Design & Decoration Fall in love with old log houses, urban apartments, tiny homes (and their ingenious solutions for small spaces!), saunas, summer cottages, and other authentic Nordic dwellings. Find ideas, inspiration, and guidance for decorating your own home, and discover Finland’s unique design heritage. Thu, 30 Jul 2026 07:00:21 +0000 Mon, 03 Aug 2026 05:48:00 +0000 Laminas_Feed_Writer 2 (https://getlaminas.org) https://www.kotona.com/categories/design-decoration “You could tell the house had the makings of something magnificent”—a neglected wooden house became a maritime dream home with a sofa reupholstered four times Thu, 30 Jul 2026 07:00:21 +0000 https://www.kotona.com/articles/home-in-uusikaupunki-wooden-house-district https://www.kotona.com/articles/home-in-uusikaupunki-wooden-house-district 0 My secret love affair with floral sheets goes public at the cottage Wed, 29 Jul 2026 08:30:08 +0000 https://www.kotona.com/articles/jenny-brandts-column-on-floral-sheets https://www.kotona.com/articles/jenny-brandts-column-on-floral-sheets 0 Small details, big charm—steal these decorating ideas from Finnish summer cottages Tue, 28 Jul 2026 07:30:08 +0000 https://www.kotona.com/articles/decorating-ideas-from-summer-cottages https://www.kotona.com/articles/decorating-ideas-from-summer-cottages 0 Finnish architect Jaakko Torvinen on imperfect timber: “I want wood to look like wood” Fri, 24 Jul 2026 07:00:15 +0000 https://www.kotona.com/articles/architect-jaakko-torvinen-imperfect-wood-construction https://www.kotona.com/articles/architect-jaakko-torvinen-imperfect-wood-construction 0 “We knew we were buying a moldy house”—see how Tina and Juha restored their protected Loviisa gatehouse Wed, 22 Jul 2026 07:30:08 +0000 https://www.kotona.com/articles/gatehouse-renovation-in-loviisa https://www.kotona.com/articles/gatehouse-renovation-in-loviisa 0 Finnish family started a new life in a small town and a 100-year-old parsonage: “The nature is pristine, and life is good here” Tue, 21 Jul 2026 07:52:14 +0000 https://www.kotona.com/articles/home-in-old-parsonage-simpele https://www.kotona.com/articles/home-in-old-parsonage-simpele 0 From Marimekko to Moomin mugs: Finnish collectors turn everyday design into lifelong treasure hunts Fri, 17 Jul 2026 12:00:17 +0000 https://www.kotona.com/articles/finnish-collectors-turn-everyday-design-into-lifelong-treasure-hunts https://www.kotona.com/articles/finnish-collectors-turn-everyday-design-into-lifelong-treasure-hunts 0 10 imaginative kids’ bed ideas, from a treehouse to a pirate ship and a plywood-paneled nook Wed, 15 Jul 2026 08:00:16 +0000 https://www.kotona.com/articles/imaginative-kids-bed-ideas https://www.kotona.com/articles/imaginative-kids-bed-ideas 0 Inside a red log villa filled with family memories: “I’ve tried to change as little as possible here” Tue, 14 Jul 2026 09:00:13 +0000 https://www.kotona.com/articles/family-villa-in-kokkola https://www.kotona.com/articles/family-villa-in-kokkola 0 Ullamari moved into an 1892 railroad workers’ wooden row house in Kerava: “I feel as if I’m back in the countryside” Mon, 13 Jul 2026 06:30:08 +0000 https://www.kotona.com/articles/ullamari-vuokkomaa-wooden-row-house-home-in-kerava https://www.kotona.com/articles/ullamari-vuokkomaa-wooden-row-house-home-in-kerava 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 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 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 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 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 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 “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 