A washing machine door is now a window: Sanna and Petri’s inventive outhouse makeover

Petri Lehikoinen’s parents rented a newly built cabin in Puumala, Finland in the 1990s. Over the years, the arrangement proved straightforward and effective: with the landlord’s permission and occasional financial support, the tenants were free to carry out any improvements they wanted.

Now the next generation is spending time at the same cabin: Petri and his wife Sanna Lehikoinen come up with ideas and tinker with all sorts of projects on the property. A few years ago, they decided to remodel the outhouse, which was built onto an old yard storage shed. That shed once belonged to Petri’s father for wood and supplies, and you could hardly call its outhouse cozy. Petri and Sanna wanted to change that.

The renovation began by emptying and cleaning the building. Once it was cleared out, one end was kept for wood and supply storage. The first step in renovating the outhouse side was painting the interior walls. They had leftover white paint from a home renovation, along with some black sauna protectant paint.

They laid the same slightly insulating deck mat on the floor of the summer-use outhouse that they also used in the sauna dressing room. Since they chose a composting toilet, they built a small step for the seat.

For the interior, they mostly used whatever they could find around the property and in storage boxes. However, they did need to buy a few items. Sanna laughs that they ended up outfitting the outhouse more than planned and experimented with plenty of fun ideas.

One of the most entertaining surprises is the long-handled, rotating tablet holder. It was originally bought for the car but went unused. Since both of them often bring a tablet into the bathroom, they realized the holder would free up their hands.

Among the outhouse’s most striking updates is the newly installed ceiling light. Petri swapped out the plastic globe fixture, which resembled a work lamp, for a black chandelier. Sanna laughs that it was one of their wild ideas: in a once-bare workshop, they wanted the world’s fanciest chandelier. Petri’s mother would have preferred to have it in her own home instead.

Extra illumination during bathroom breaks comes from a rechargeable lantern on a shelf. Its glow is softer than the ceiling lamp’s, so you can pick whichever atmosphere you prefer.

They had some leftover brown deck boards from building the terrace, which they used to create a shelf for hand-washing. Old logs served as side supports, and holes were drilled in them to hold toilet paper rolls.

For the wash counter, the couple ordered a metal fruit bowl online. Petri drilled a hole in the center for the washing machine’s accordion drain hose to run from the sink. He also drilled a hole in the floor for the water to drain.

They wanted a black water tank on the counter, so they had to buy that and a round mirror.

Petri had once seen a washing machine’s glass door repurposed as a window. They found an old washing machine at a waste station and salvaged the glass. He cut a hole in the wall for it and trimmed the edges with leftover rope from their house’s railing. Now, through the nautical-style opening, they can enjoy watching boats on the shipping lane.

Sanna had noticed a Pinterest idea for a decorative piece made from an old car tire they found on the property. She painted the tire white, drilled holes for a hanging cord, and placed a faux flower in the middle.

They discovered Petri’s father’s old, rusty hook at the cabin. After sanding and painting, it now works as a towel hook. Petri’s father’s belongings also included the bull horns, which they fastened inside the door as a rack for jackets. Outside the door, they attached an iron knocker featuring an angel from Sanna’s father.

Sanna also dug out a “very old floral ornament” for the shelf—Petri’s mother’s rose pictures had been moved to the outhouse earlier when renovating the cabin. They finished off the space with a room fragrance.

Now the outhouse is so pleasant that sometimes a queue forms at the door. The interior has been beautifully updated, and they’ve considered painting the exterior walls as well. Sanna points out that the shed’s rough exterior only makes the transformation more striking once you step inside.