Honka Touko – a beautiful and practical log home by the sea

Arja and Jari decided a long time ago that if they ever built another home, it would be by the sea. When they found the perfect plot close to the Helsinki metropolitan area, they knew they wanted to build a Honka home there.

The perfect place for a log home

For a few years, Arja and Jari had been casually looking at waterfront plots within easy reach of the Helsinki metropolitan area. Then, one Friday evening in August, the right property appeared on their screen. They went to see it almost immediately and had bought it by Sunday.

– Jari found the plot and we came to see it together straight away. I couldn’t help falling in love with the nature, the location, the views and the magnificent pine trees on the property, Arja recalls.

Set high on a slope in the fishing-village landscape of the Porvoo archipelago, the site called for a log home. Arja and Jari wanted a light and spacious interior, large windows worthy of the sea views, a steep gable roof and a generous covered terrace facing the sunset.

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Beautiful and functional Honka Touko

– This is the third house we have built from start to finish, and we weren’t exactly dreaming of another building project. But we know our own tastes well, and we knew that building was the only way to create a home where every detail would fall into place exactly as we wanted, Jari says.

As the log frame began to rise and the frames for the large windows started to outline the future view from the living room, the couple knew they had chosen exactly the right house design for the site.

– That was quite a moment. The living room window wall is like a living painting – an endless nature documentary, Jari says with a smile.

Everything in the house has been designed to work for the everyday life of two adults and their dog, Ruben. The Honka Touko collection model was shortened to suit both their needs and the building site. Space was taken from the bedrooms, but not from the most important areas – the rooms where they spend their waking hours. One bedroom is used for sleeping, while the other serves as a home office and guest room.

– The utility room entrance for muddy shoes and paws, for example, is incredibly practical when you have a dog. The same goes for the large, open-plan living room and kitchen, where we can enjoy this place both on our own and with a bigger group of family and friends. The fireplace in the living room, positioned exactly where we wanted it, is another source of great joy, especially in winter, Arja says.

– The house is heated with geothermal energy, and cooling is provided by units integrated into the wall structures, Jari adds.

Every morning when I make coffee, I have to stop and admire the mirror-calm sea through the large living room windows.

Jari, customer

Tips for anyone planning a log home project

Although permit matters and a few other unexpected turns eventually stretched the building process to around two years, the result has made it all worthwhile. Arja and Jari love living in their home in the archipelago. Taking on the project was absolutely worth it: the house turned out exactly as they had hoped, and together with the surrounding garden, it forms a beautifully harmonious whole.

– We did as much ourselves as we had time for, but we also used professional builders extensively. Along the way, we encountered some absolutely excellent professionals and some who were not quite as good. So, with the benefit of hindsight, my advice to anyone planning their own project would definitely be to choose builders recommended by Honka. Having the best possible expertise on your project saves both money and stress, Jari says.

A modern family retreat in the archipelago

Arja and Jari have planned, built and furnished the house with their children, grandchildren and close friends in mind – a place where everyone feels at home and can stay for longer visits.

– We hope this will become a place where the whole family gathers for Christmas, Easter, Midsummer and other celebrations. We’ll enjoy the sauna, go swimming, cook good food and simply spend time together, Jari says.

Sunsets and Northern Lights, a white-tailed eagle gliding over the water, wild boars emerging from the shallows, a family of foxes in the nearby forest, countless woodpeckers, deer and waterbirds – together with the dramatic seasonal changes by the sea, there is always something to see through the large windows, whatever the time of year. And once the last of the building-related work is behind them, Arja and Jari plan to spend plenty of time out on the water.

– One of the things that originally made us dream of living by the sea was the idea of being able to go boating and fishing straight from our own jetty. That dream has come true here, and we hope to enjoy it even more in the years ahead, Jari says.

Now that the landscaping is also complete, Arja and Jari are looking forward to life in the archipelago, boating and year-round morning swims.

Whenever we have time to simply be, we find our way to the view – either out on the terrace or inside by the windows – and just sit there looking at it. Or at each other.

Jari, customer

Building facts:

• Residents: Jari, Arja and their dog Ruben
• Design: Honka Touko, customised to client requirements
• Log: Non-settling Honka Fusion+ CLT log FXL 204 mm, zero corner, pine
• Gross floor area: 100 m²
• Net living area: 92 m²
• Layout: entrance hall, 2 bedrooms, open-plan kitchen and living room, bathroom, utility room, sauna and changing area
• Exterior log treatment: Tikkurila primer and Vinha
• Interior wall colours: Coloria Latte and St. Leo Bio Paint for the light-coloured walls
• Ceilings: Cent slatted panels
• Flooring: INNOfloor – B:hard
• Fixed furniture: Noblessa
• Location: Porvoo archipelago, Finland
• Year of construction: 2025
• Honka ID: OR4016110

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