Evi, your Instagram profile has skyrocketed in popularity—your followers admire not only your home but also cool features like being able to stoke the fireplace from the back through the utility room, and so on. How did it all start?
I had a lot of photos of my home and didn’t want to spam my personal profile with them. At my friends’ suggestion, I created a new account with a funny name, originally just for fun. But when guests came over, for example, they’d often say , “That’s a great idea—how did you come up with it?” I realized that not everyone might think of these solutions, so I started sharing those tips with others.
You have a great eye for technical details. Where does that come from?
I think I have pretty good spatial and practical thinking skills. It’s also a huge advantage that my husband is a part-time builder, so he knows what’s possible and what isn’t. Over the years, we’ve also learned how to communicate with contractors. Often, some of them say something can’t be done, but in the end, it’s usually just that they didn’t want to do it.
Your current dream home was preceded by another place—an older townhouse. How do you look back on that project?
We were young back then and basically had no budget. I had to get really creative to make the most of it. We couldn’t do everything exactly the way we wanted, but it was a huge learning experience. We figured out what worked for us, what we did wrong, and what we wanted to do differently in the future. By the time we sold it, we knew exactly what our next home should look like.
When furnishing their first home, most people focus on quick fixes and develop a sense of design gradually. Was that the case for you, too?
Definitely. Like most people, we started with whatever was affordable and shopped at traditional furniture chains. It wasn’t until later, as I browsed Pinterest and international design accounts, that I realized I was interested in design on a deeper level. We then started buying our first timeless pieces for that very townhouse I mentioned.
Do you remember that very first moment or product that made you fall in love with Scandinavian design?
Absolutely! It was the Plant Box by Ferm Living. It was all the rage on Instagram back then. It was the first major investment I treated myself to after my daughter was born. I remember walking around it and admiring it over and over again. Well, I still have it today, and I still love it.
“You can buy a few beautiful, high-quality pieces—that’s all you need. You don’t have to own fifty useless things just because you can. When you invest that money in a single timeless, original piece, you’ll truly make yourself happy without cluttering up your home.”
Scandinavian design is about combining aesthetics with flawless functionality. Unfortunately, the market today is also flooded with copies that look very similar in photos. What do you think is the biggest difference when you actually live with the original?
What bothers me about copies is the very act of copying itself. Even if I liked the item as much as possible, I wouldn’t buy it on principle. To me, it’s an insult to the designer who came up with it. And then it’s all about the quality. You pick up the original and you can feel that it’s sturdy, heavy, and doesn’t rattle. I don’t think any Plant Box knockoff could survive ten moves and the daily chaos of our two kids without getting scratched. They often bump into it with their toy cars, but even that doesn’t faze it. The more expensive originals last so long precisely because they’re so well-made.
Is it hard to resist trends and instead save up for that dream piece and wait?
I used to buy cheap accessories too, but then you realize that the materials wear out quickly and end up in the trash. Nowadays, I’d rather buy a timeless piece, like the String shelving system, which fits into interiors for decades, or the Occasional side table by Vitra, which we’re constantly moving around the house, piling all sorts of things on top of, and it still looks absolutely fantastic.
“I often hear the argument that expensive design is a waste of money because small children will destroy it. But they won’t just destroy those high-quality pieces. It’s the cheap ones that they’ll ruin.”
What advice would you give to those who are considering investing in original design but are hesitating?
It always comes down to what your priorities are in life. Some people love expensive cars; others go on luxury vacations four times a year. I’d rather do without those things. I love being at home, and I want to live in a beautiful environment all year round, not just that one week at a beach hotel. Lots of people spend the same amount of money on fifty little trinkets that end up getting in the way everywhere and get thrown away after a few months.
If you had to choose just one item in your home that you’re most emotionally attached to, what would it be?
Buying design pieces is often tied to a story or a special occasion for me. It would definitely be the Eames House Bird by Vitra, which I asked for on my twenty-fifth birthday. My mom wanted to buy me a commemorative gold chain back then, but I didn’t want gold. No one understood at the time why I wanted to spend that much money on a wooden bird.
Eva’s home is beautiful proof that timeless design and practical family life aren’t mutually exclusive—quite the opposite. When you invest in genuine originals, you create a space that breathes with you and isn’t easily thrown off balance. After all, creating a home isn’t a race, but a gradual process in which it makes sense to make thoughtful decisions.
If you like Eva’s style, check out a selection of pieces that are already bringing her joy at home or are on her wish list.
