Samuli, who lives in Järvenperä, Espoo, and works in the software industry, lives alone and has also decorated his home by himself. Samuli has been making his home look the way he likes it step by step, but the entity is still missing some finishing touches. Nevertheless, the home already looks very intimate and cosy. Samuli has not rushed into having the decor finished, but he has taken time to reflect on and assess things.

The colour scheme of the home is earthy: different shades of brown have been used a lot in the surface materials of the interior, as well as in textiles, wallpapers and the shades with which the walls have been painted. The living area is dominated by a wooden floor in dark brown, which brings cosiness and robustness to the apartment.

The heart of the home is a spacious kitchen. In the kitchen fittings, the most important features for Samuli are functionality and practicality. Besides being a softer colour than white, the dark grey used in the kitchen is also a practical choice: small stains and splashes are not so easy to see on them.

The kitchen is an open-plan kitchen with a raised island towards the living room. This prevents the foods simmering on the stove and the mess generated by cooking from being seen from the living area if one happens to have some guests.

The apartment has become more personal step by step. Samuli has taken time to reflect on and assess the decor.

“I spend time cooking mainly on weekends. On weekdays, I usually make something quick and easy. I like Asian cuisine a lot,” says Samuli.

Next to the kitchen, there is a dining area with seating for six or even eight people around the table. So, the opportunities for throwing big parties do exist.

“And yet, I still haven’t even had a housewarming party, although I have already lived here for several years,” Samuli says with a laugh.

The living room is spacious and sparsely furnished, so there is enough room for two large sofas. The TV plays an important role. Being the home of a man living on his own, there is no need to hide the exercise bike, so it can hold the most prominent spot. There are hardly any decorative items that collect dust, so cleaning is quick and easy.

“In the living room, I watch television series and films and play games. I read a book every now and then. I also play badminton to ensure that I don’t spend all my spare time on the sofa,” Samuli explains.

The bedroom in Samuli’s home is very intimate, and this is the room in which he has spent the most time, reflecting and planning. It was difficult to find a wallpaper in exactly the right shade for the room. Samuli likes nature-related motifs but wanted a wallpaper that can also stand the test of time. The bold leaf pattern shimmers with a bit of gold and this metallic accent colour also repeats itself on the knobs of the chests of drawers serving as bedside tables.

In the bedroom, you can also find a fox, which Samuli defines as his totem animal.

To ensure that he will be able to sleep in the bedroom during the bright season, Samuli still needs to acquire blackout curtains. In fact, curtains are still missing from the whole apartment, because it has felt difficult to find them.

The large windows in the living room have white Roman curtains, but Samuli still intends to acquire panel curtains to complement the decor. Sufficiently big rugs, curtains, blankets and throw pillows bring cosiness, but they also help to reduce echo and the feeling of emptiness in a room.

Even though Samuli currently lives alone, he would not exactly call himself a bachelor. He has a girlfriend who lives elsewhere, so it may happen that, in the future, there is a young couple living in this beautiful home instead of a single man.