Frontpage Kotona Living is a Nordic home & lifestyle media and an invitation to embrace the Nordic way of life—a life that celebrates simplicity, sustainability, and the beauty of the unexpected. Fri, 10 Jul 2026 07:00:13 +0000 Sun, 12 Jul 2026 10:53:42 +0000 Laminas_Feed_Writer 2 (https://getlaminas.org) https://www.kotona.com/ 5 homes where animals run the show—even one where pets have a floor all to themselves Fri, 10 Jul 2026 07:00:13 +0000 https://www.kotona.com/articles/5-pet-homes https://www.kotona.com/articles/5-pet-homes 0 Finland’s best flea markets for home decor: “Finland is flea-market heaven” Thu, 09 Jul 2026 07:00:24 +0000 https://www.kotona.com/articles/best-flea-markets-in-finland-for-home-decor https://www.kotona.com/articles/best-flea-markets-in-finland-for-home-decor 0 Irish-born Jeff McCarthy found paradise in a Finnish cottage: “The more remote the cottage, the better” Wed, 08 Jul 2026 08:00:19 +0000 https://www.kotona.com/articles/jeff-mccarthy-from-ireland-enjoys-cottage-life-in-finland https://www.kotona.com/articles/jeff-mccarthy-from-ireland-enjoys-cottage-life-in-finland 0 “This place really does have a soul”—Ulla keeps her great-aunt’s log villa alive Tue, 07 Jul 2026 11:00:08 +0000 https://www.kotona.com/articles/family-log-villa-karkola https://www.kotona.com/articles/family-log-villa-karkola 0 Finland road trip—5 beautiful summer stops recommended by a van traveler: “Some call it the Riviera of the North” Tue, 07 Jul 2026 06:00:15 +0000 https://www.kotona.com/articles/finland-road-trip-best-places-to-stop https://www.kotona.com/articles/finland-road-trip-best-places-to-stop 0 Gold mirrors and faded luxury fill an opera costume designer’s fairy-tale tower apartment in Helsinki Mon, 06 Jul 2026 06:30:14 +0000 https://www.kotona.com/articles/erika-turunen-timo-raski-tower-apartment-helsinki https://www.kotona.com/articles/erika-turunen-timo-raski-tower-apartment-helsinki 0 Crochet a breezy summer bag: 3 cotton-yarn patterns by Annette Saksman Mon, 06 Jul 2026 06:00:19 +0000 https://www.kotona.com/articles/crochet-cotton-bag-patterns https://www.kotona.com/articles/crochet-cotton-bag-patterns 0 Finland’s best swimming spots: “The lake is spring-clear, looks emerald green, and the sand is white” Fri, 03 Jul 2026 06:30:14 +0000 https://www.kotona.com/articles/best-swimming-spots-finland https://www.kotona.com/articles/best-swimming-spots-finland 0 Syrian Kurd Berivan Suleiman fell for the Finnish sauna: “We can spend up to four hours in the sauna” Thu, 02 Jul 2026 08:00:23 +0000 https://www.kotona.com/articles/berivan-suleiman-enjoys-the-sauna-at-the-cottage https://www.kotona.com/articles/berivan-suleiman-enjoys-the-sauna-at-the-cottage 0 10 charming farm stays in Finland: barn chores, smoke saunas, and nights in a granary Wed, 01 Jul 2026 07:30:18 +0000 https://www.kotona.com/articles/10-farm-stays-in-finland https://www.kotona.com/articles/10-farm-stays-in-finland 0 How a rugged 1970s log cabin grew into a forever home with a professional’s help Wed, 01 Jul 2026 07:00:20 +0000 https://www.kotona.com/articles/miisu-roba-lindfors-log-cabin-loviisa https://www.kotona.com/articles/miisu-roba-lindfors-log-cabin-loviisa 0 9 crochet basket patterns for beautiful storage you’ll use every day Tue, 30 Jun 2026 06:00:14 +0000 https://www.kotona.com/articles/crochet-basket-patterns https://www.kotona.com/articles/crochet-basket-patterns 0 Is this really Finland? Pale sands and nostalgic cabins on a hidden Lake Oulujärvi island Mon, 