Design Icons Worth the Investment: My Honest Reviews After Years of Use
I saved for eleven months to buy the Oluce Atollo. Three years later, I still look at it every single morning and think: worth every cent.
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Home & Design Journal
Where Nordic Design Meets Real Life
Personal stories about creating a beautiful home on a real budget. Interior design, hands-on DIY, and the art of seasonal living — from a small apartment in Helsinki.
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Fresh ideas and honest experiences from my home to yours
Lifestyle
Christmas Decorating on a Budget: Beautiful Ideas That Cost Almost Nothing
Last Christmas, I spent exactly €23 on decorations. The house was featured in Glorian Koti magazine that same month. Here's the secret: nature does most of the work.
Lifestyle
Sustainable Living at Home: Small Changes That Actually Make a Difference
I'm not perfect. I still buy things I don't need sometimes. But these twelve small shifts in how I run my home have genuinely reduced our waste — and our bills.
DIY Projects
Budget Kitchen Makeover: What Actually Works (And What's a Waste)
Our kitchen looked straight out of 2003 — in the worst way. I spent €800 total on the makeover, and honestly three of those changes made 90% of the difference.
Interior Design
Choosing the Right Color Palette for Your Nordic Home
I painted my bedroom wall five different shades of white before getting it right. Nordic light is beautiful but brutally honest — here's how to work with it.
Interior Design
The Art of Mixing Old and New: How to Blend Vintage With Modern Decor
My grandmother's oak cabinet sits right next to a HAY side table, and honestly? It's the best pairing in my entire apartment.
Interior Design
Small Living Room Ideas: How I Made My 15m² Space Feel Twice as Big
Living in 15 square meters taught me more about design than any magazine ever could. Here's exactly what worked — and the expensive mistakes I'd skip next time.
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Hello, I'm Giselda
The Story Behind This Diary
I started Coffee Table Diary as a place to document my journey of turning a small Helsinki apartment into a home I truly love. No big budgets, no professional help — just curiosity, a lot of paint samples, and the belief that beautiful spaces don't need to cost a fortune.
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