This family home features custom-made coziness, light and lusciousness

Sure to catch anyone’s attention? The breathtakingly beautiful wooden surfaces, spaces flooded with light and a garden made with Mother Nature in mind, all found in this cozy wooden house in Kangasala, Finland. Take a peek with us, especially if you have a soft spot for gorgeous kitchens!

WHEN ONE’S GRANDMOTHER is the style icon, what might the decorator’s modern home look like? Forget about doilies, creaky rocking chairs and those somewhat spine-chilling porcelain figurines, as the grandparent in question is known for their fondness of timeless choices, intriguing home decor details and a serene color palette.

If a task is on the to-do list, better do it right – this applies to the dream-worthy detached house's architecture as well as its fixed furniture. The exterior’s clean and concise lines, complete with vertical timber cladding, meet their match indoors in the custom-built storage furniture.

Tingander, a local carpentry company, provided the skilled artisans responsible for the fixed furniture in oak veneer. Much in the same vein as the rest of the home, the custom-made pieces rely on the charm of carefully thought-out details. The entryway storage cabinets, the kitchen with its breakfast cabinet and the staircase are practically from around the corner, as Tingander’s workshop is situated in the same town.

Putting so much effort into the kitchen makes a whole lot of sense upon hearing that Maija Helminen, the person responsible for this dwelling’s decor and landscape design, holds the heart of the home in great value: “The kitchen is my favorite place. The best view can be found either in front of the 6-meter long windows overlooking the garden or at the back of the living room as you face the kitchen. The latter offers a view of the most important spots and situations, most of which involve the kitchen.”

“I secretly hope the cabinet builds up an inviting scent of coffee over time, so that whenever you open it the same cozy feel always fills the room.”

Pray tell, what might Maija’s most coveted spot in the kitchen be? “It has to be the breakfast cabinet, which has guaranteed a caffeine kick for everyone from early birds and house guests to builders and remote workers. I secretly hope the cabinet builds up an inviting scent of coffee over time, so that whenever you open it the same cozy feel always fills the room,” Maija shares.

Treated a moody dark tone, the detached house boasts mighty windows that nearly stretch all the way from floor to ceiling. They provide an unobstructed view of the cozy patio and garden, where ease of upkeep and diversity of plant varieties are key. As an avid gardener, Maija only felt it natural to extend her creativity also to the great outdoors.

Chosen with nature’s wants and needs in mind, the plants look their best in a luscious yard, where the most eye-catching detail varies according to the season, month and even time of day. “To me, the most important moments spent in the garden are rather mundane. Walking around, sinking your hands in the soil or sitting on the veranda – enjoying the imperfect, wild, messy, vivid and stunningly beautiful patch one has built,” Maija shares.

The beauty seamlessly flows from the garden to the indoors, thanks to carefully chosen furnishings. In addition to aesthetics, each piece’s life cycle has been taken into consideration. Here, quality clearly reigns over quantity.

The lacquered concrete floor is an exquisite backdrop for objects collected slowly over time, including classic furniture from Artek and String Furniture, lighting sublimely suited to each space and top-quality textiles, such as Maija’s favorite Woodnotes paper yarn rug.

It seems rather likely that the design items and dashing fixed furniture would also please Maija’s grandmother. After all, they are distinctly timeless with a modern touch.

See also:

• All new arrivals at Finnish Design Shop >

Text: Eero Nurmi Images: Miia Juntunen Stylist: Emilia Kokko 
In collaboration with Bo LKV Tampere, real estate agent Hanna Henriksson

The real estate agency Bo LKV has sold the house to new owners.