Who lives here: Marjo and Eetu Muste, a professional couple with design skills.
Style of home A three-bedroom contemporary take on a log-cabin home in eastern Finland, designed by the owners in conjunction with developer Honka and interior designer Jonna Kivilahti. It’s part of the Honka Ink collection of ecologically healthy homes.
Timeline: The build started in mid-2016 and was finished for the Housing Fair in July 2017; 130,000 people visited.
Budget: A similar house costs 2500-3000 Euros per sq m (that’s about $668,000 for the entire 167 sq m house).
Every year, the Finnish Housing Fair showcases the latest trends in the building industry and invites visitors to walk through houses designed and built in situ, ready for their new owners to move in after the fair.
Kitchen/dining Seamless micro concrete (available through Ecoflor) is used on the floors and fireplace surround, giving the home a wonderfully raw look. All the finishes and furniture added to that make the home feel cosy and connected to nature. Dark grey handle-free units from Nixi seem more like bespoke cabinetry than cupboards, and the Dekton ‘Domoos’ benchtops (through Cosentino) have an equally streamlined finish. The simple ash dining table from Hakola is enlivened with iconic chairs (from left): the Ton, the Seiska and the Wegner ‘Wishbone’. Raaka Rå tableware, Leena Kouhia.
It’s an unconventional way to purchase a home, especially when thousands of people get to visit your home before you live there – but for Marjo and Eetu Muste, being able to build a bespoke home on one of the best plots in Lake Saimaa was a no-brainer.
Dining The owners of this Finnish house have nailed the modern-cabin vibe and gifted us with lots of clever ideas we’d love to style-souvenir. One of them is having a kitchen so minimal that its sleek black cabinetry reads as a backdrop for the dining table and a match for its mix of designer chairs. The glassy lights above are also clear winners.
“We’d been dreaming of designing and building our first home together in a beautiful location, so when we heard that the Honka developers wanted to showcase their ecological log homes at the 2017 fair, it aligned with our needs perfectly,” says Marjo.
Hallway Marjo and Eetu Muste in their Mikkeli house, built for the Finnish Housing Fair of 2017. The theme that year was the effect of dwellings on the well-being of their inhabitants.
Working closely with Honka’s inhouse architect, the couple began designing the house almost two years before the fair. Their drawings were of a two-storey structure clad in black-painted logs, with a dramatic pitched roof.
Hallway The graphic steel staircase by Grado draws the eye across the sweeping strokes of the micro-concrete floor.
The layout and internal finishes were specific to their needs: two bedrooms, a work space (which could be a bedroom), three bathrooms and an open-plan living area with direct access to an outside deck.
Living area For a sense of harmony and cohesion, the timber wall at this end was also left untreated, while the white ceiling and wall behind the sofa help reflect the natural light round the room. A subtle grey Arne Jacobsen ‘Egg Chair’ sits in the corner; the rug and cushions (from Moko Market) add pattern, texture and warmth. Tala ‘Voronoi’ lights, LightCo.
“We knew we’d be doing lots of entertaining,” says Marjo, “so a large living space where we could spend time together as a couple, and fit our friends in when required, was essential. We also wanted a deep connection with our surroundings, so plenty of glass was vital.”
First-floor hallway Another Hans Wegner ‘Wishbone’ chair sits among a pleasing array of rattan baskets and straw hats. The Mustes use the baskets to store bits and bobs.
To bring their vision to life, the couple approached Jonna Kivilahti, an interior designer with a relaxed style and love of natural textures. “We knew we wanted to continue the simplicity of the exterior in the internal spaces, with concrete floors, matt-black cabinetry and raw-wood panelling,” says Marjo. “Jonna chose the perfect earthy palette to balance the rough textures and make the rooms feel cosy.”
Guest bedroom This space has a restorative feel and the best views of the lake. The swinging chair is by Parolan Rottinki.
One of these is micro concrete, which is the calming backdrop for the entire house. From the front door, the sight of the warehouse-style staircase draws you through a muted entry hall into the living space, where a nib-wall fireplace wrapped in velvety concrete creates a focal point that leads the eye out to the scenery beyond. “The fireplace helps delineate the zones, and creates an intimate feel across the whole area,” says Marjo.
Corridor Neutral grey and wood tones highlight the home’s life-affirming greenery.
Keen for the kitchen to blend in with the living space, the Mustes went for simple matt-black cabinetry on the small island bench and units beyond. They eschewed wall cupboards and shelves above the sink for a feature wall in timber panelling, which adds natural pattern and warmth to all the dark surfaces. The wall is then cleverly mirrored at the other end of the large space, in the seating area where the cool surfaces have been cosied up with fluffier textures and shapely armchairs.
Sauna This classic steam room on the ground floor combines Honka Ink’s signature materials: wood, concrete and matt-black detailing.
A slightly different treatment was given to the various bathrooms and wet areas, including the traditional Finnish sauna on the ground floor. “We experimented with practical material combinations, such as gloss tiles and brushed metal and raw concrete basins, to continue the industrial feel but also ensure functionality,” says Jonna.
Workspace Marjo and Eetu turned the third bedroom into a study; the dark green feature wall was inspired by the canopy of trees outside. The tabletop is plywood, with trestle legs by BEdesign.
Brushed gold fittings from Grohe’s Essence collection add a touch of brightness to the restful sauna, while rose-gold fittings make an appearance upstairs in the en suite. “We wanted to capture a boutique-hotel feel there, so went for graphic herringbone floor tiles from Laattamaailma,” says Marjo.
Ensuite/change area A discrete gap leads from the bedroom to the ensuite, along glossy herringbone floor tiles. Coal-black walls, raw concrete and modern metallics keep it utterly contemporary. Clothes rack, BEdesign.
The tranquil feeling that defines the house owes a lot to the abundance of organic textures and house plants peppered throughout, especially in the snug main bedroom, where tactile linens are teamed with a rattan peacock chair, sheepskin and wool rugs and leathery-leaved greenery. “And in the bedroom, the black-framed sliding windows are wonderful addition, letting the woodland scent flow through,” says Marjo.
Main bedroom Bare timber boards are even more strongly featured upstairs. The Mustes designed their bed to fit snugly under the sloping roof. Chic Balmuir linen brings a boutique-hotel vibe. Side lights by Tala (through LightCo).
While connecting to nature was important, so was having a minimal impact on it with the build. “We wanted to preserve as much of the landscape as possible, and we succeeded,” says Marjo. “The wild blueberries still flourish in our yard, as do the moor frogs and flying squirrels. We all get to enjoy this incredible place.”
Nordic lights Blond wood, tan and terracotta bring light and life to soothing grey and white schemes. Get the look (clockwise from left) Tala ‘Voronoi’ dimmable pendant light, $201, Finnish Design Shop. Architect Collection smoked and limed timber flooring, $93.50 per sq m, Royal Oak Floors. Carl Hansen & Son ‘Wishbone’ chair, $1469, Cult. Marie Michielssen for Serax conical flower pot, $19.95, Telegram Co. Fritz Hansen ‘Egg’ chair, $11,550, Cult.
Jonna Kivilahti is on Instagram @jonnakivilahti.