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 At this log cottage, hauled-in water, wood heat, and an outhouse are part of the charm: “In winter, we’ve stayed here wearing four pairs of wool pants” Tue, 09 Jun 2026 12:50:07 +0000 https://www.kotona.com/articles/old-log-cottage-and-barn-in-poytya https://www.kotona.com/articles/old-log-cottage-and-barn-in-poytya 0 6 Finnish allotment gardens that show the magic of city cottage life Mon, 08 Jun 2026 11:20:32 +0000 https://www.kotona.com/articles/6-finnish-allotment-gardens https://www.kotona.com/articles/6-finnish-allotment-gardens 0 Family home in a former school for the deaf dormitory—“I asked my spouse what on earth we would do with all this space” Mon, 08 Jun 2026 10:37:00 +0000 https://www.kotona.com/articles/former-school-for-the-deaf-dormitory-home https://www.kotona.com/articles/former-school-for-the-deaf-dormitory-home 0 “I never thought I’d get to live in a house like this”—Iivari and Irene bought his uncle’s mysterious 1940s home Fri, 05 Jun 2026 11:26:28 +0000 https://www.kotona.com/articles/iivari-and-irenes-1940s-house https://www.kotona.com/articles/iivari-and-irenes-1940s-house 0 “Every time we come home, it feels like a vacation”—inside an Åland seaside home with no garden or neighbors Thu, 04 Jun 2026 13:31:07 +0000 https://www.kotona.com/articles/tiina-tahvanainens-aland-seaside-home https://www.kotona.com/articles/tiina-tahvanainens-aland-seaside-home 0 Goodbye, yellowed pine and overgrown yard: Finnish couple’s 1970s lakeside cabin makeover Tue, 02 Jun 2026 13:23:13 +0000 https://www.kotona.com/articles/1970s-cabin-on-lake-vesijarvi https://www.kotona.com/articles/1970s-cabin-on-lake-vesijarvi 0 From 10–10 to 90/90: 8 decluttering rules worth trying Mon, 01 Jun 2026 11:39:00 +0000 https://www.kotona.com/articles/number-rules-for-decluttering https://www.kotona.com/articles/number-rules-for-decluttering 0 “I like ‘wasted’ square footage”—inside Iina and Oskar’s colorful home Fri, 29 May 2026 10:35:09 +0000 https://www.kotona.com/articles/iina-and-oskars-home https://www.kotona.com/articles/iina-and-oskars-home 0 “Brilliant inventions that should be used everywhere”: three families share what surprised them about Finnish homes Thu, 28 May 2026 12:20:14 +0000 https://www.kotona.com/articles/three-families-share-what-surprised-them-about-finnish-homes https://www.kotona.com/articles/three-families-share-what-surprised-them-about-finnish-homes 0 Get to know Karuselli: This Finnish design classic was once called the world’s most comfortable chair Tue, 26 May 2026 11:12:54 +0000 https://www.kotona.com/articles/karuselli-worlds-most-comfortable-chair https://www.kotona.com/articles/karuselli-worlds-most-comfortable-chair 0 After dozens of moves, Katariina made a 1960s atrium duplex her own with her daughters’ help Tue, 26 May 2026 09:01:28 +0000 https://www.kotona.com/articles/katariina-salonens-home https://www.kotona.com/articles/katariina-salonens-home 0 Sofia’s home in Fiskars is full of recycled treasures—“I hauled the workbench on the roof of my Beetle” Mon, 25 May 2026 10:24:04 +0000 https://www.kotona.com/articles/sofia-alanko-home-in-fiskars https://www.kotona.com/articles/sofia-alanko-home-in-fiskars 0 Inside Raija’s green oasis: “Plants are just as important as colors” Fri, 22 May 2026 12:42:09 +0000 https://www.kotona.com/articles/colorful-houseplant-home-kellokoski https://www.kotona.com/articles/colorful-houseplant-home-kellokoski 0 Tiny seaside hideaway: “Every centimeter had to be thought through carefully” Wed, 20 May 2026 11:26:14 +0000 https://www.kotona.com/articles/joonas-nordmans-cabin https://www.kotona.com/articles/joonas-nordmans-cabin 0