The Määttä family’s light-coloured log house embodies timeless beauty both inside and out. With its colonial-style interior, its cosiness offers a wealth of ideas for the present day.
Päivi and Marko Määttä first got a taste of building a house some twenty years ago. Their home, completed in Sipoo at the time, required plenty of space. The Määttä family has eight children, half of whom have already moved into their own homes as they’ve grown up. The new two-storey house also has plenty of space. There are four bedrooms and a living area of 170 square metres. Of the four children who have moved in, only the youngest, Veikka, is still of school age, and the eldest, Eemil, is currently in the process of moving into his own flat.
The idea of building a new house had been brewing in their minds for a long time. The seaside plot in Sipoonranta was purchased in 2014, but the move to their new home took place a year and a half ago. During the last decade, the family lived in Spain for a short while. The corner plot had planning permission for two houses, so it was divided in half and one half was sold on. A light-coloured, two-storey log house has also been built on that half. Päivi and Marko’s house occupies a plot of 628 square metres, which, thanks to efficient garden planning, offers all the best features of a detached house: a green garden and a terrace.
The family’s house is right next to Sipoonranta harbour. The building enhances the landscape, and every passer-by casts admiring glances in its direction. The light pleated curtains on the terrace and balcony are impossible to miss. The garden surrounding the house, designed by landscape architect Eva Wuite, is also well worth admiring. Its appearance only improves as the trees and shrubs grow.
They found their ideal house design at Kuusamo Log Houses
Päivi and Marko chose log walls as the starting point for their new home. Wood, as a natural material, is pleasing to the eye and makes living there particularly comfortable thanks to the breathability of the walls.
They wanted a house with two full storeys and a clean-cut appearance. They found a house model that met these criteria perfectly at Kuusamo Log Houses. From the range offered by the house manufacturer, they pointed to the Kotikontu model, which, with a few minor modifications, resulted in a version that perfectly met all the family’s expectations and needs. They wanted ‘original’ laminated logs for the walls, which settle by a few centimetres as they dry. In Marko’s view, taking settling into account during construction was not at all challenging. After the timber delivery had been erected, the homeowner himself spent most of his time on site. External labour was hired for tasks requiring specialist skills.
In the floor plan, the first thing that catches the eye is the large size of the master bedroom. For Päivi and Marko, the new house is a long-term home, but the children will move out one by one to start their own lives. Adjacent to the large master bedroom is a magnificent glass-walled balcony and a beautifully decorated summer living room, perfect for spending evenings admiring the seascapes.
The cosy interior is the work of mother and daughter
The interior surfaces are light in colour. They have been treated with Suomen Luonnonmaalit’s Auro paint, which preserves the breathability of the timber. Alongside the light surfaces, the high-quality oak parquet really comes into its own. It radiates warmth underfoot. The parquet is manufactured by the Finnish company Timberwise.
The combination of white and wood is repeated in the kitchen, which features German Noblessa units. The unit doors are light in colour, with the exception of the delicate wood grain on the wall units. The kitchen is fitted with a row of wall units and a generous island. They were determined to have a gas hob on top of it, as the family still remembers a long power cut in their previous home. The whole family went hungry as they were unable to cook a proper meal for several days. A similar situation will not arise again, as the gas hob works as long as you remember to keep the gas bottles full.
The interior is, as a whole, cosy, beautiful and atmospheric. There is just the right amount of furniture and various beautiful functional and decorative items – plenty, but not a single one too many. The home decorated by Päivi is like a treasure trove of interior design ideas. The highlight is the pleated curtains on the terrace and balcony. Generally, plain blinds or roller blinds are chosen for glass walls.
This good taste in interior design has also been passed on to her daughters. Päivi says she received a great deal of help from Eedit and Hilla when finishing off their new home. When they moved in, they bought plenty of new furniture. Most of it was purchased from Veke and Masku. The black electric piano plays a significant role, visually as well, and found the perfect spot in the living room.
This article was first published in Uusi Koti magazine, issue 5/2022. The article was written by Jorma Välimaa and photographed by Hans Koistinen.
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