Inside their 100-year-old cottage, this couple finds Christmas peace: “Sometimes we feel like time has gone backward”
In a small red cottage in the middle of the forest, candles flicker at Christmastime while old, familiar Christmas carols play. Marjamäki cottage is the fulfillment of Katri and Jarkko’s dreams.
Snowy trees arch over the road leading to the red cottage. It’s a frosty day in Sastamala in southwestern Finland, and a dog runs up to the gate, kicking up a cloud of powdery snow as it turns. Jarkko Haapanen, the cottage’s host, crosses the yard. Meanwhile, Katri, the cottage’s hostess, is already outside tending the fire by the stone firepit.
For a moment, the present seems to vanish. The couple often feels that way, too.
“It may sound silly, but sometimes we feel like time has gone backward,” Katri says with a laugh.
Called Marjamäki cottage it passed into Katri and Jarkko’s hands four Christmases ago. Both were tired of a hectic lifestyle, and the 100-year-old cottage gave them a chance to slow down.
“Here, we pump our household water from the well, and we carry wash water for the sauna from an old box well. Our outhouse works just fine in even the coldest weather,” Jarkko explains.
The cottage was built in 1882. To keep its story alive, the current owners decided to renovate the main building. They removed part of the chamber, the floor and ceiling on the main room side, and the base of the entryway. Some of the logs also needed repairs.
“For that, we brought in help from Suomen hirsiperinne, a Finnish log building heritage organization. Otherwise, we’ve been the renovation crew ourselves,” Jarkko says, and Katri continues:
“We decided to learn the secrets of traditional construction, because there will always be a need for those skills here!”
During the renovation, Katri and Jarkko learned every corner of the cottage, from the roof structures to the subfloor as they crawled beneath the house. Katri admits that living amid renovations wasn’t always easy. Sometimes, unexpected problems and the sheer amount of work brought her to tears.
“But after that came laughter and the feeling that we were fully alive.”
By hand-sawing all the new wood themselves, Katri and Jarkko formed a strong bond with the cottage.
The main room has become the couple’s favorite spot. For Christmas, the ceiling light is taken down and replaced by a candelabra, which is decorated with spruce branches.
At Marjamäki, rice pudding is served with cinnamon and coconut sugar, and of course a single almond is dropped in. Whoever finds the almond has to sing a Christmas carol.
This year, the Haapanens are celebrating their fourth Christmas at the cottage. A “secret recipe” rice pudding simmers on the stove, and near the end of cooking they add thick coconut cream. A fire warms the stove from morning coffee to evening tea, and before Christmas, the radio plays beloved carols.
“For me, the dearest carols are On hanget korkeat nietokset and En etsi valtaa loistoa,” Katri says.
Over time, the main room has become the Haapanens’ favorite place. At the window, Katri needle-felts gnomes year-round, and they travel to new homes across Finland. The artist is sure each gnome has a mind of its own, and its personaliy shines through in its looks, making every one unique.
Stories fill the cottage, and at Christmas they grow even stronger. Katri says the spruce chosen as their Christmas tree is informed well ahead of its upcoming role.
“We believe this keeps us on good terms with the forest folk,” Katri explains.
The extendable bench in the main room came with the house and is perfect for afternoon naps. Tytti gets it first.
Tytti, the Finnish Lapphund, enjoys snacking on dates at Christmas. In addition, she loves the taste of the quark-based paint on the main room floor. That’s why the owners plan to replace the floor soon.
The warmth and crackle of a fireplace belong to winter evenings.
Every Christmas, Katri makes clove-studded oranges for their fragrance. Their scent fills the entire main room.
They go to the Christmas sauna on the evening of December 23. When they wake on Christmas Eve, the first thing they do is light the stove and set the rice pudding to simmer. They also make sure the birds get a special holiday feast.
At noon, they listen to Finland’s official Christmas Peace declaration, then take a midday walk with Tytti along a quiet village road. Soon after, they head outside for coffee, followed by a well-earned nap on the main room’s extendable bench.
According to Katri, their Christmas Eve culminates in a festive meal on an old farm table, followed by the highlight of opening presents. Usually, the packages contain handmade items or beloved vintage finds.
Soft music suits the cottage’s mood. The windows are laced with frost, and flickering candlelight shines through them. You couldn’t say what era this forest cottage belongs to. Katri and Jarkko only use electric light when necessary.
“We feel so lucky to enjoy Christmas peace in our own little cottage, surrounded by nature’s abundance. Less really is more,” Katri says with a smile.
Peace truly abounds at the cottage.
“We light outdoor torches by the road, hoping they cheer up anyone passing by. But honestly, it’s rare to see even two cars go by in an evening,” Jarkko says, laughing.
When Christmas is near, a tree is brought into the main room, cut from their own little forest.
The yard is decorated for Christmas. The cottage is painted with Uula’s Falu red (Falun-punainen) paint.
They decorate the outdoor clothesline and the oat sheaves for the birds with small conifer tufts.
“We pump our household water from the well, and we carry wash water for the sauna from an old box well.”
“We’re so happy to enjoy Christmas peace in our little cottage, surrounded by nature’s abundance.”
