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, 17 Sep 2026 13:10:50 +0000 Thu, 17 Sep 2026 18:13:24 +0000 Laminas_Feed_Writer 2 (https://getlaminas.org) https://www.kotona.com/categories/design-decoration Hilma found her 100-year-old mansard-roofed dream home—“A modest way of life can be beautiful and good” Thu, 17 Sep 2026 13:10:50 +0000 https://www.kotona.com/articles/100-year-old-mansard-roofed-house-karjaa https://www.kotona.com/articles/100-year-old-mansard-roofed-house-karjaa 0 Photographer’s rental home is surprisingly grand—step inside the 19th-century apartment in Tallinn’s Old Town Wed, 16 Sep 2026 13:34:11 +0000 https://www.kotona.com/articles/pauliina-salonens-luxurious-tallinn-rental-home https://www.kotona.com/articles/pauliina-salonens-luxurious-tallinn-rental-home 0 Sonja’s dated oak kitchen got a fresh new look—without the cost of replacing it Wed, 16 Sep 2026 12:36:48 +0000 https://www.kotona.com/articles/im-not-replacing-this-kitchen https://www.kotona.com/articles/im-not-replacing-this-kitchen 0 Abandoned 100-year-old wooden villa comes back to life—“The grand old lady isn’t a project; she’s a personality” Tue, 15 Sep 2026 11:58:32 +0000 https://www.kotona.com/articles/100-year-old-villa-sipoo-archipelago https://www.kotona.com/articles/100-year-old-villa-sipoo-archipelago 0 Pastor Helena burst into tears when she saw this old farm—now its barn loft hosts 11 weddings a year Mon, 14 Sep 2026 13:13:30 +0000 https://www.kotona.com/articles/villa-ketvele-taipalsaari https://www.kotona.com/articles/villa-ketvele-taipalsaari 0 11 clever shoe storage ideas to inspire your home Mon, 14 Sep 2026 08:36:00 +0000 https://www.kotona.com/articles/11-clever-shoe-storage-ideas https://www.kotona.com/articles/11-clever-shoe-storage-ideas 0 Ulriikka is the sixth generation to cherish this 19th-century family croft: “My great-grandmother lived here all her life” Fri, 11 Sep 2026 11:30:38 +0000 https://www.kotona.com/articles/19th-century-family-croft-jurva https://www.kotona.com/articles/19th-century-family-croft-jurva 0 Remember Grandma’s old Singer? 13 clever ideas for vintage sewing machine tables Thu, 10 Sep 2026 08:30:13 +0000 https://www.kotona.com/articles/old-sewing-machine-table-ideas https://www.kotona.com/articles/old-sewing-machine-table-ideas 0 From city kiosk to island hideaway: This old kiosk is now a summer home full of surprises Wed, 09 Sep 2026 13:23:43 +0000 https://www.kotona.com/articles/henttonens-old-kiosk-summer-home-lake-saimaa https://www.kotona.com/articles/henttonens-old-kiosk-summer-home-lake-saimaa 0 “Life here is relaxing, simple, and unhurried”—architect’s off-grid summer home Tue, 08 Sep 2026 11:00:13 +0000 https://www.kotona.com/articles/sofie-hagerstrom-off-grid-summer-home-nauvo https://www.kotona.com/articles/sofie-hagerstrom-off-grid-summer-home-nauvo 0 The plate wall is back: fall’s coziest decorating trend blends nostalgia, reuse, and standout style Mon, 07 Sep 2026 09:24:43 +0000 https://www.kotona.com/articles/fall-interior-design-trend-wall-plates https://www.kotona.com/articles/fall-interior-design-trend-wall-plates 0 No cup without a flourish: Raija Uosikkinen’s remarkable Arabia career Mon, 07 Sep 2026 09:18:17 +0000 https://www.kotona.com/articles/decorative-artist-raija-uosikkinen https://www.kotona.com/articles/decorative-artist-raija-uosikkinen 0 Susanna inherited her grandparents’ 19th-century house and turned it into a colorful summer retreat Fri, 04 Sep 2026 11:15:49 +0000 https://www.kotona.com/articles/colorful-19th-century-log-house-kannonkoski https://www.kotona.com/articles/colorful-19th-century-log-house-kannonkoski 0 “It’s amazing what elegance you can create on a small budget!”