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Cozy cottage bursting with color

Inside Leni’s vibrant cottage: “The entire cottage’s color scheme was guided by Kettukarkki candy.”

For years, Leni had dreamed of an allotment garden cottage, and it came true closer to home than she ever dared to imagine. The garden continues the vibrant interior atmosphere, offering a surprise at the end of every path.

In the allotment garden cottage’s yard, a woman wanders quietly in her nightgown. Leni Joutsjoki has just woken up in the snug cottage after a restful night’s sleep. The first thing she does is step outside to wash the sleep from her eyes with cool water from the outdoor faucet. From that same faucet, she also draws water for her morning tea, which she boils in an enamel pot.

Leni and her family enjoy the first rays of sunshine over breakfast on the playhouse terrace. A small fountain bubbles nearby, and neighborhood birds stop at its basin for a drink.

Us: Leni Joutsjoki, 44, and Arto Hietanen, 48, as well as children Herman, 15, and Eerin, 12. Leni is a laboratory analyst and Arto is a Master of Science in Engineering.

Cottage: A 20-square-meter (215 ft²) allotment garden cottage, a playhouse, and a storage shed with a composting toilet.

Where: In the Viherkumpu allotment garden area in Vantaa, Finland.

a red allotment garden cottage with berry bushes and a vegetable patch in front
The cottage was built in 1952.
a bright red deck chair on a green lawn, a playhouse, flower beds, and a fireplace
Leni’s father built a playhouse in the yard, which Leni painted both outside and in.
Leni Joutsjoki holding a flower vase next to the cottage, near the dishwashing area
Dishwater is channeled into a bucket, which is then poured onto the plants. Only biodegradable detergents are used.
a butterfly-shaped pattern in a glass painting and a bed spring in an upright position serving as a trellis
a yellow table and colorful chairs under a canopy, a striped rug, and clematis plants
Outside, there are many seating areas where they enjoy summer days as the sun moves across the sky. Lunch is eaten in the yard pavilion, in the shade of trailing vines.

Leni says that acquiring the cottage was a dream come true for her, even though at first sight it didn’t seem very inviting: the interior was dark, and the panels had yellowed.

Leni didn’t mind the cottage’s tired appearance because she immediately had a clear vision of how to make it inviting. All that mattered was that the location and price were right.

“I’d dreamed of a cottage within biking distance from home for nearly my entire adult life, so I could slip into a different world and tend the garden every day. First, money was an obstacle, and then I waited for Arto’s go-ahead,” Leni reveals.

Arto agreed to the purchase on the condition that Leni would manage buying and maintaining the cottage and its garden solo, with no “work camp” for him. He has seen just how important the cottage is to Leni.

“It means a lot to her. In winter, she can’t wait to return to the cottage when spring arrives,” Arto says.

a rocking horse and old furniture in a cottage with unrenovated pine walls
The cottage in its previous state.
a wooden bench and bureau near a window in a dimly lit cottage
Wood surfaces dominated the cottage before the makeover.
yellow kitchen cabinets, a fridge, a dining set, a sofa, and striped rugs
The kitchen cabinets and countertop are from Ikea, customized by Leni with yellow paint. She bought the upper cabinets secondhand, painting them yellow for a coordinated look. All the handles were replaced with porcelain pulls.
a Kettukarkki-patterned curtain, a bunk bed, rag rugs, and a dining set
The kitchen was moved from the slanted alcove, allowing room for a bunk bed for the children. The table was shortened by sawing off both ends.
a Kettukarkki curtain, with Leni Joutsjoki standing by the table and a dining set
Leni’s first addition to the cottage was a Vallila-brand Kettukarkki curtain inspired by the Finnish candy. “The entire cottage’s color scheme was guided by it,” she says.
a colorful cottage living room and rag rugs
The living area’s glass cabinet and lower cabinet were bought secondhand and painted with red furniture paint from Clas Ohlson. Polka dot adhesive film adds a lively accent.
a green vintage trunk, an orange sofa, and a white cabinet in the background with old items
The daybed was built exactly to fit the space. Leni cut the foam mattresses to size and sewed covers for them. A flea-market trunk conceals extra bedding, and the castors underneath make it easy to move.
Leni Joutsjoki sitting on an orange sofa with a book in hand, looking outside
Leni shares updates from the cottage on her Instagram account @kettukarkkimokki.

Originally, the cottage was located six kilometers (3.7 miles) from the family’s home. One year after buying it, they moved to just over half a kilometer (0.3 miles) from the Viherkumpu allotment garden in Vantaa.

“I never even dared dream that the cottage would be so close,” Leni says with a smile.

