A meticulous renovation revealed Alisa Wilska's dream home in its original form beneath decades of styles. In this home, the dents in the floor and the complex layout create the essence of home.
It was a classic moment of enchantment when Alisa Wilska stepped into the viewing of the Jugend building in the old Art Nouveau district of Helsinki, Katajanokka. The apartment's last renovation was done in the 70s, but the gloomy tones and brown refrigerators in the kitchen didn't dim Alisa's happiness: this apartment would become her dream home.
On the brink of a major renovation came along the pandemic, temporary residences even as far as San Francisco, and a divorce. Through life's twists and turns, however, Katajanokka's labyrinthine apartment became Alisa's home – it required a creative break, distance from constant decision-making, and a newfound love.
"During the renovation years, life had changed, and I was overwhelmed by endless decision-making. I considered selling the apartment, but I couldn't let go of my dream. A break was needed. Ossi moved in last summer, and then I felt for the first time that this is our home," Alisa recounts.
After moving in together, the joy and excitement of decorating and furnishing their shared home returned. They saw the home differently in their new life situation.
"Ossi and I both like similar things and playfulness. We make decisions emotionally but with time. That fourth rug for the living room wasn't the right one, so the search continues. We make thoughtful decisions intuitively," Alisa describes.
The apartment is a bright, through-room apartment, where a long corridor leads to the rooms at different ends of the apartment. The wooden floor creaks, and through the maid's door, you can sneak into a tiny staircase, which was used only by servants a hundred years ago. The view from the windows onto the courtyard of the block, the rows of windows of the opposite buildings, and the small balconies add to the charm of the apartment.
"I love that the age of the building is visible and old elements are present. The kitchen floor shows the place of an old wood stove, and the wooden floor creaks and squeaks. The small balcony to the courtyard reminds me of Florence. I don't miss a sea view; the windows of the opposite building bring me comfort, as if I weren't in Finland at all," Alisa describes.
Alisa's friend and interior designer, Asli Ufacik, was involved in the original color and material choices of the home.
The color palette of the home is built on a coherent combination of natural muted tones. Alisa's daughters got the pale pink they wished for in their rooms, the master bedroom is calmed by a moody blue-gray, and the other surfaces in the home exude a delicate gray-beige atmosphere. The tones of the walls are clearly different but perfectly complement each other. The home's three magnificent over a hundred-year-old stoves stand out against the softly shaded walls. The color palette is natural and delightful.
Large colorful flower bouquets bring a cheerful splash of color to the soft muted color palette. Alisa orders them in bulk from her trusted florist and lets them dry; their colors soften as they dry, giving the bouquets and the decor a different feel. Colors and their observation are enjoyable activities for Alisa, both in decorating her home and on a more abstract level.
"I could talk about colors endlessly. I think it runs in the family. My brother and I were at the same work event once, and someone mentioned green as a color, and we ended up discussing different shades of green for the whole three-hour dinner," Alisa laughs.
"Different color combinations seem to be my passion – it's not just certain colors but endlessly different combinations where delicious tones come together to create unique results."
As spring approaches, the atmospheric dark tones in the home's flower bouquets shift into bright and cheerful colors, perhaps shades of light blue or yellow. Or maybe, as the evenings brighten, one longs for soft pastels and joyful combinations. For Alisa, colors are a matter of emotion. Just like home.
