Kontio Toive (the wish), a first shared home of two adults, fulfills all hopes and dreams in a naturally beautiful location at the Mikkeli housing fair in southern-Finland.

Where did it all begin?

The paths of the two athletic outdoor-loving souls crossed a few years ago. Tiina Eskelinen lived and worked in Kouvola and Marko Seppänen in Mikkeli. The cities are located 100 kilomtres from each other. The idea of ​​a shared home was born when the Mikkeli Housing Fair started accepting entries. The genuine Saimaa lake landscape and Finland's pure nature with its blueberries were addictive, and the lot acquired at the last moment sealed the house project. The wish of the nature-loving couple was a breath-taking organic log home.

-In the first shared home of two adults, there is enough space for two adults and a 15-year-old girl as well as the occasional visitors. The bottom floor is functional and practical. The open-plan kitchen has space for cooking and it’s perfect for socializing. Upstairs is tower-like, expanding the full depth of the house with only one large bedroom and bathroom. Large windows bring the landscape inside. As the aim was to create a low-maintenance home to enjoy, there are many terraces and very little yard to take care of, says Kontio's Creative Manager, Olavi Kujanen.

-It is an awesome sensation to get a view of Saimaa from the bottom floor, even though the architect only promised a view from upstairs! Tiina Eskelinen exclaims.

Natural materials for the log home

- I got into the project as an interior designer in November already.  We had a few days of planning at Nurmijärvi in ​​the Kontio exhibition area, during which we selected surface materials and designed fixed furniture, interiors, window sashes and the exterior colors of the house. The couple’s style is rustic and country-romantic, and at this instant, I gently guided the style of the new house into a modern direction. We found common ground quickly with the owners, our theme was being close to nature and using authentic materials, says interior designer Piia Kalliomäki.

The couple immediately had one favorite material, which they wanted to hold on to. In the house all floors except wet spaces are modern rustic parquet, which is wooden parquet by a family owned Parla’s Oak Chalet Tundra from Mikkeli. White color shades were unanimously chosen for the airy upstairs with natural light flooding in from three directions. The bathroom is tiled with the gorgeous white carrara marble tiles by Tulikivi. The downstairs bathing areas are tiled with Tulikivi's natural stone tiles, as natural stone feels like velvet to the bare feet and creates a calm background for bathing.

-We took our time designing the kitchen. It is from Kontio's own Kontio Living collection, just like all the other fixed furniture in the house. I suggested a pearl gray kitchen with mirrored cupboard doors and the couple immediately agreed. We created a kitchen without top cupboards, with a backdrop of white, lively tiles by Värisilmä laid in the fashion of bricks, Piia explains.

The house is constructed from Kontio's new plain profile log, whose profile makes the finished wall almost flat. All the interior walls of the house are treated with a light Coloria 5060 oil wax, which brings a light, natural and an airy feel to the house.

Different shades of white

-In keeping with the spirit of the modern log house, the interior itself is a natural, elegant and homely environment with authentic, high quality materials. As the parquet felt a little too dark in the beginning, I brought in as many bright tones as possible to make the log home feel like a fresh modern house rather than a cottage, Piia describes.

A lot of light tones were used in the upholstery and bedroom textiles. Adea's sofas have a soft velvety cotton blend fabric and the curtains are light gray linen. Blankets and cushions emulate different shades and structures of white. In order to make the overall appearance not just light, the impressive Fritz Hansen Egg armchair in the upstairs window corner and the Adean Bonnet chair downstairs were furnished with trendy, toffee-colored, luxurious leather.

- I also introduced Tiina to the world of design lights. We both felt the Caravaggio lamps were perfect for the island and the back wall of the kitchen, and the Le Klint 172C lamp was perfect above the dining table. Design lamps intensify the decor and add a long-lasting feeling of timelessness, says Piia with satisfaction.

- What we most expect of this home is the opportunity to have a good time together and to entertain our guests. The backyard hot tub integrated to the terrace will be used a great deal as will the outdoor living areas at the end of the house, the couple explains.