Tiny cottage on wheels! Take a peek at this family’s 19-square-meter summer retreat

The trailer built by Lappelland comes standard with translucent-painted walls and ceiling. The shed roof rises from 180 cm to 220 cm. The kitchen countertop is about 65 centimeters deep. In a small kitchen, every extra centimeter counts. The daybed sofa was bought from furniture store Masku. Petra and Toni sometimes sleep in the living area.

The dining table is second hand. The spindle-back chairs were made by Petra’s great-grandfather and inherited from her grandmother. Their colors fit the cottage’s decor perfectly.

Everything in the cottage has its place. Small wall shelves help keep things organized. The tiered serving tray doesn’t take up additional space but offers twice the storage.

The Kalevala plate from Arabia originally belonged to Petra’s grandparents. She’s on the lookout for more, whenever she can find them. Next to it hangs a ceramic art piece Petra received from her sister.

Petra, how did you end up vacationing in a caravan-style cottage?

I spent my childhood summers in around the same area in the archipelago. I especially remember taking the ferry to the cottage. The ferry ride always makes me feel calm, like we’ll be there soon.

This is a historic holiday village where people spend their vacations in travel trailers that stay here all year. My family had a trailer in this spot for a long time when I was a kid, but my father gave it up in 2012. Back then, there were seven of us children staying in that one trailer.

About ten years later, my husband Toni and I tried to find our own cottage but had no luck. I talked about it with my dad and uncle, and that’s how we came up with the idea of getting our own trailer on this familiar site. Toni got excited, too.

Tell us about your cottage!

Here, every trailer must be street-legal, meaning it has wheels underneath. Our cottage was towed from the factory by a pickup truck. It looks more like a cottage than a typical travel trailer, thanks to wooden paneling on the exterior and a shed-style roof.

The translucent panels on the walls and ceiling come as standard. The toilet was already built in. We got the kitchen from Ikea, and the rest of the furnishings were bought second hand. We did everything on a small budget.

We added a terrace of about 30 square meters in front of the cottage, complete with a large outdoor kitchen. Our next plan is to build a semi-heated space, similar to a trailer awning, so we’ll have a spot for coats and shoes plus a covered lounge area. It’s a pleasant place to hang out in the evening after the kids have gone to bed, watching shows on a laptop.

One end of the cottage is set aside for sleeping. Two adults can comfortably fit in the 120-centimeter-wide lower bunk. The bunk bed quickly becomes three-year-old Amos’s little fort. An electric heater on the ceiling above the top bunk keeps it warm on cool nights.

Petra found Finnish designer Tapio Wirkkala’s Niva vase at her mother’s home. Its textured glass looks right at home in the woods. Petra often decorates with natural branches, like ferns, in her table settings and interior.

The chemical toilet works perfectly. There’s also a regular flush toilet nearby in the service building. Hands are washed outside or in the kitchen.

The pegs on the wooden wall rack are perfect for hanging baskets, bags, or even a carpet beater. The baskets are from a flea market market and Ikea.

You have your own house. Why did you also want a cottage?

A weekend in the city just feels different. At home, we have around 100 square meters, while the cottage is only about 19. That change of scenery really matters. Here, nature is right outside, and we barely spend any time indoors. We can sit at the edge of the terrace and pop blueberries into our mouths right from beneath a pine tree. Our city yard is small and scorching, with neighbors close by.

I also love that life here is so simple. We cook outside on the grill or use an air fryer. I enjoy knowing there’s nothing unnecessary here—everything has its purpose and place.

Amos has found something interesting by the corner of the cottage. There’s so much to explore in nature.

Petra, Amos, and Caspian usually spend the entire day outdoors. One side of the terrace is lined with an old rhododendron, and on the other side is an outdoor kitchen from Ikea.

Petra gives Amos a good push on the swing. There are plenty of activities for children and adults around here.

What’s the best part of cottage life in a holiday village?

I think this place has the best elements of community living. People respect your privacy, but there are lots of shared activities. In the summer, the sauna is heated six evenings a week. We have a laundry room and a small community center with a library, board games, and a kitchen. They host watch parties for sports events, karaoke, and movie nights.

It’s safe here since there’s basically no traffic, and the kids have plenty of friends to play with. Our private beach is about 300 meters away. Altogether, there are around 60 trailers, so in the summer, as many as a couple hundred people might be on vacation. The area is large enough that everyone still has their own space.

Petra appreciates the tall, narrow window at the end of the cottage, which brings in a beautiful view of nature.