The sympathetic, 2-storey apartment in the historical Vallila wooden house district has been combined of an old shop that used to be in the basement and a small apartment above. Now this home of a single mom and young boy needed a complete upgrade, but on a tight budget. The former kitchen was built in a cramped corner behind the stairs. In the new design that space functions as a laundry room. The idle space under the staircase was utilized for with storage solution. A new, spacious and functional kitchen was built in the former dining area. The staircase was hidden behind a new wall, giving the smaller dining table a natural place against the wall. The table can be extended for dinner parties. All wall surfaces were plastered and painted. Carefree vinyl plank was chosen for the floor, which is durable & easy to maintain, but looks just like wood. A steep, previously painted orange staircase was painted and covered with a sisal rug. The messy railings made apparently by some do-it-yourself handyman were hidden with new boards and painted with in the same shade with other walls. The floor of the bedroom was also covered with a sisal rug, which nicely connects to the staircase. The wardrobes were acquired from Ikea. The worn pine window frames were painted black, as was the old wooden bookshelf in the living room. I designed a carpenter-made custom storage furniture under the book shelf. The boy's room was also renovated and the lighting, paintings and textiles were renewed.