A modern holiday villa blends into the landscape – this is where Teemu and his family enjoy themselves.

 Teemu and his brother built a Honka Frame Virtaus villa in the summer landscapes of their childhood, where the family can enjoy themselves all year round. 

When the plot of land, which had been owned by the family since the 1950s, was inherited by Teemu and his brother, they decided to build a holiday villa on it that would serve as a second home all year round.

The plot of land on the tip of a rocky headland on Kemiönsaari was an important place for them, with many childhood memories attached to it. They wanted a place where they would be comfortable spending time with their own children.

Teemu's idea was that the villa would be modern in terms of amenities, but would blend in with nature on the outside. There was already a traditional Honkarakenne log villa built in the 1980s on the plot, which sat so well in the middle of the forest that logs or wood seemed like the only right choice. The wish was also for as much window space as possible.

– Honka was a familiar brand, but I had never heard of Honka Frame wooden houses before . When we were browsing through Honka's catalog, we fell in love with the Virtaus roof – its convex, not-so-traditional shape.

A house model that fit the plot amazingly well

Teemu and his brother also looked at house designs from other companies, but none were entirely pleasing to the eye. It was also not technically possible to implement the large windows they wanted in the others.

Once Virtaus had been selected, the model was worked on together with the designer from Honka. According to Teemu's plans, the layout of the kitchen and the dimensions of the wet rooms were changed, and the windows were repositioned so that all rooms had a sea view, since it was possible on the plot.

– We went very far with the floor plan of the Virtaus example house, because it happened to fit the plot surprisingly well in terms of size. For the interior surfaces, I wanted concrete instead of wooden floors, because the house is made of wood. It gives the interior a cool feel.

The right choice

Construction began in the winter of 2020. The winter was particularly cold and snowy, making it difficult to find a suitable day to lay the foundations. When the temperature was comfortably above freezing, there was so much snow that the concrete truck could not get there. The truck delivering the glass railings for the terrace drove into a ditch, and a larger team of helpers had to carry the glass closer.

– We were at the mercy of the weather for a while, but there were no major setbacks during construction. We only had to wait a long time for the wall sealant because it was out of stock all over the world. However, that didn't really affect the schedules either.

Teemu was not involved in the construction itself, but he had planned everything carefully, and he thought the contractors did a good job with the implementation.

– After the frame was erected, when I saw how well the building fit into the plot, I felt that I had made the right choice. The most exciting moment was when the glass was in place and the tarpaulins were removed, and from the inside I could see the seascape opening up in front of me.

"The most thrilling moment was when the windows were in place and the tarpaulins were removed, and from the inside you could see the seascape opening up in front of you."

Teemu, customer

Something different from what you're used to in the city

The building itself was completed in the fall of 2021, but the commissioning inspection was a year later. The yard is still unfinished, as is the interior, but along with the modern Scandinavian design, something old has also been brought in, like my grandfather's old rocking chair.

Teemu has already spent a lot of time at the villa with his family and also working remotely.

– In the summer I spend half my time at the villa and in the winter I go a couple of times a month. In the winter I like to ski on the sea ice and in the summer you can ski to the cove in the nearby bay. Kemiö has many good beach spots for boaters, which also have restaurants. The children like to fish and walk in the forest and pick berries.

The dark gray exterior walls fit into the rocky and forested landscape. The end result was in line with Teemu's vision, and even more.

– The best thing about the villa is the large glass surfaces, or rather the walls, made possible by Frame .

Teemu's favorite spot has become the living room sofa, which is in front of the fireplace and has a direct view of the sea. The living room is almost grandiose: a space over five meters high, with magnificent log beams in the ceiling.

– It's something completely different from what you're used to in the city. You don't even have to look outside to get the feeling that you're somewhere other than the city.

The villa is a place of calm and relaxation for Teemu.

"The best thing about the villa is the large glass surfaces, or rather walls, made possible by Frame."

Teemu, customer

"The whole place has a strong impact on well-being. The logs bring a change from staring at the concrete and plasterboard walls of the city. The feeling is really different. And you don't have to compromise on comfort.

Teemu, customer