As the project is reaching its conclusion, Juuso Mäkilähde says he is happy to have relied on professionals early enough. During construction, they discovered many times that it actually turned out a bit better than they had dreamt – thanks to the experts!
During the long period spent looking for a plot, they had plenty of time to think what kind of home they really wanted.
“It started with some small thing that I saw on social media. I started browsing the net and came across the Honkarakenne website. This opened up a whole new world to us.”
“When we saw Honka’s modern log houses and read more about the properties of logs and what kind of architecture the new technologies enable, and learned about safe indoor air, it was clear that this was what we wanted.”
When the right plot eventually was found, in Kirkkonummi, it was not only the couple that went to assess its suitability, but also two professionals: Jari Laine of Premium House, who had been chosen to manage the project, and architect Tuuli Petäjä-Sirén. The plot had potential, and was worth buying. It was only after this that the final decision to buy the plot was made, and they started planning the house on the plot’s terms.
"When we saw Honka’s modern log houses and read more about the properties of logs and what kind of architecture the new technologies enable, and learned about safe indoor air, it was clear that this was what we wanted.
Juuso Mäkilähde, the customer
Once the plot had been bought, interior designer Maru Hautala joined the team.
“We had no idea how many aspects had to be considered in terms of spatial planning at such an early stage, such as modifiability and planning the purpose of spaces in the long term. Fortunately the professionals covered these bases for us.”
The architect was given a list of wishes that she used to plan a unique log home, using one of the standard solutions as a basis. Now this house is part of Honka’s house collection, the model is called Honka Huomen 158.
They wanted to have a single-floor home with enough room for everyone.
“In our case it meant four bedrooms, because one of the rooms doubles as a study. We also wanted to have one part of the house to have a higher ceiling, a feeling of space and large glass surfaces.”
“We actually wanted to have something compact, and not to go crazy with the floor space,” says Juuso with a laugh.
The Mäkilähde couple had rather take a liking to an L-shaped house, with the master bedroom in a quieter part. They wanted to have some extra space there for their clothes. They also wanted a utility room and a sauna.
It was clear to the couple from the word go that they wanted to involve professionals in the planning and construction.
“I’m glad we were honest with ourselves. Because this is one of the biggest investments you make during your lifetime, we wanted it to get it right first time. Hiring professionals was one of the best decisions in the entire project.”
“We managed to hire architect Tuuli Petäjä-Sirén, whose leisure buildings she has designed for Honka we like a lot, and we know she understands what life is like with small children from personal experience. The style of interior designer Maru Hautala matched ours and we felt a kind of kindred spirit, being from the same part of the country and all.
They discovered Premium House and specifically Jari Laine to run the project. He was in charge of supervision, making the schedules for various professionals, and organising the actual construction.
One key aspect of the project was a realistic budget drawn up by the professionals.
“I only had a ballpark figure. But when a construction project professional lays down facts and calculations in front of you, we had an initial shock about the costs.”
But once you got your head around that, it provided a good framework for the entire project, and there were very few surprises along the way.
“They were also able to find for us the best people to do the work, for the best possible quality.”
"Because this is one of the biggest investments you make during your lifetime, we wanted it to get it right first time. Hiring professionals was one of the best decisions in the entire project."
Juuso Mäkilähde, the customer
Juuso has great praise for Maru Hautala, who was involved in the project all along.
“Her input was invaluable!
Once the architectural drawing were ready, every space, window, fittings and furniture was discussed at length before any actual work was done. This ensured that the doors opened the right way, that the furniture fit in the space and that the light fixture plans corresponded with the electrical plans.
“And indeed, we had to change the location of a couple of windows, for example. The work of an interior designer is much more than people tend to think.”
Maru convinced the couple with her sense of style, and was therefore given pretty much free rein with the colour and furniture design. Juuso admits that without Maru they would not have been bold enough to select the eventual colours and patterns, but felt comfortable with Maru’s choices.
Their only hope was that, whenever possible, Finnish manufacturers would be preferred. The professional touch is evident in the end result. The spaces are fresh, inviting and the tiniest details have been thought through. The concrete grey floor tiles highlight the natural log colours and emphasise the broken pastel colours chosen for the interior. The colours flow beautifully from one space to the next: the kitchen looks like a beautiful furniture as the appliances are hidden from sight, and the stylish ceiling panels direct your view towards the beautiful landscape seen through the windows.
“We definitely got our dream home. The great thing about using professionals is that they keep their promises. We were told the house would be ready by the end of July. The final cleaning was actually already before Midsummer, and we were able to move in a month early!”
"The great thing about using professionals is that they keep their promises. We were told the house would be ready by the end of July. The final cleaning was actually already before Midsummer, and we were able to move in a month early!"
Juuso Mäkilähde, the customer