Dramatic Finnish

It may be small, but striking retro furniture and plenty of colour make Jonna and Matias Toukonen’s Finland apartment big on standout style

- Melanie Whitehouse

After years of renting student accommodation with a mishmash of old furniture, Jonna and Matias Toukonen decided the time had come to buy a home of their own. ‘We wanted more freedom to renovate and do things our way, but we didn’t have time for a big renovation project,’ says Jonna. ‘We needed to live near the city centre for our jobs, but it also had to be affordable.’

The property they chose in Vaasa, Finland, was built in 1967 for Army staffand their families and ticked all the right boxes. ‘We loved the open-plan feel of it, and the huge windows that bring in lots of light,’ says Jonna.