This region in Bromarv has been familiar to Heidi Lindholm since childhood, when she spent all her summer vacations by the sea with her family. Later, Heidi and her husband Markku Nousiainen spent their summers in the same area, but every Sunday, when they had to head back to their home in Espoo, it was equally difficult to leave. From a shared decision, they began following local vacation properties that went on the market, aiming to find a place that could serve as their second home and keep them close to nature.
In 2015, this log house built in 1937 for Finnish Forest Research Institute went up for sale, with a large lot extending all the way to the shore.
Home: A log house built in 1937 in Bromarv, Raseborg, featuring a living room, dining room, bedroom, office, kitchen, and glass veranda, plus a one-bedroom apartment in the upstairs, about 280 m² (3,000 sq ft).
Who lives here: Interior designer and head of education at Sisustusakatemia Heidi Lindholm, 57, and Markku Nousiainen, 57, along with their dogs Emma and Manu. The upstairs is home to Heidi’s mother Ros-Marie Lindholm, 79.
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The sea view still enchants them, even though Heidi and Markku have lived in the house for nearly ten years. The decision to move here still feels right.
By the entrance, under a small canopy, there's a yard swing that offers the best spot for lounging. Sometimes, a quick break after lunch turns into a full-fledged nap.
“At first, my mother helped us by looking after the house and the dogs, and now we can help her.”
Heidi’s mother, Ros-Marie, also moved to the countryside with them when the couple needed help caring for the dogs. Now, in turn, she receives help from them. Living nearby brings a sense of security for everyone.
Was it love at first sight?
We had some good luck from the start. The real estate agent already knew us somewhat and trusted us enough to let us explore the house on our own. We spent at least three hours walking around and looking at everything. In that time, we probably fell in love with the place. Everything we’d ever hoped for—and even a little more—was here. The nearest neighbor is over a kilometer away, and the property is surrounded by breathtakingly beautiful nature. Right away, Markku said, “Now we’re going to sell absolutely everything we own.” He was just as taken with the place as I was. Meanwhile, I was already envisioning the renovations. This house had enough room for all our dreams.
A patterned Tarkett vinyl floor has been installed in the entryway, making it easy to keep clean with two dogs. The shoe shelves are made from old bin boards from the shed, and the coat rack remains almost in its original place. The old wooden bench was found at a flea market.
The couple both collect summer hats, and they definitely wear them, too. In the summertime, they spend a lot of time outdoors, and it's easy to grab a hat from the rack on the way out. Markku also picks up hats on his travels as souvenirs. By now, they have dozens of them around the house.
After the renovation, the kitchen has already been updated once. Most recently, breakfast cabinets were installed on both sides of the window. Heidi drafted the kitchen design, and it was delivered by Mellano. The cabinets are in Mellano’s Savi shade, which corresponds to color 1916 in Tikkurila’s Pro Grey chart, and the fronts of the old drawers were painted in the same color.
The pitcher and glasses are flea market finds. Heidi has been collecting Nanny Still's Grappo series glasses for years.
The kitchen shelves were made from boards salvaged from the yard shed’s bin. They were thoroughly cleaned and stained brown. They fit in beautifully above the dark peg rail. The sink is by Franke, and the faucet was found from Tapwell’s selection.
The patterned wallpaper suits the old house well. The ceramic countertop and backsplash are worry-free materials. The kitchen floor is Wicanders Hydrocork, which has proven to be an excellent choice for a home with dogs.
Did you make an offer right away?
The house was far more expensive than we had anticipated. We really did have to do what Markku suggested. We crunched the numbers momentarily and made an offer quite soon. We listed our house in Espoo for sale and persuaded my retired mother to move along with us from Espoo. We needed help with the dogs, as we were often away from home.
In the living room, there’s an Ikea Ektorp sofa and armchair, plus a coffee table found at a yard sale. The ceiling light was discovered during a trip to Stockholm. The cabinet made from old windows hosts a Tynell table lamp that Heidi picked up at a flea market for just 30 euros.
