Traditionally, Finnish families didn’t have a lot of money, but they have always valued quality, functionality and aesthetics,’ says interior designer Emilie Heinonen. ‘Finns are keen collectors and buy a piece for life.’ Born in Helsinki, and having spent her early years moving home frequently, Emilie says her true permanent sense of place is a wooden cottage her grandparents built in Finland.
It may be surprising, then, to learn that her home today is a semi-detached, late-Georgian house in the creative city of Bristol – a far cry from a tree house-like retreat surrounded by nature. Having initially moved to Bristol from London in the 2000s, followed by a stint in Finland, Emilie and her partner – who are keen walkers – and their two children returned in 2018, seeking city life with easy access to nature.
During her time working as an interior designer, Emilie has developed a fascination with how people navigate, feel and use their spaces – hence the name of her business, People & Spaces. ‘I strongly believe that design and function go hand in hand, but so does the narrative – something that sits at the very soul of the house. If these elements are included, you only need to design a home once, simply moving objects and art around to refresh things,’ she explains.
Needless to say, Emilie relies on the objects in her own home to do much of the talking. They also create a talking point, as the majority of the furnishings, artworks and decorative objects have come from members of her family.
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Treasured pieces of Emilie’s include a pair of 1930s functionalist Art Deco chairs with their original upholstery, inherited from a great-aunt who owned a hat shop in eastern Finland, near the Russian border. ‘She would always tell me how important they were to her and would demonstrate how to work the backrest piston.’ They now occupy premium spots beside the sitting room and library fireplaces.
Other pieces have been repurposed in creative ways. Wooden storage boxes from Emilie’s father’s farm now form a stacked base for a lamp, and an architect’s plan chest serves as a large, low coffee table. ‘I actually store all my paper samples here: not dissimilar to how they would have been used back in the day. I like that this piece has both form and double function.’
Emilie also has what she describes as ‘peasant’ pieces – folk art perhaps – including a wooden wall-hung cabinet, known in Finnish as a talonpoikaiskaappi – an item typically crafted for farmhouses. ‘This piece has journeyed from my father’s farm to Bristol.’
With Finland internationally renowned for its glass design – Fiskars, for instance, being one of the oldest surviving companies in the world, with a history dating back to 1649 – it’s no surprise that Emilie’s home features pieces throughout. Some are of significant age, while others are newer, but all have passed through the hands of her family before finding their place in her home. ‘Passed from my grandmother to my parents and on to me, I love the personal connection and how they feel to the touch, especially the birds,’ Emilie comments.
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Growing up around collectors, she was always encouraged to collect. ‘From a young age, my mother and I would gather antiques from the places we lived and visited, from America to Austria. I owe much of my love of old objects to her.’
Bringing the house back to life has been a slow, ongoing process that many can relate to. Floorboards have been exposed and varnished, a period-appropriate fireplace has been fitted in the sitting room, and a new kitchen/diner has been built on the lower-ground floor. Decoratively, there’s a calm, homely feel, despite the generous scale of the rooms. The colours that typify the home are soft salmon pink and gentle green, a combination inspired by the works of the Finnish modernist artist Helene Schjerfbeck.
‘We aimed to create a narrative and maintain consistency throughout,’ says Emilie. ‘As the house spans several floors, we wanted visual cues to connect the rooms. For instance, a green wall in one room might be echoed by a green chest in a pink-walled room.’ These colours repeat themselves throughout the house, even if only subtly. The Dead Salmon wall colour in the library is neatly reflected in a salmon-coloured sofa in the living room.
Homes owned by interior designers can sometimes feel a little identikit, but Emilie’s use of inherited and vintage pieces, and her soft but seamless colour palette, ensure that her home is anything but.