A modern log house is brimming with beautiful details

26.2.2018 BY By Sanna Huovinen

A modern look is born out of clearly defined lines and beautiful, carefully thought-out details. Today, log is a material that is equally suited for modern detached houses and atmospheric villas. New innovations in log construction enable large window surfaces and demanding architectural solutions also in log houses. The contemporary look and the natural, breathing material come together to meet the demands of modern living.

The look and feel of one’s home matters

How does your house feel and what messages does it send – to you and to others? This is not an insignificant aspect at all, even though technical matters and room space are often the more discussed topics. Even though homes are bought after careful deliberation and weighing of price options, a certain house or apartment simply speaks to us more than others. What is this indefinable thing that steers us to the final decision to buy or build a house? How we residents experience our own home is the key factor. Personal style, atmosphere, functionality and high indoor air quality all affect living comfort.

A modern log house is a combination of factors

Modern innovations in log technology have also reshaped the architecture of log houses. Now logs can also be used to create simple styles suited for the urban environment.
Modern log houses have clearly defined lines and their details are as stripped-down as possible. The overall look of a house is created by a combination of factors and details – how the building blends into its surroundings, the geometry of the house, the shape of its roof, the colour scheme, the chosen materials, the placement of the window apertures and how the structures are joined together.

A glazed facade and high ceiling create the roomy atmosphere of our new Honka Vista model.

Villa Solsidan blends into the seaside scenery.

Innovations enable a modern look for log houses

The non-settling Honka Fusion log, a Honkarakenne innovation, makes it possible to combine log walls with other materials such as stone, glass and steel using only light joints. The innovation gives architects and designers free reign and plenty of different options: large window surfaces or combining a stone surface to a log structure, for example. Honkarakenne has already delivered hundreds of houses made of non-settling logs over the last 15 years and their safety has been confirmed by both certification and practical experience. The non-settling log has been found to be just that – with this log you will not have to make any compromises to account for the settling of the log structure.

Modern Honka Fusion log houses in France.

A plain log wall is suited for both facades and interior cladding. Facades can also be realised using different surface materials so that they conform to the city plan. In an area filled with stone buildings, for example, the log-framed building can be blended into the surrounding buildings by plastering the facade or using different vertical and horizontal panelling options.

Thanks to the non-settling Honka Fusion log, the interiors of the house can also have a minimalist Scandinavian style. The seams can be realised with modern, thin window trims as you do not have to take the settling of traditional log buildings into account.

When a house is built using non-settling logs, the window frames can be realised with light, modern trims.

The Honka Zero Corner is another modern innovation where the ends of the log remain protected inside the corner joints. This allows moisture-safe and tight corners with flush joints that can be protected with just a narrow corner moulding. The corner moulding can also be left out completely. From the outside, a house with Zero Corners resembles a wooden house with horizontal panelling. It rises evenly, as opposed to the traditional alternating rise, and it has no cross corners whatsoever.

Honka Zero Corner allows log houses to be built to fit the area’s city plan.

Personalised modern house plans – a cost-effective solution

Our selection of modern house models is extensive and ever-expanding. The ready-made models are carefully designed in terms of both look and construction. This is also why they are cost-effective to build. The house models can also be tailored to suit personal preferences. For this reason, ready-made house models are the most ideal solution for many – also in terms of costs. So share your wishes with an expert and they will find the building solutions that are the most reasonable for you – and you will be able to keep within your budget.

Natural light is a key feature in many modern house models. Roof shapes vary from pitched roofs to flat roofs, and even ridge roofs can be made to look modern with large window surfaces.

The Honka Vista design, available in one or two stories, is an ideal fit for a narrow city plot where the view opens into one direction. The Safiiri design has a hidden pitched roof that resembles a flat roof, which gives the house a modern look that is still functional in the challenging climate of Finland.

Tuuma with two storeys.

Enjoy good living in a log house

Good living consists of one’s own style, the functionality of the house and the well-being that one’s own home brings. In recent years, the idea of good living has only become more highlighted. You do not have to compromise on these factors when you choose a modern log house – quite the contrary. A log house breathes and produces well-being for its residents.

The improving effect a log frame has on indoor air quality is best realised when parts of the frame are left visible. As an example, the Honka Ink exhibition house achieved this with a modern touch. The rough interior was found to be very popular. The log surfaces can also be painted, stained or oiled, as long as the treatment does not hinder the natural breathability of the logs. We recommend walls with stone or tile surfaces for the building’s humid spaces.

It is quite calming to know that one’s home will retain its value for decades. Genuine wood also reduces stress without us even noticing it, as studies have shown.

When the log surface is left visible on the interior of the house, it creates a natural, warm and welcoming look.