There’s a large table in the dining room where guests can linger for hours. On the table is one of Heidi’s Chamois tablecloths. The rug is from Rugvista. The majolica porcelain chandelier originally belonged to Heidi’s grandmother’s childhood home. Now, in the dining room, it’s in a place worthy of its history.
Are the three of you still living here with your dogs?
My mother has her own home upstairs, and we live on the ground floor. At first, she helped us by house- and dog-sitting, and now we’re able to help her. I suppose things work out as they should, and the house would be too big for just the two of us anyway. In the past, the upstairs housed forestry workers, while the downstairs served as the office and reception area for the Finnish Forest Research Institute.
Markku and Heidi added an extension to the house, where they can enjoy the sea view. The veranda adjacent to the bedroom and living room is playfully referred to as the Punssiveranta (“punch veranda”).
In the corner of the dining room stands a corner cabinet that came with the house. Heidi painted it pink with chalk paint. Next to it is a flea market chair that Heidi painted and had upholstered by Design West.
Did the house require renovations before you moved in?
The house was immediately livable. It also came with a lot of furniture included. We decided it would be easier to live here and renovate the rooms one by one. We started with the kitchen and, aside from the upstairs, we’ve practically renovated the entire house by now.
The writing desk was one of the pieces of furniture already in the house. On top of it is a photo by Krista Keltanen, showing the couple in the snowy scenery by their shoreline path. The opal glass lamp in the bedroom also predates their arrival.
The house is built entirely of log construction. According to rumors, the logs were once brought from an offshore island. Because they grew under harsh conditions, the wood is extremely dense, making it difficult to drive in a nail. The bedroom walls may have once been covered with stretched cardboard, but by the time they moved in, the logs were already exposed, and they decided to keep that look. The bedside table is another one of Heidi’s flea market finds, which she repainted with chalk paint.
A couple of years ago, they renovated the room next to the bedroom, which is now Heidi’s workspace. They chose Sandberg’s Pine wallpaper for the walls, and after that, the old cabinet got a fresh coat of green chalk paint.
Even though the house is large, it doesn’t have a guest room. Instead, they converted an old shed into a guest cottage. Up to five people can stay there, including in the loft.
“Markku’s previous office job has evolved into working as a ferry operator. He gets to be by the sea even more, which was always his dream.”
Has life here surprised you in any way?
Our friends suspected we’d move back to the city after our first winter here. That never even crossed our minds. We settled in very quickly. In the beginning, Markku was still working in the capital region, and his son was quite young at the time. Markku stayed in my mother’s apartment in Espoo every other week, when his son was with him.
Now his son is an adult, and Markku’s previous office job has evolved into working as a ferry operator. He gets to be by the sea even more, which was always his dream.
I’ve been most surprised by just how many new friends you can still make as an adult. We’ve gotten to know people here and formed a group of friends, organizing parties and activities among ourselves. There’s been no reason to feel lonely out here.
The old shoreline sauna was in terrible shape when Heidi and Markku arrived. Their neighbor is a skilled carpenter who put in a new floor, added a window to the wall, and made some layout changes. Now, the sauna’s lounge is cozy and beautiful. Thanks to the fireplace, it stays warm even in winter.
The sauna’s steam room remains just as it was. The patina on those old panels is at its most beautiful just the way it is, and they didn’t want to change that during the renovation.
The sea is an important element for the couple. Since it changes every day, that’s what makes it so captivating. They built a slate patio at the shoreline last summer. The white lounge chairs have been in place near the water since they first moved in, but now they have a solid, level spot on the stone.
The boathouse, built in the 1920s, was the final deal-sealer for Markku. They spend the most fun-filled summer beach parties on the dock in front of the boathouse with friends.
The house was already striking before, but its front-facing façade might have been a bit plain when viewed from the sea. The new veranda transformed the entire character of the house. Heidi designed the veranda railings herself, and underneath, Markku got a small workshop. The terraced section below provides storage space for outdoor furniture over winter.
