Sofija and Jēkabs turn an old apartment into their dream home after a 15-month renovation
Project manager Sofija and marketing specialist Jēkabs renovated an old, unrefurbished apartment themselves, despite having no construction experience. The work took a year and three months and included craftsmen's mistakes and a flood.
Sofija, a project manager, and Jēkabs, a marketing specialist, have turned an old, unrenovated apartment into the home they wanted after a renovation lasting a year and three months. They described the experience to the news portal Delfi. The couple had no construction experience, so the road to the finished interior was far from easy. They ran into unsuccessful collaborations and mistakes by craftsmen, and at one point the apartment flooded. They now call the project a thorough school of life.
Timeline
Jēkabs says they bought the apartment in November 2024. The renovation began in early 2025, and they moved in during May 2026.
Why an old apartment
The couple searched for about six months and looked at several options. Jēkabs was drawn to the original, unrenovated condition, as every apartment in this building is like that. He admits the final result is considerably different from what he first saw.
Sofija found new developments sterile and uninteresting. She had also heard that new projects in the centre are not of the highest quality. So the couple decided to try doing it themselves. They had no idea what a decent builder costs. They wanted their own design, which was built from images collected for inspiration.
Layout choices
The entrance area had to be made smaller to make room for Sofija's home office. It holds a wardrobe, since they do not own many clothes, and a feeding spot for their dog Pūpēzis. To the left of the entrance is the guest bathroom, one of Sofija's favourite places, although she says she rarely uses it. Its sink is the tiler's handiwork, and the tiles were ordered specially.
