When you wake up in the morning and look straight out into nature through the large windows in the living room, you get the feeling that it’s going to be a good day.
A log house called Villa Tranberg was completed in early summer 2023 in the heart of nature in Rymättylä, Naantali; after Midsummer, Jessica Ålgars and Antti Vaalikivi were able to move into their new home.
– In the spring, the interior work progressed smoothly and we were able to admire the fine craftsmanship of the Tähtinen brothers on the log walls and other surfaces. Although the work progressed quickly, it was carried out with great care. The brothers also always answered our questions when we rang them, Jessica and Antti say gratefully.
After the move, all that was left to do inside was to decorate; the outdoor work, on the other hand, took up the majority of the couple’s summer holiday.
The terrace and the starry sky
Building the terrace was one of the jobs they did themselves. Antti and his skilled assistant Osmo built the house’s lovely terraces from spruce. The terrace won’t need to be oiled in future; instead, it will turn a beautiful grey. In the summer, the couple has already eaten on the terrace and held birthday parties there, and they always sit there after a sauna.
– In autumn and winter, here amidst the dark wilderness, magnificent starry skies open up, says Jessica.
Mind you, the outdoor lighting poles installed in August come in handy for finding our way home in the evenings – as there aren’t really any streetlights on the island of Rymättylä.
– We’ve also got headlamps. Things are a bit different here than in Turku, Antti chuckles.
Painting jobs and eaves challenges
Building the terraces went fairly smoothly, but painting the house and the rather large carport just the two of them caused moments of despair and exhaustion. It took far longer than Jessica and Antti could have imagined, and the buildings have quite a few high spots that weren’t easy to reach, at least not if you were trying to work safely at the same time.
– We hired a personnel lift from a company in Naantali, and it was a handy piece of kit that allowed us to paint the high walls and eaves. You just pressed a button and moved up and down and sideways, says Antti.
The challenge with the lift was that the house was in the middle of the countryside, as the lift works best on flat ground.
– As we struggled to manoeuvre the machine forward over the difficult terrain, we felt a bit of frustration and despair – what on earth were we going to do? The problem was solved when we hired some painting scaffolding from the same shop. Thankfully, that allowed us to reach the final high spots to paint, says Jessica.
The unpredictable summer weather, with daily showers, added to the challenge, but in the end the house was painted and the couple was greatly relieved. The result is a black log house with a few wood-coloured sections – in other words, a house that blends beautifully into the natural surroundings.
The joys and challenges of living in a sparsely populated area
Moving to the heart of nature has been far more of a positive experience than a challenge for the couple. The peace of nature, the berries and mushrooms on their own plot and in the nearby forest, and the beautiful walking trails enrich every day. The island of Rymättylä and its local amenities have also been a positive experience. The water from the borehole is clear and tasteless, and there seems to be plenty of it; the private sewage system works well too.
Among the challenges, one might list the darkness of the winter season, which Jessica and Antti have not yet experienced for very long, as well as the threat of deer collisions. Turku is a bit of a journey away, and the bus doesn’t run to Rymättylä very late. Getting a working internet connection was also a challenge in the early stages. Because they work remotely, Jessica and Antti need a good wireless network at home, as fibre optic is not available here.
– We visited every telecoms operator to have a chat and look at the coverage maps. Strangely enough, our house seemed to be in exactly the wrong spot relative to every mast. So we had to test different devices and measure speeds, Antti explains.
They finally got a good connection by installing an outdoor modem on the roof of the house. Inside the house, they have a good mesh router, and now the network connections work very well.
A roaring fire and preparations for winter
Villa Tranberg has a heat-storing fireplace that keeps the house cosy in winter.
– When we lit the fire for the first time, a lovely atmosphere and warmth spread through the house. It gave us a glimpse of the coming Christmas and winter evenings here in our own log home, Jessica reflects.
The couple have saved a lot of wood left over from the building work, and it will bring them joy for a long time to come.
– We’ve been chopping wood all autumn, right up until November. That’s fine by me; it’s fun to potter about outdoors in our own garden, says Antti.
Jessica and Antti recommend a log house to anyone who appreciates wood, natural materials and sustainability.
– In our opinion, the atmosphere and warmth of a log house are unique.
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Log houses
