The renovation grew beyond the original plan when water damage was discovered in the kitchen. To replace the damaged logs, they built a new partition wall. The subfloor and flooring were to be renewed anyway. The spruce floorboards, sourced from Tuulipuu in Humppila, were lightened with lye and oiled twice. The solid wood kitchen is from Neljä Seppää in Ostrobothnia. The handmade sink was ordered from England. Essi crafted the dining table with her father using larch boards, which were also used for the terrace. The pendant lamp, Finarte’s Dyyni rug, and the collection of Viennese chairs were found on the online secondhand store Tori.
“We’re buying this,” announced stylist Essi Kuusisto, 25, as she stood in the yard before even stepping inside. The spontaneous comment initially felt like a joke but soon became reality. The nearly hundred-year-old house was about to go on sale through her partner, Valtteri Lampinen, 28, who is a real estate agent.
The couple wasn’t looking for a cottage, but this was an opportunity they couldn’t pass up. The one-and-a-half-story log house, completed in 1928 and located on the lakeshore, fulfilled a dream they didn’t know they had.
The kitchen wall shelf with the dishes, pitchers, drinking glasses, and glass jars arranged on its oak shelves is like a work of art. The shelf unit is Shelf Library by Frama.
Both Essi and Valtteri are from Mänttä-Vilppula, but work has taken them to Tampere. Now, a leisure home in their childhood surroundings eases the longing for their hometown. Valtteri’s parents live on the opposite shore, and Essi’s parents and even Valtteri’s grandmother live nearby. They even dream of moving permanently to their approximately 60-square-meter second home.
“I tried to use colors more boldly here than at home,” Essi says. The painting is by her friend Linda Cederberg. The sofa is by the Finnish company Norma. The coffee table is made from floor planks. The rug was found on Tori.
Essi is a trained interior constructor and even worked in renovation before becoming a stylist. Valtteri admits he’s not handy with renovations. Renovating the cottage for year-round use took two years, and just clearing out the old movables and removing the floor and layers of wallpaper took quite some time. Both their fathers as well as Valtteri’s cousin played a big part in the renovation.
Through their own and their relatives’ hard work, the log house became a stylish second home where the couple enjoys spending almost every weekend, either by themselves or with friends.
The room gained more height when ceiling panels were removed. The exposed ceiling beams were sanded with an angle grinder. The rocking chair is from Valtteri’s mother’s childhood home, which was standing empty. The sideboard was donated by neighbors in their apartment building when they moved to assisted living. In the corner are a poster of a painting by Hilma af Klint and a floral painting by Essi. Lamp from Ellos. Leather pouf from Zicos.
Essi designed custom-made oak stairs with master carpenter Tingander. “We’ve tried to do everything properly. In a small cottage, you can really invest in materials,” Essi says.
Initially, the renovator rejected the idea of a bathtub upstairs, but Essi had a strong vision. Despite load calculations, they felt nervous when filling the tub for the first time.
An indoor bathroom wasn’t originally in the renovation plans but gradually became part of them. Initially, the renovator rejected the idea, but Essi had a strong vision. Despite load calculations, they felt nervous when filling the tub for the first time. Now, baths under the slanted ceiling are weekend luxury. Bathtub from Bathlife. Faucet from Beliani.
Between the bedroom and the bathroom is a delicate dressing table. The old vanity was already in the cottage, as the couple bought it with all its furnishings. The chimney was painted a lovely gray during the renovation.
The small gable windows were replaced with larger ones to increase natural light, and the walls were clad with finger paneling.
The small gable windows were replaced with larger ones to increase natural light. Due to limited ceiling height, the room got a low—and luxuriously wide—double bed. Rug from H&M Home.
The upstairs gable wall was clad with finger paneling. The paintings upstairs are by Essi. “I’m not one for ornaments,” she says. Still, a few beautiful small items are on display.
The small bathroom is a soft pink, painted with shade X420 Neito by Tikkurila. The bathroom is adorned with a gallery wall. The old door with glass panes, which might have been the building’s original front door, was found in a tarpaulin shed behind the barn. It was refurbished for new use, and frosted window film was applied to the window.
The couple was looking for either a shepherd or a retriever and found a “shepherd retriever.” “An excellent find on Tori,” they praise, although upon arrival, Fifi ate about 3,000 euros worth of items, including glasses and car keys. The first thing they did on the cottage lot was building a dog enclosure.
The sloped yard was terraced flat in a few places. At the top of the slope leading down to the shore, they made a patio from flagstones. The outdoor fireplace was purchased from online secondhand shop Huuto.net.
From the outside, the cottage is more recognizable as old than from the inside. French doors were installed where a window used to be, leading to a large larch terrace. Essi looks forward to working on the garden now that the renovations are over. The garden is easy to maintain, as only a small strip is grass.
“This is a small village, and that’s the best thing. I know a lot of people here. I’ve lived on the shore of this lake until adulthood, and it’s a special place for me,” Valtteri says.
The one-and-a-half-story log house, completed in 1928, is located in Mänttä-Vilppula. It has about 60 square meters.
