Matri House is a cozy B&B in the Mathildedal ironworks village – and a resort where a good night’s sleep is a matter of honor

Finnish bed manufacturer Matri has opened an intimate boutique B&B in the picturesque Mathildedal ironworks village. What makes the place particularly interesting is that the old building is decorated with modern Nordic design. Finnish Design Shop’s Contract Sales helped furnish the stunning B&B.

MATHILDEDAL IS AN OLD, atmospheric ironworks village in south-western Finland, with a long oak-lined road running across it. Along the road, there is a two-story wooden house where ironworks workers used to live. Already when looking at the building from afar, you can see that it has been standing there for a long time. The interior of the building also exudes the atmosphere of the past with its grid windows, patinated log beams and floorboards worn by footsteps.

In this 180-year-old house, Finnish bed manufacturer Matri opened a boutique B&B in the summer of 2023. But how did a bed manufacturer end up opening a B&B?

“There’s been a real need for a place like this. Many of our customers have asked us where they could test Matri’s beds for a longer period of time before making the decision to purchase. A high-quality bed is, after all, a significant long-term investment. For quite some time, we’d been looking for a place where we could refer our customers to, so that they could test our beds properly,” says Matri’s creative director Elli Lehnhoff.

• Read also: Matri brings Nordic design into the bedroom >

The idea took shape when Matri’s owners Elli and Andreas Lehnhoff visited the Mathildedal ironworks in the summer of 2022 on their way to a friend’s birthday party. They had noticed a charming house on sale in the ironworks and decided to give it a look.

“The home-like atmosphere of the building appealed to us right away. Already the same day, we told our friends that it will become Matri House,” says Elli Lehnhoff.

BEFORE MATRI HOUSE was ready for visitors, it was renovated for a year. Even though the old building, which had originally served as a home for eight working-class families, had the facilities for a B&B, it needed a complete makeover and the building technology had to be updated.

“The renovation was a long project that took so many hours of work and required driving for so many kilometers that I don’t even want to add them up! But the result is just what we imagined when we started all this,” Lehnhoff rejoices.

For the success of the project, it was crucial that interior designer Anna-Kaisa Melvas joined the design team early on. Matri had also collaborated with Melvas before, on the design of Matri’s store and exhibition stands, for example. The starting point for the spatial and interior design was clear.

The interior is a mix-and-match of high-quality design, old setting and flea-market finds.

“We kept all that was old and beautiful and got rid of all the disparate elements from different decades. I designed the interior to be as luxurious as possible, while keeping in mind that the building used to house workers and that the solutions should be in line with that. I wanted to create a place where you couldn’t tell at first glance what period the interior is from. The result is a mix of old, new and recycled,” says Anna-Kaisa Melvas.

According to Melvas, materials and proportions, among other things, determine whether modern furniture can be used in an old setting.

“I wanted to strike a balance between the old environment, decorativeness and contemporary design. In my opinion, traditional interior design solutions need to be complemented with modern objects, as they give the space a sense of lightness and make it more relaxed. Otherwise, the atmosphere may become too solemn and ‘dollhouse-like’. When choosing modern furniture and lamps for an old environment, I pay special attention to the proportions of the furniture to ensure that it fits comfortably in the old space. I always prefer to use natural materials, such as wood and stone,” describes Melvas.

SINCE IT IS A B&B owned by a bed manufacturer, particular attention has been paid to the beds and bedrooms – as well as the sleep quality of the guests. The spacious guest rooms feature Matri’s high-quality beds and decorative bedding particularly designed to complement the atmosphere of the building. Matri House is, indeed, a perfect place for testing the brand’s beds.

“The mattresses in the guest-room beds vary between medium firm and firm, so that the customers can test which level of firmness suits them best,” says Elli Lehnhoff.

The luxurious beds with cotton sateen sheets create the perfect setting for a good night's sleep.

There are also cozy common areas, where more recent Scandinavian design meets the atmosphere of the old building. The house is furnished with many well-known design classics, such as Fredericia’s Canvas lounge chairs, Le Klint’s lamps, Lundia’s shelving units and Sika Design’s rattan furniture provided by Finnish Design Shop’s Contract Sales.

“The project of furnishing Matri House ran smoothly for us, as the plans and schedule were clear from the start,” says Johanna Lindberg from Finnish Design Shop’s Contract Sales.

“It’s been great to assist Matri in this project, and it’s also been great to see how seamlessly the products from Finnish Design Shop’s selection blend in with Matri House’s curated interiors. We sell a lot of Matri products for interior design projects, so it also helps us that Matri’s beds and other products are on display and can be tested in a completely new environment.”

MATRI HOUSE OPENED its doors to guests in early summer 2023. The home-like B&B accommodates a maximum of 22 persons and in the summer warmly welcomes all guests who want to test Matri’s beds or just spend time in the lively, charming ironworks village of Mathildedal.

In addition to a good night’s sleep, Mathildedal offers a variety of activities for culture enthusiasts, nature lovers, foodies and golfers alike. In the winter season, the building can be rented for family celebrations as well as business and other events – the intimate, atmospheric guest house is perfect for that purpose.

Matri House, Matildan puistotie 6, Mathildedal, Finland. Bookings and inquiries: matrihouse.fi

See also:

• All designs by Matri >
• Finnish Design Shop's Contact Sales >

Text: Anna-Kaisa Huusko Images: Krista Keltanen