Step inside Pia’s 35-square-meter cottage: “The logs might get weathered by time and they’re not meant to be hidden”
This small, red cottage captured Pia’s heart in an instant. It’s lovely to spend Christmas inside its well-worn log walls, with the aroma of rice porridge and evergreen branches, listening to a cat’s purr.
It’s so quiet, you can almost hear the snowflakes hitting the ground. From the windows of the little red cottage, you have the best vantage point to watch woodland creatures. With a bit of luck, you might spot a roe deer with its fawns, a family of hares, a capercaillie, or even an eagle owl. The silence is broken by the tapping of a nearby woodpecker. At the back of the forest, there’s a salt lick for moose, and these antlered visitors are particularly interested in the cottage’s apple and plum trees.
Lilla Villa Koivikko owes its existence to ‘syytinki’, a centuries-old retirement arrangement in Finland. The owners of the neighboring farm sold their land to their daughter and her husband. In return, they built this cottage to provide security for their aging parents. The first owners lived here for multiple decades.
– I'm the sixth owner of this place. The right to use the neighboring farm's well is still in effect, Pia says.
"I admit that even during the closing, I was nervous that something might still go wrong."
Each owner has left their mark on this cottage. Built from relocated logs, the building has a crawl-space foundation. The couple who owned it before Pia painted the ceiling and added insulation to the attic. They also installed protection against voles. The cottage's original wood stove was in such poor shape that it couldn't be saved. It has now been replaced with a wood-burning stove, perfect for slowly simmering delicious Christmas porridge.
– The cottage's surfaces are perfect as they are. Time can show on the logs, and I don’t intend to hide that, Pia says.
Pia fell for the cottage at first sight. Once she saw the listing photos, there was no turning back. The previous owners also knew right away that this new cottage dweller was destined to carry on Lilla Villa Koivikko's story. They noticed how much Pia appreciated all the renovation work and hard work poured into the cottage over the years.
– I admit that even during the closing, I worried something might still go wrong. Fortunately, the sellers told me they wanted the cottage's story to go on specifically with me, Pia says.
Pia's car is packed full in preparation for the Christmas holidays. Even sauna water must be brought in canisters, because the summer pump rests over the winter.
Winters at Lilla Villa Koivikko are almost always snowy. The cottage sits high up, about 200 meters above sea level. At Christmas, the cottage road is gleaming white and often icy. Luckily, help is nearby, and neighboring farms have tractors if needed. That assistance has sometimes come in handy.
Pia's car is packed full in preparation for the Christmas holidays. Even sauna water must be brought in canisters, because the summer pump rests over the winter.
The Christmas holidays at Lilla Villa Koivikko are almost always snowy.
Pia laughs that Valtteri-the cat would prefer to skip the trip entirely and just stay at the cottage. After unloading all the Christmas gear from the car, this gentleman cat also settles in for a relaxed holiday.
At the winter cottage, snow shoveling is the first task. It gets done even before heating the cottage. Once she’s warmed up by the task, Pia moves her supplies from the car to the cottage on a large sled.
Base heat in the cottage is maintained with electric radiators. The woodstove and the fireplace in the main room ensure the place warms up nicely in about an hour. The old logs respond with a cozy creaking. By then, Valtteri is already purring loudly on the bed.
– Valtteri always finds the warmest spot. His purring can be heard so far away that there aren't any unwelcome visitors when he's around, Pia jokes.
Pia trims branches from the yard's spruces to place outside the doors for brushing off snowy boots, and she makes traditional evergreen wreaths for the doors and porches. The decorations have a natural feel and would have suited times long past. Christmas at Lilla Villa is red. Decorative lights glow in the star-lit yard as early as November. Lanterns sparkle along the path to the sauna.
– A starry sky and an oil lantern used to be the only sources of light along the path. Now there's a bit more illumination, though still under the same stars, Pia says while lighting candles.
On Christmas morning, Pia warms up the woodstove, listening to Christmas radio while brewing her morning coffee. The Christmas porridge simmers slowly, but there's no hurry in the little red cottage. Alongside this traditional dish, Pia bakes a date cake. She works up an appetite by gathering firewood, clearing snow, and spending time outdoors.
The best moments of a cottage Christmas come in the silence, as snowflakes drift down from the frosty sky. In that stillness, slippers head back from the sauna toward the cottage, whose windows are warmly lit by candles. Fresh sheets and a familiar purr complete the cozy atmosphere of this little cottage.
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