Smart home with a magical glass cube—this housing fair build was a dream come true for Roosa and Karri

Our shared memories began here in Hietasaari, at the student guild hall. That’s why we couldn’t resist the chance to build a house for the Finnish Housing Fair, say Roosa and Karri Pesälä.

Karri caught the housing fair bug long before meeting Roosa on the guild hall dance floor in 2019. As a student, he had already figured that the fair would be held in his hometown, Oulu, conveniently after he graduated. He wondered what his life would be like by then.

“Then Roosa came along. I had to talk her into staying in Oulu instead of her hometown, Kempele. I appealed to the housing fair. That kind of opportunity doesn’t come around often,” Karri says.

“I, however, had worked several summers in a hardware store and seen so many stressed-out builders that I’d decided never to build anything. But you can change your mind when the incentives are strong enough,” Roosa says.

Karri dreamed of a new, private home where everything would be ready at once.

“I grew up in a fairly old house where my parents did renovations that seemed never-ending.”

“With our level of expertise, a turn-key approach was our only option,” Roosa says.

A housing fair property felt like a safe choice. They quickly found a partner and praise the clear budgeting. For a newly graduated couple, it was important to see exactly where the money went and that it was enough. The horror stories Roosa heard in the hardware store never materialized; building was surprisingly low-stress, even with a small baby.

At the 2022 housing fair held in Naantali, Roosa noticed that log homes had a lovely scent and a comfortable atmosphere. That’s when they both decided they wanted one.

Spending time in nature supports health and lowers stress, so Karri and Roosa wanted a calm, nature-inspired feel. The color scheme is subtle: the log walls have a light finish, and the painted walls are beige. The vinyl floor is light brown, and there are walnut hues in the furniture.

“We’ve nicely combined different wood tones here. I also love the pastels in the wallpaper and art. We plan to live here a long time, so we weren’t after short-lived trends but timeless solutions. At this stage, we also want materials that hold up well,” Roosa explains.

“The kitchen would have been pretty bland and pale. Then, on our interior designer’s advice, we added walnut, and I was sold,” Karri says.

Karri wanted a smart home, which would make day-to-day life easier. The house has smart lighting that warms in tone toward evening, and the smart shades raise and lower automatically.

“The smart shades are designed to fit our circadian rhythm. Here in the north, it’s bright nearly all summer, so in the summer they keep out the light, while in winter they create an insulating pocket,” he says.

Upstairs, Karri came up with the idea of a smart glass wall that switches from transparent to frosted. He had seen a similar feature in places wanting to shield certain views.

“We’ll both work from home part of the time. We wanted an open space, and solid walls felt massive. The smart glass gives us privacy when we need it,” Karri explains.

At the same time they invested in a smart home, they saved on other aspects—but not in a way either of them regrets.

“We only have a fireplace connection in the living room. For us, a fireplace is more of a cottage mood piece, so we left it out here,” Karri says.

Roosa would have liked more space in the laundry room, but they had to think carefully about how to fit everything into 131 square meters.

Sustainability is essential for the couple. Karri wants to minimize energy costs, so the house has a small setup for generating power. Solar panels and battery storage increase self-sufficiency. A phone algorithm calculates whether district heating or a heat pump is more cost-effective at any given time.

Roosa and Karri eagerly await moving into the house from their small rented two-bedroom with their one-and-a-half-year-old toddler.

“This is our first real home of our own. We’ve practiced building and yard work, and now we can learn about living in a single-family house. It feels like a whole new world,” Roosa says.

For Roosa, the most important and favorite space is the living room, which she wanted cozy and welcoming. That’s where they invested the most. Karri’s favorite places are upstairs and outside:

“Next to the adults’ bedroom is a little balcony. I picture it as the perfect Sunday morning hangout for enjoying coffee. I also love the hot tub on the west side, where we can watch the sunset.”