The best thing about this youthfully decorated log house is its floor plan, which allows the family to spend quality time together. The sauna is located in a separate part of the house, which everyone can enjoy together.
When a young family with children plans the home where they want to spend the rest of their lives, a log house is most likely on their minds. Behind this choice lie not only the facts – the durable walls of a log house and the health of its inhabitants – but also the family’s enduring values. The family, too, must remain united for the rest of their lives.
Kaisa and Petteri Kantola, who were born in Kuusamo and have deep roots there, initially thought of building their dream home in the peace of the countryside, in Kaisa’s home village, but decided instead to settle close to the town centre, within easy reach of their children’s future schools. They found a plot just a couple of kilometres from the centre of Kuusamo. Once the 1,500-square-metre site came under the Kantolas’ administration, building began almost immediately. The family moved into their new home at Easter in March, a year after purchasing the plot.
Fast-paced, yet controlled
The pace was fast but controlled, as the vision for the house was clear and the plans were finalised. A partner for the log house project was also found locally, as the sheered corner joint logs came from Kuusamo Log Houses. Petteri designed the building’s floor plan himself, which only needed to be finalised at the log house factory. The starting point was a modern, clean-lined and strictly single-storey house where the whole family could spend time together. Kaisa and Petteri have two children, a 6-year-old son and a 4-year-old daughter.
The layout of the rooms took functionality into account and, above all, ensured that not a single square metre was wasted on corridors. The house has a total floor area of 136 square metres. All three bedrooms are arranged in a row on the rear side of the property. However, they do not share any partition walls, as a utility room and a walk-in wardrobe have been built between the bedrooms. The walk-in wardrobe adjoining Kaisa and Petter’s bedroom has, within a few months of living there, been found to be an ideal solution.
The living room emphasises brightness and a consistent style with the kitchen. The kitchen, fitted with the lightest-coloured units, blends perfectly with the loose furniture in the dining area and living room.
The building complex is L-shaped. The additional wing, which usually houses a garage and a storage room, contains the Kantola family’s ‘beach sauna’. Having to go outside the house to reach the sauna makes it feel as though you’re heading further afield for an evening in the sauna. It reminds Kaisa of the lakeside sauna from her own childhood – even though they’re on dry land and practically in the town centre.
The sauna building has a 9.5-square-metre living area – a multi-purpose space that serves as a changing room, guest room and shared play area for the children. The room is equipped with a mini-kitchen. The sauna and the main building are connected at the roof. Although you have to go outside to get to the sauna, you’ll never get wet from the rain.
Natural and sustainable
The Kantola house project was self-sufficient not only in terms of design and planning but also in terms of construction. Petteri was assisted in the building work by his own father, Heikki Kantola, and his father-in-law, Veli Palosaari. The building site combined solid experience with the motivation to build their own dream home. The starting point for the interior work was to use as few mouldings as possible. You can see from the photos that they succeeded in this. The ceiling panels have been sawn to an accuracy of at least one millimetre.
The breathability of the log house has been maximised with wood fibre insulation in the roof. There is an exceptionally thick layer of insulation both in the roof and under the floor. No compromises were made in the choice of materials. When you only plan to build once, it’s worth doing it properly. Petteri chose most of the surface materials, and Kaisa is happy with everything. However, Kaisa has been in charge of the final interior design.
The windows chosen were Klas1 windows, manufactured in Kuusamo and renowned for their energy efficiency and design. The house has a B energy rating.
The wall between the bedrooms and the living room is clad with wooden panelling, which has been painted white. The log walls are finished with pale white wax. Both surface treatments are breathable and odourless.
Overall, the Kantolos’ beautiful home is a prime example of a natural and sustainable log house, designed in the most desirable form possible. Thanks to examples such as this house, the market share of log houses has risen steadily and is predicted to continue growing.
A polished look with interior design
The Kantola family also wanted a new look for their home’s interior. The only item brought from their old flat was the piano Kaisa received as a 30th birthday present. A natural spot was found for it on the uncluttered wall of the living room.
The sofa was designed to act as a room divider between the dining area and the living room. This required a low-profile sofa model that would obstruct the view as little as possible yet still be comfortable and deep. The living room was finished with classic Lumikenkä chairs.
For the kitchen, Kaisa wanted a hard-wearing Durafit table, whose grey top matches the sofa perfectly. Expressive benches were placed between the table and the kitchen island. Another prominent feature of the living room interior is the cubic fireplace. The family wanted a proper, solid-wood fireplace with a heat-retaining chamber, which significantly reduces their district heating bill.
A cosy atmosphere was created in the sauna by treating the wall panelling and alder benches with black-grey sauna protection. White was the obvious choice for the exterior colour of this stylish house. The colour choice is absolutely spot on, and the house’s exterior perfectly matches the freshness of the interior.
Designed for togetherness – this article was first published in the magazine Uusi Koti, issue 3/2016. The article was written by Jorma Välimaa and photographed by Hans Koistinen.
Interested in this model?
See the video presentation of the Kantola family’s home. And familiarise yourself with the Log Home Sulka model.
