Anna Liukas and Viljami Vahtera are used to doing things themselves. Skilled hands have already renovated one end of a wooden house. ‘’Building our own log house seemed like a natural extension.’’ The family’s log home was completed in 8 months at the owners’ favourite place in Naantali exactly as they wanted – practical and colourful.
The design of Anna’s and Viljami’s fully customized log home began about a year before construction. The couple drew various versions of the house on paper before finalizing it with Honkarakenne’s salesman Marko Lehtonen.
“Marko helped us with various things including wall placement and wheelchair turning circles. He was honest and not sympathetic, but instead told things as they were. The advice was always straightforward. We received a very good service from Marko and we have recommended him to others”, Viljami Vahtera praises.
The family thought about buying a terraced house for a moment but, after getting the land cheaply, they decided to invest in a log house. The log house’s healthiness, good indoor air and ecology made the choice easy.
“We want to provide our son with the healthiest home possible. Log was a natural choice. It is better to be sure,” Anna Liukas continues.
The interior is full of colours
When you look at Anna’s and Viljami’s home, attention is bound to be drawn to the colourful walls.
“When choosing colours and materials, we didn’t think about what it would look like in 10 years. We wanted our home to please us right now.”
“We made no consciously bold choices for this home. We chose the colours and materials that we felt were good. Our previous home had a yellow season. This home has a lot of green and blue,” says Anna Liukas.
Anna also says she’s been thinking about colour choices in the sense that they will not be in conflict with the natural mellowing of the logs over time.
“I also thought carefully about which walls to leave on the log surface. Our son’s room has a log wall and a blue floor – that’s what people admire the most,” she says.
Self-built log home
From the outset, Viljami was attracted by the idea that the number of work stages in a log house is considerably lower than, for example, a brick or block constructed house.
“The log house was easier to build than I thought. Everything went great. I am a professional carpenter and boat builder, so working with solid wood seemed familiar. “Viljami says.
Owner know-how and good subcontractors guaranteed that the home was completed in record time: construction began in June 2018, and the family moved into their new home in January 2019.
A home on one floor makes everyday life easier
The most important part of the house project for Anna and Viljami was that they were able to return to nature. The forest is next to their brand new home.
“We got back to where we wanted to live. Location was the most important criterion for us. Now, it feels great to have our own garden, a 75 square meter terrace and no one knocking on the other side of the wall!”
The couple also praised their decision to build their house on a slope. The living floor is on one level and the basement also has a garage for two cars and 40 square meters of storage space.
“We are very pleased with the layout and the fact that the house is built on a slope. We live on one level, which is a great relief for living with a young child. We are very pleased with this!”, Anna sighs in relief.
Facts:
- Type of house: Detached house
- Design: Viljami Vahtera, Anna Liukas and Honka salesman Marko Lehtonen
- Living space: 140 m² ground floor + 37 m² basement + 35 m² garage
- Wall construction: MLL 204N lamellar log
- Completion year: 2019
- Fixed furniture: Woode Oy
- Location: Naantali