Sauna from reclaimed logs with handmade furniture! Eetu and Erika’s log sauna is brimming with impressive details

Sometimes, we have many dreams, and it’s impossible to know which ones will come true. Erika and Eetu Kontkanen’s dream of building their own home became a reality in 2020. They live in Leppävirta, where they built a wooden house, personally handling the finishing work and making the built-in furniture themselves.

While building the house, they seized the opportunity to plan how to use the rest of their property. The Kontkanens cleared space for a future sauna, which they intended to build themselves from scratch, using timber from forest plots owned by both sets of parents.

However, once the house was finished, Erika and Eetu planned to take a breather and build the sauna a bit later, perhaps in five years. But things took a different turn.

Both Erika’s and Eetu’s parents own forest plots, where they got materials for the terraces and stairs, among other elements.

One evening during the summer of 2020, Erika and Eetu were browsing an online marketplace for potential sauna buildings and designs. They were torn between log and plank construction when an ad caught their eye—a small house frame from 1925 was for sale in Maaninka. Seeing its potential as a sauna, Erika and Eetu immediately contacted the seller.

The frame had been stored in a hay barn, and the elderly owner wanted to reclaim his barn space. He had intended to build a sauna with a friend, but his friend passed away before they could start. Erika and Eetu acted fast—there were other interested buyers—and secured the purchase just in time.

The couple got help from loved ones in lifting and dismantling the logs. Erika’s uncle hauled them to their home by tractor trailer. Over the winter, Erika and Eetu stored the logs on pallets under tarps, waiting for spring to begin construction.

The floorboards in the sauna, lounge, and terraces are larch from Erika’s parents’ forest. Eetu planed them himself.

The Kontkanens were finally ready to pursue their sauna dream. Erika and Eetu treasured the old frame and wanted the benches to complement its rustic log style.

In a way, they were lucky that they wanted large windows overlooking the lake, much like those in their home. Without those big windows, there wouldn’t have been enough usable logs, given how some had decayed in storage. The frame couldn’t be assembled as-is, so they needed to re-fit and reshape it for a revised layout.

They wanted ample bench space to accommodate friends and family, plus the option to sleep in the sauna lounge. The couple also rents out the sauna on Airbnb.

Erika and Eetu’s futon sofa is a prime example of their DIY approach: they built the frame themselves. The ‘Foam’ futon mattress by Futonnetti comes with a removable ‘Bilbao Medium’ cover.

Erika and Eetu built the tall cabinet, countertop, and storage units themselves from pine glue-laminated board. One cabinet door conceals a fridge for sauna beverages, while the long cabinet holds bedding. They created the birch-veneer ceilings using an overlay boarding technique, in which a second layer covers the gaps in the first.

The fixed furniture has been treated with a lye-based wood bleaching agent that prevents the natural darkening of panel and log surfaces. The herringbone pattern on the table was made from leftover planed boards, which were glued and screwed to plywood from underneath. Eetu bought the small window above the countertop from a demolition batch at his workplace for just a few dozen euros.

The striking door handle was made by Eetu’s grandfather.

They drew inspiration for the design from the Lohja Housing Fair exhibits, especially from a sauna they saw at the fair that doubled as a phone company’s booth. It was a sauna cottage made of laminated timber by the Finnish company Ehtasauna, and Eetu was so impressed that most of his photos from the fair showcased that sauna. The log frame the Kontkanens bought originated from a small house of just over 30 square meters—perfect for their plan.

The couple started construction in spring 2021, relying on help from family and friends. The log frame assembly was kicked off with a volunteer work session, and Erika and Eetu then carried on in the evenings while their baby slept.

During the process, they realized a simpler approach might have been possible. The Kontkanens note how convenient it would have been to dismantle the original building themselves and label the logs in numerical order from the beginning.

The Kontkanens also wanted a small fireplace in the sauna lounge, as the space doubles as a guest room.

Eetu built the sauna door frame from lumber, insulated it with EPS, and finished it with plywood and live-edge boards.

The sauna is made of quality wood: birch for the ceiling and doors, and aspen for the benches. The boards came from a friend’s small local sawmill. They also opted for a wooden sauna floor, which is more appealing and warmer than concrete.

Eetu’s bonus father and Erika’s father assisted with tasks like chimney masonry, as it was Eetu’s first time laying bricks. He reclaimed bricks from a Finnish wooden house in Muurame with a friend.

“The most challenging step was taking down the bricks on the roof,” Eetu recalls.

Erika’s father, a chimney sweep, recommended installing double dampers in the chimney.

“We had wonderful family members and friends, as well as skilled professionals helping us build the sauna. Their support was invaluable,” Erika says gratefully.

They finally fired up the sauna for the first time in July 2022. The design seamlessly combines 1920s-era logs, wood from their parents’ forest plots, and the chimney from the 1950s Finnish wooden house. Unsurprisingly, they enjoy the sauna year-round—including in the snow.

The 24-square-meter log sauna is wood-fired, with wash water heated in a cauldron. Eetu built the roof himself, while a local professional handled the chimney’s sheet metal work.

Erika had dreamed of floor-to-ceiling windows but was hesitant after hearing comments about their energy efficiency. Ultimately, the large windows won out, as today’s windows are energy-efficient and the heat does not simply escape through them. The sauna benches offer a direct view of the lake. Reflective film applied at the factory prevents visitors from seeing in.