Built in the 1950s, the cottage was ready for an update, but Leni wanted to keep its unique charm. Along with her father, she made improvements to brighten the interior and make it more functional. When they bought the cottage, the layout was awkward. They decided to move the kitchen to the former entry and convert the slanted-ceiling area that had housed the kitchen into an alcove.

Additional sleeping spots are available in the playhouse and a tent set up in the yard.

“The children sleep in a bunk bed in the alcove, and we parents sleep on a pull-out daybed in the main room,” Leni says.

There is more overnight space out in the yard. They often spend midsummer at the cottage with a friend’s family, and then the playhouse or a tent set up outside provides extra sleeping spots.

red, blue, and green retro curtains, a white wooden wall, striped cushions on the sofa, and red-and-white dishes on the shelf
Shelves for an ever-changing display were made by installing boards between the slats of the playhouse walls. Leni sewed the fun retro curtains from thrifted fabric.
a striped sofa and rug, a small green cabinet on the wall
The largest piece of furniture in the playhouse is a sofa made by Leni’s father, which Leni upholstered herself. The old upper portion of a kitchen cabinet hides small items.

Changing the cottage’s colors completely transformed its appearance. During renovations, white paint was the magic trick, as all the walls were painted light. White pairs nicely with the cottage’s joyful colored furniture and accessories.

Leni believes a home can have a muted palette while the cottage can stand out with its own flair.

“As soon as the cottage sale was certain, the very first thing I bought was the Vallila Kettukarkki curtain. From there, the entire cottage’s color palette fell into place,” Leni says.

the playhouse, a greenhouse, and a raised bed
Leni built a box for her strawberry patch with two pallet collars, then framed it with the base of a child’s bed she found from Tori online marketplace. They eat the harvest right from the patch, not preserving any for winter. She grows many other edible plants in the kitchen garden, too.
flowers in old pots and pans on three shelves
an outdoor canopy with green pleated curtains and a dining set, flowers in buckets at the door, yellow loosestrife
The curtains used around the garden’s canopies and seating areas are synthetic, so they dry fast after it rains. Every fall, Leni washes them before storing them away for winter.
light purple clematis flowers
yellow loosestrife, a wash station, and a compost bin
A sink counter originally meant for potting plants ended up as a spot for washing hands and faces. Beneath the sink is a stone-lined pit and a basin that collects the water. Only biodegradable soaps are used.
untreated birdhouses on a red wall
a red deck chair on the lawn in front of the garden canopy
The red deck chair was given by a neighboring cottage owner. Leni replaced its worn fabric with a new one.
summer flowers in a glass vase hanging up
a styrofoam cooler inside a wooden cover box, with Leni placing a bottle inside
A styrofoam cooler is neatly tucked into a cover box fashioned from leftover decking boards, stained black with wood oil. The idea came from Leni’s cousin.
marigolds and other flowers along the cottage wall

Leni and Arto’s family lives in an apartment building, where they can enjoy summer flowers on the balcony and in a small yard. In the spring, Leni grows seedlings for the cottage on their windowsills and gradually accustoms them to outdoors on a glazed balcony. Once the weather warms up sufficiently, she brings them to the cottage.

Arto knows that at the cottage, Leni can do things that aren’t possible at home.

“She can tend the garden here, decorate the yard freely, and plan the cottage’s interior.”

Over the years, the garden has gained more greenery, seating areas, walkways, and decorative elements.

A beach is within walking distance of the allotment garden, so it’s easy to go for an evening dip.

Leni often spends time at the cottage alone, but a couple of times a week the whole family meets there to grill and share a meal. Arto says his favorite things are grilling and enjoying those long summer evenings outdoors.

Within walking distance of the allotment garden is Vetokannas beach, which makes it easy to head there for a quick evening swim.

“In the evening, we often light a fire in the outdoor fireplace, chat, and roast marshmallows. As night falls and the solar-powered lights come on, we brush our teeth and settle in for the night in the cottage.”

garden beds in boxes in front of the little cottage’s washing station
Leni Joutsjoki sitting with a mug in hand on a garden swing
a blue tub outside on a wooden deck, a white shelf, lace curtains, and clematis vines
The outdoor tub was bought secondhand. Old mattress springs around it, covered in climbing plants, provide a privacy screen. On bath day, the tub is filled well in advance so the sun can warm the water.
cornflowers and other summer flowers in a meadow
a metal watering can hung above a circular basin, with perennials all around
A watering-can fountain runs via a solar-powered pump. The pump hose is threaded through a hole in the can’s base and through its spout. The water circulates back into the basin through the can.
a red playhouse and berry bushes
an allotment garden cottage’s yard path with plants and a gate

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