29 Jun 2026 06:00:20 +0000 https://www.kotona.com/articles/oulujarvi-island-cottage https://www.kotona.com/articles/oulujarvi-island-cottage 0 Inside a spectacular riverside villa in Lapland: “I love stopping people in their tracks,” says architect Fri, 26 Jun 2026 09:21:26 +0000 https://www.kotona.com/articles/cliffhanger-riverside-villa https://www.kotona.com/articles/cliffhanger-riverside-villa 0 Emma’s new home stands on centuries-old family land—“A passerby asked whether our house had always been there” Fri, 26 Jun 2026 07:44:29 +0000 https://www.kotona.com/articles/new-traditional-house-in-purmo-finland https://www.kotona.com/articles/new-traditional-house-in-purmo-finland 0 Crochet a summer bag that lasts: our favorite patterns and smartest tips Fri, 26 Jun 2026 07:00:23 +0000 https://www.kotona.com/articles/crocheted-summer-bag https://www.kotona.com/articles/crocheted-summer-bag 0 Alvar Aalto’s Beehive: Finland’s favorite lamp and the rare versions worth thousands Thu, 25 Jun 2026 11:11:43 +0000 https://www.kotona.com/articles/alvar-aalto-beehive-lamp https://www.kotona.com/articles/alvar-aalto-beehive-lamp 0 Crochet a colorful bag from pieces—finished with a decorative flower Thu, 25 Jun 2026 06:00:15 +0000 https://www.kotona.com/articles/crochet-a-colorful-bag-from-pieces-finished-with-a-decorative-flower https://www.kotona.com/articles/crochet-a-colorful-bag-from-pieces-finished-with-a-decorative-flower 0 This fun color-block cushion is made with intarsia crochet—see Molla Mills’s pattern Thu, 25 Jun 2026 05:30:15 +0000 https://www.kotona.com/articles/molla-mills-blok-cushion https://www.kotona.com/articles/molla-mills-blok-cushion 0 Crocheted jute table runner—this sturdy runner keeps its shape beautifully Thu, 25 Jun 2026 05:00:17 +0000 https://www.kotona.com/articles/crocheted-jute-table-runner https://www.kotona.com/articles/crocheted-jute-table-runner 0 This Finnish couple nearly halved their living space—and found an easier seaside way to live with friends Wed, 24 Jun 2026 11:00:14 +0000 https://www.kotona.com/articles/maiju-timo-seaside-community-home-oulu https://www.kotona.com/articles/maiju-timo-seaside-community-home-oulu 0 For 10 years, Laura and Sampo dreamed of Villa Vittreski from afar—then suddenly the lakeside fixer-upper was theirs Wed, 24 Jun 2026 08:49:44 +0000 https://www.kotona.com/articles/villa-vittreski https://www.kotona.com/articles/villa-vittreski 0 The best summer flowers for heat? A gardener says these 2 need the least watering Wed, 24 Jun 2026 07:31:29 +0000 https://www.kotona.com/articles/tips-for-drought-tolerant-summer-flowers https://www.kotona.com/articles/tips-for-drought-tolerant-summer-flowers 0 5 Finnish gardens worth visiting this summer, recommended by a garden designer: “This is one of the loveliest garden destinations!” Tue, 23 Jun 2026 11:47:57 +0000 https://www.kotona.com/articles/5-finnish-garden-destinations https://www.kotona.com/articles/5-finnish-garden-destinations 0 Finland’s finest forests — 5 travel tips for nature lovers Tue, 23 Jun 2026 11:37:57 +0000 https://www.kotona.com/articles/travel-tips-finnish-nature-destinations https://www.kotona.com/articles/travel-tips-finnish-nature-destinations 0 A 1950s cabin on a rocky lakeshore—and its retro colors—won Sanna and Jani over: “This place chose us” Tue, 23 Jun 2026 07:00:22 +0000 https://www.kotona.com/articles/sanna-jani-luoma-aho-1950s-cabin-kouvola https://www.kotona.com/articles/sanna-jani-luoma-aho-1950s-cabin-kouvola 0 “You