when she moved to Helsinki. The painting is by Noora Korpikoski from Turku.
Eero Aarnio’s Pastilli chair was bought secondhand and repainted white. On the window sill sits another Aarnio classic, the Tuplakupla lamp.
Julia, what’s the story behind your home?
“This is my first owner-occupied home, and even though I was looking for a two-bedroom, everything just clicked with this studio apartment with an alcove, which had a kitchen big enough for a dining table and a workspace. The previous owner had already renovated the kitchen and redone the floors, so I really lucked out. I’m originally from Oulu, a city in northern Finland, and before this I rented in Helsinki, first in Kallio and then in Etu-Töölö. When buying my own place became a real possibility, I knew Etu-Töölö was where I wanted to settle down.”
“I was specifically looking for a home in an older building, since window sills and that old-house character are things you just don't find in new developments.”
What was it that drew you to this apartment?
“The location in Etu-Töölö. At first I was looking along Museokatu, since I love that atmospheric street, but I ended up finding my home just around the corner. It felt like the right choice right away. I fell for the herringbone parquet and the gray kitchen cabinets. The floor and kitchen were the previous owner's doing, but they were exactly the kind of choices I would have made myself.”
The sleeping area’s 60 stool is from Artek, and the chrome Flowerpot lamp is by &Tradition.
The black-framed glass doors enclose the sleeping alcove in its own quiet corner. Rufus loves lounging in Harry Bertoia’s Diamond chair.
How does the floor plan work in your everyday life?
“My home is a large studio with an alcove, so I made up for the missing bedroom by glazing in the alcove. The kitchen is spacious enough that I managed to fit in both a workspace and a dining area. It’s nice to have a separate bathroom and toilet.”
What kind of compromises did you have to make?
“The compromise was the apartment’s location on the lower floors of the building. I’d been picturing a home higher up, but this one was so lovely that I let the floor slide. That said, the windows face a sheltered inner courtyard, so I get to enjoy my own peace and quiet.”
The previous owner had renovated the kitchen, and Julia fell for the gray cabinets. The space is bright, with a window looking out onto a sheltered inner courtyard.
Vitra’s white DSR chairs are from Finnish Design Shop. The Multi-Lite pendant lamp is by GUBI. The green work on the wall is by Noora Korpikoski.
Julia loves color, and the home’s smaller accessories come in a variety of bright hues. HAY’s Tin cans are from Finnish Design Shop.
The Kartell acrylic shelf holds coffee table books found at a secondhand store and an Iittala Nappula vase. The poster is from Artek.
The kitchen fits both a dining area and a workspace. Julia set up her desk within the String System shelving. The yellow Aalto stool was a Christmas gift a few years back.
What’s your interior style like?
“I inherited my love of decorating from my childhood home, since my mother has a real gift for creating inviting spaces. Chairs and lamps speak to me especially. I only buy furniture that I know will suit my style for decades to come. I’ve also borrowed a few design classics from my parents. I value my mother’s opinion on style matters a lot, and I always consult her when I’m considering a new piece.”
“There are a lot of stories behind the furniture in my home, and some pieces were gifts from my parents or friends.”
How did the color scheme come together, and what inspired it?
“Black is my favorite color. I dress in black almost every day, and it shows up in the details throughout my home. I kept the walls and ceilings light, since I felt that would create a base I could build color onto in other ways. My first home was actually completely black and white, but the tones have softened over the years. Right now I’m especially drawn to green. I find a lot of inspiration in the colorful homes I see on Instagram, but in my own home, I crave a sense of calm.”
What materials and patterns speak to you?
“I’m drawn to chrome at the moment. When it comes to patterns, my favorites are graphic shapes like checks and stripes. I like mixing different forms together, and zebra print, for instance, shows up on Artek cushions.”
The wide window sills of the old building invite ever-changing arrangements. Julia is drawn to the form of Timo Sarpaneva’s Festivo candleholder for Iittala.
Julia had a custom-made mirror installed in the entryway at Lasitehdas. The Lato side table is by &Tradition, and the four-section Componibili storage unit is by Kartell.
What are your favorite pieces in your home?
“I dreamed for a long time of owning a Pastilli chair designed by Eero Aarnio, and specifically in white. I eventually found mine secondhand, in pretty rough shape. I had it repainted, and now it looks brand new. Other favorites include the GUBI Multi-Lite pendant lamp in my kitchen, and the &Tradition Flowerpot table lamps in my living room and sleeping area.
I love design from the 1950s and ‘60s, like the Knoll Diamond chair and Vitra furniture. I’m also drawn to lighting from GUBI, &Tradition and Artemide, and I pick up smaller items from brands like HAY.”
Is there a design classic that holds special meaning for you?
“Chairs are my weakness, and I’ve invested in them accordingly. I got my parents’ white Vitra DSR chair 11 years ago, and over the years I’ve bought more, depending on the size of my home and what I’ve needed at the time. I’ve bought some of my chairs from Finnish Design Shop, and a few secondhand. Another favorite of mine is the Aalto 60 stool. My goal is to build up a leaning stack of Artek stools.”
Is there anything you’re still dreaming of?
“I’m dreaming of three things: the Aalto Tank Chair in zebra-print upholstery, art for the walls, and Oiva Toikka’s Annual Cubes for Iittala. I’d love for the Annual Cubes to represent meaningful years, like the year I bought this apartment. Two dreams have already come true: the Pastilli chair and the Diamond chair.”
See also:
• New arrivals at Finnish Design Shop >
Published on 1 Sep, 2026
