Wow, how creative! 6 uplifting upcycling ideas from creative cottage owners
At cottages, creativity flourishes. Resourceful hands can turn recycled materials into just about anything! We compiled six clever solutions from our stories sure to bring their makers joy for a long time.
1. A summer ice hole from a chest freezer
If you’re used to taking cold-water plunges and still want a refreshing dip in the summer, you can build a summer ice hole in a chest freezer. When Annakaisa wanted a cold plunge, her partner made it happen. The idea might sound silly, but it truly works!
2. A floor-level window in the sauna
When Heidi and Arto renovated the sauna at their cottage in an old woodshed, they decided to add a window at floor level. It brings in light and also works as a handy hatch for firewood. At the same time, it introduced a fun new perspective—even the toes of someone cooling off can get some admiration!
3. Turning a boat into a bench and shelter
On Stora Högskäret Island in the Vaasa archipelago, not all boats float on the water. One has been turned into a wonderfully useful shelter. Sanna and Markku’s cottage features an old boat flipped onto its side along the edge of the children’s sandbox to create seating. Another old boat on the dock serves as a hideaway for their hot tub.
4. Mattress springs as a vine support
There’s plenty of old, worn-out stuff that shouldn’t be tossed aside. When a mattress reaches the end of its life, its springs can be turned into both a piece of art and a practical yard fixture. At the small Viherkumpu cottage in Vantaa, Leni gave them new life by creating a trellis for climbing plants and ambient lights under a small canopy. The rusty finish only adds to their charm.
5. Driftwood as a holder
The driftwood found on Selkäsaari in the Bay of Bothnia is now much more than just decoration. Marita and Eki decided to hang it in their summer kitchen, where it works as both a decorative feature and a practical rack for kitchen utensils.
6. A washing machine door becomes a window
In Puumala, there’s a cottage whose outhouse is full of surprises. Sanna and Petri renovated the old outhouse attached to a storage building almost entirely with recycled materials, and they certainly weren’t short on ideas. They installed the washing machine’s glass door as a window, so now it’s not for watching laundry spin but for watching boats go by. They found an old washer at the waste station, removed the glass, cut a hole in the wall, and finished the edges with rope.