won’t find a single plastic kitchen utensil or decoration here!” Inside a Finnish entrepreneur couple’s old-fashioned second home Mon, 22 Jun 2026 10:24:53 +0000 https://www.kotona.com/articles/plastic-free-second-home-finnish-wooden-house-eura https://www.kotona.com/articles/plastic-free-second-home-finnish-wooden-house-eura 0 Touko and Viivi fell for a glass master’s Iittala home—with colors chosen by Timo Sarpaneva Mon, 22 Jun 2026 09:40:00 +0000 https://www.kotona.com/articles/iittala-glass-master-home-timo-sarpaneva-colors https://www.kotona.com/articles/iittala-glass-master-home-timo-sarpaneva-colors 0 This mansard-roofed home turned Minna’s minimalism into romantic abundance—“I realized I’m a romantic” Thu, 18 Jun 2026 08:47:02 +0000 https://www.kotona.com/articles/mansard-roofed-house-turku https://www.kotona.com/articles/mansard-roofed-house-turku 0 From chicken coop to whiskey barrel: 5 ingenious sauna transformations Thu, 18 Jun 2026 06:47:44 +0000 https://www.kotona.com/articles/surprising-sauna-transformations https://www.kotona.com/articles/surprising-sauna-transformations 0 Why granny squares are everywhere again—from tops to hoods and pants Wed, 17 Jun 2026 08:00:16 +0000 https://www.kotona.com/articles/granny-square-boom https://www.kotona.com/articles/granny-square-boom 0 3 everlasting flower crowns to knit, crochet, or craft—and enjoy year after year Wed, 17 Jun 2026 06:00:16 +0000 https://www.kotona.com/articles/everlasting-flower-crowns https://www.kotona.com/articles/everlasting-flower-crowns 0 This outhouse looks like a villa: “We didn’t want some makeshift shack” Tue, 16 Jun 2026 12:46:41 +0000 https://www.kotona.com/articles/building-rainer-hindsbergs-outhouse https://www.kotona.com/articles/building-rainer-hindsbergs-outhouse 0 A Finnish cottage full of playful DIY ideas: “When I come up with ideas, I’m like a little girl” Tue, 16 Jun 2026 12:34:46 +0000 https://www.kotona.com/articles/tiina-arponen-playful-diy-cottage https://www.kotona.com/articles/tiina-arponen-playful-diy-cottage 0 Riikka saved a real estate ad for years—then her dream farmhouse surfaced at the hardware store Mon, 15 Jun 2026 10:51:28 +0000 https://www.kotona.com/articles/dream-farmhouse-hyvinkaa https://www.kotona.com/articles/dream-farmhouse-hyvinkaa 0 Elina’s home is a real-life Moominhouse, drawing friends to its garden sauna: “When not everything is perfectly straight, the atmosphere feels more human” Mon, 15 Jun 2026 06:00:18 +0000 https://www.kotona.com/articles/125-year-old-wooden-villa https://www.kotona.com/articles/125-year-old-wooden-villa 0 This century-old house stole Elsi’s heart: “Home is an embrace where it’s easy to forget the pressures of work” Fri, 12 Jun 2026 10:46:29 +0000 https://www.kotona.com/articles/century-old-house-jamsa https://www.kotona.com/articles/century-old-house-jamsa 0 Saunas with a view: 8 Finnish steam rooms made for gazing out Fri, 12 Jun 2026 06:37:39 +0000 https://www.kotona.com/articles/8-saunas-with-a-view https://www.kotona.com/articles/8-saunas-with-a-view 0 A flower crown is the sweetest finish for summer celebrations—4 ideas and tips to keep it fresh Thu, 11 Jun 2026 11:04:13 +0000 https://www.kotona.com/articles/flower-crowns https://www.kotona.com/articles/flower-crowns 0 Milla wears Marimekko every day—and her coworkers couldn’t help noticing Thu, 11 Jun 2026 07:19:56 +0000 https://www.kotona.com/articles/milla-wears-marimekko-every-day https://www.kotona.com/articles/milla-wears-marimekko-every-day 0