
Vibrant colors and a garden of their dreams finally made this couple feel at home: “Nothing bothers us anymore”
Sanna and Tero Jokela had a traditionally inspired house built right next to Sanna’s parents on the family’s land in the Turku Archipelago: “There's a sense of security here for everyone.”
When the foghorn sounds from Airisto, it means there’s fog at sea. Otherwise, from the Jokelas’ yard, you wouldn’t immediately guess you’re in the Turku archipelago in Finland. The island is so large that the sea is out of sight.
About ten years ago, when their children were small, the Jokela family bought a traditionally inspired prefab home. Because Sanna grew up just across the road, their kids could enjoy the same childhood surroundings she did. Now that the children are teenagers, the house has undergone a transformation as well. There’s finally been time to update each room to reflect their own style.
Home: Completed in 2014 on Satava Island in the Turku Archipelago, with five rooms and a kitchen (136 m²), plus a 60 m² utility building.
Living here: Sanna and Tero Jokela, children Elli, 13, and Jonne, 11.
Follow on social media: @villajonnellinen



How did it feel to build on the family land?
Sanna: My grandparents, who were evacuated from Karelia, built a post-war home across the road, where my cousin now lives. My parents built a 1970s brick house next door. Then we built our house on what used to be a field, and my sister built hers a short distance away soon after. At first, it concerned me that the house was so close to my childhood home. I was mentally against it for quite a while. But when our children were little, it turned out to be very convenient because we could take them right across the road to their grandparents. There’s a sense of security here for everyone.


“This house is practical but also my dream home.”Sanna Jokela


How did you end up building a new house?
Sanna: We lived in a three-story wooden apartment in Turku. Jonne was such a daredevil as a toddler that we worried he’d fall headfirst down the stairs. First, we looked for a post-war house near our old place. Then we remembered I had a plot of land I’d received in advance inheritance. I assumed building a new house would be cheaper.
Tero: We liked the traditional house model from the Finnish prefab house manufacturer Kannustalo, and it was quick to move into. The house went up in just a few days. We chose everything in advance based on just pictures, which was challenging because we couldn’t visualize how things would look in the end.




How has the house changed since it was completed?
Sanna: Our prefab home came with pre-selected paint, wallpaper, and tile options. We’ve been gradually updating them. The kids were small when we first moved in, so their wallpapers were originally quite childish. We started making updates in Elli’s room. The living room makeover began with an old workbench, matched with a Jugend cabinet we found on Tori. From there, changes have spread throughout the house. Now it finally feels like it’s truly ours—nothing bothers us anymore.

“At first, it concerned me that the house was so close to my childhood home. I was mentally against it for quite a while.”Sanna Jokela



Did the house turn out to be a good choice?
Tero: We’re happy with a one-story house. There’s space set aside for a second floor, but it’s unused because we already have plenty of room.
Sanna: Absolutely! The house is practical but also my dream home. I get to fulfill my ideas when decorating it. I love colors and big, bold elements. I browse flea markets a lot in search of interesting finds. The archipelago location is great too, even though it’s still about 15 kilometers to downtown Turku. Our shared dock is about a kilometer and a half away on the shoreline, and in summer we go there to swim almost every day, either on foot or by bike.






The former field is now a flourishing garden
When the Jokelas’ house was built a decade ago, the yard was a former field. From the beginning, the clear goal was to turn that field into a garden. The section of lawn that needs mowing keeps shrinking as plants multiply. Early on, Sanna got a few hours of consulting help from a local garden center to shape the garden, and after that, she planned everything herself.

They add something new to the garden every year. The latest addition is a fish pond, which required some engineering know-how. Tero wanted it square, but Sanna convinced him to go with an asymmetrical figure-eight shape. Altogether, there are five different water features in the yard.

Sanna is a geospatial expert—a mapmaker—and she enjoys drawing up plans, even if not everything goes exactly as planned. Around the firepit, she insisted on including a north arrow—a compass rose—also visible in the latest aerial images of Turku. Her enthusiasm for creating new things is evident in her gardening.
“I’m more of a builder than a maintainer. I’m not so interested in those very first flower beds anymore,” Sanna admits.

Sanna has become more patient with the garden, and she’s learned to accept that things don’t happen overnight. When she started shaping it about ten years ago, it felt frustrating that nothing seemed to grow.
“Then suddenly, plop,” she says, describing the moment the yard finally started to look like a real garden.

Her interest in gardening has only grown. For a long time, she peeked into other gardens, wondering how to get a closer look. Finally, she started a garden club, first inviting people to see her own garden. About ten people came, and the club took off. Now, they visit gardens around the islands together.