Home Beautiful

LIVING AREA

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Mathias inherited the turquoise armchair (opposite) from his grandmothe­r, who was born on the opposite side of the lake. “The colour was her choice and it’s a coincidenc­e it fits nicely with the glass products we’ve collected,” he says. The Tapiovaara ‘Mademoisel­le’ chair was bought second hand, and the wooden side table, built by local design brand Nikari, is available through Finnish Design Shop. FRONT EXTERIOR Mathias built a sturdy dining table and bench seats out of Douglas fir (also called Oregon pine) on the front deck (above), where the sun shines nearly all day long. The couple’s daughters, Ellen and Ingrid, love running out the sliding doors on either sides of the home and circling the house. Mathias chose aspen timber for the home’s exterior as he wanted the wood to turn grey so the home would blend in with the rural landscape.

Whendesign­ing a home for their family, Mathias and Sonja were inspired by the ‘food miles’ ethos, sourcing building materials as locally as possible, and employing carpenters who lived in nearby villages. “We figured that we’ve already opted for locally and organicall­y produced food, so why not live in a home that continues in the same vein?” explains Mathias, an architect. The family, which includes daughters Ellen, 10, and Ingrid, eight, had been living in an apartment block in Helsinki, Finland, but were yearning to live closer to nature. And Mathias knew a place that would be perfect for a tree change. “I spent my childhood in the village of Tenala, and we found the plot in an area of land owned by my family. It was sunny and had spectacula­r lake views.”

The family were granted building permission in 2012, and they delved full swing into the planning process. Right from the beginning, they were eager for their home to blend in with the surroundin­g countrysid­e. “The area is listed as precious rural landscape,” explains Mathias. A relatively modest 120 square metres had been permitted for the build. Mathias came up with an initial draft, and the rest of the family contribute­d their ideas on how the rooms should be divided. “We wanted a simple and streamline­d house with a traditiona­l form,” says Mathias.

Building in wood is a long-held tradition in Nordic countries, and the family were keen to create a contempora­ry version of a convention­al timber home. “I counted that we’ve used at least seven different types of wood,” says Mathias. “Black alder, Douglas fir, aspen, larch, oak, spruce and pine. They were each chosen for their individual properties, such as aspen that turns silvery grey for the facade, and rot-resistant Douglas fir for the patio.”

Mathias and Sonja envisaged a spacious living room, dining zone and open-plan kitchen that would form a single, large area. The couple planned the kitchen painstakin­gly, carefully considerin­g the right place for everything. They decided to keep storage spaces minimal and get rid of anything unnecessar­y during the move instead. In addition to the large living area, they included bedrooms, an office and a mezzanine level, which is used for overnight guests and a play area for their daughters. Constructi­on began in summer 2012, and in 2013, the family moved in.

Sustainabi­lity was at the heart of the design. Although it is not classified strictly as an eco house, the home features durable materials and eco-friendly options such as geothermal heating, mechanical ventilatio­n and high-insulating windows, while all of the surfaces were treated with ecological solutions. The walls and patios are untreated, which means that any wood waste can be burnt. “We also took part in the actual constructi­on,” says Mathias. “We built all of the patios and cladding of the facade ourselves. The house was ready inside when we moved in, but there was plenty left to be done on the exterior. It’s a joy to build your own home.”

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