—Marion used all three of her professions to transform a 1970s townhouse Fri, 04 Sep 2026 11:00:14 +0000 https://www.kotona.com/articles/marion-ridal-1970s-townhouse-renovation https://www.kotona.com/articles/marion-ridal-1970s-townhouse-renovation 0 7 rental decorating tips to make your home feel like yours—the lighting idea that transforms almost any room Fri, 04 Sep 2026 10:10:24 +0000 https://www.kotona.com/articles/decorate-rental-home-to-feel-like-yours https://www.kotona.com/articles/decorate-rental-home-to-feel-like-yours 0 “What secret are you hiding in here?” the carpenter joked about my storage plans Thu, 03 Sep 2026 11:02:21 +0000 https://www.kotona.com/articles/small-home-storage-ideas-miia-kauhanen-column https://www.kotona.com/articles/small-home-storage-ideas-miia-kauhanen-column 0 Architect-designed cottage in the countryside: “We wanted the house to have the character of an old farmhouse” Wed, 02 Sep 2026 11:23:03 +0000 https://www.kotona.com/articles/ritva-and-perttis-architect-designed-cottage-paradise https://www.kotona.com/articles/ritva-and-perttis-architect-designed-cottage-paradise 0 Heini and Ilkka spent longer designing their home than building it—step inside their townhouse with a backyard paradise Tue, 01 Sep 2026 11:41:43 +0000 https://www.kotona.com/articles/heini-and-ilkkas-townhouse-home https://www.kotona.com/articles/heini-and-ilkkas-townhouse-home 0 From a tiny studio to a modern barn home—with no building experience Mon, 31 Aug 2026 13:11:33 +0000 https://www.kotona.com/articles/from-a-tiny-studio-to-a-modern-barn-home https://www.kotona.com/articles/from-a-tiny-studio-to-a-modern-barn-home 0 Finnish couple had their too-small cabin burned down—and a black log retreat rose from the ashes Wed, 26 Aug 2026 13:56:30 +0000 https://www.kotona.com/articles/outi-and-jerrys-second-home-in-nauvo https://www.kotona.com/articles/outi-and-jerrys-second-home-in-nauvo 0 “Too much stuff steals energy; here, the eye can rest”—this island retreat is no hand-me-down hideaway Tue, 25 Aug 2026 12:42:31 +0000 https://www.kotona.com/articles/kati-and-kenneth-erikssons-aland-vacation-home https://www.kotona.com/articles/kati-and-kenneth-erikssons-aland-vacation-home 0 Interior photographer Vanessa Forstén: “Finns are good at creating coziness” Tue, 25 Aug 2026 11:54:14 +0000 https://www.kotona.com/articles/interior-photographer-vanessa-forstens-work https://www.kotona.com/articles/interior-photographer-vanessa-forstens-work 0 10 smart storage ideas that create more space in a small home Mon, 24 Aug 2026 12:35:33 +0000 https://www.kotona.com/articles/storage-ideas-for-small-spaces https://www.kotona.com/articles/storage-ideas-for-small-spaces 0 Inside flower studio owner’s Scandi-meets-India home: “A room only comes to life once the flowers are in place” Fri, 21 Aug 2026 11:04:43 +0000 https://www.kotona.com/articles/studio-fro-jenni-bergmans-old-wooden-house-in-koskela-helsinki https://www.kotona.com/articles/studio-fro-jenni-bergmans-old-wooden-house-in-koskela-helsinki 0 Inside European water ski jumping champion Jutta Menestrina’s dark round-log cabin, where training starts at her own shore Thu, 20 Aug 2026 13:28:44 +0000 https://www.kotona.com/articles/jutta-menestrina-dark-round-log-cabin https://www.kotona.com/articles/jutta-menestrina-dark-round-log-cabin 0 From Villa Mairea to Finlandia Hall—explore Alvar Aalto’s UNESCO World Heritage Thu, 20 Aug 2026 07:54:36 +0000 https://www.kotona.com/articles/from-villa-mairea-to-finlandia-hall-explore-alvar-aalto-unesco-world-heritage https://www.kotona.com/articles/from-villa-mairea-to-finlandia-hall-explore-alvar-aalto-unesco-world-heritage 0 Anni saved a crumbling 1950s cottage: “I hoped as much of the old as possible would be preserved” Wed, 19 Aug 2026 12:57:01 +0000 https://www.kotona.com/articles/anni-ihamakis-summer-cottage https://www.kotona.com/articles/anni-ihamakis-summer-cottage 0 Sari gave up her newly bought city home for a cottage in “the Tuscany of Fiskars”—and found love along the way Mon, 17 Aug 2026 13:08:25 +0000 https://www.kotona.com/articles/sari-puustinen-cottage-in-fiskars https://www.kotona.com/articles/sari-puustinen-cottage-in-fiskars 0 Eira and Teemu restored a 1947 house into a second home: “Even if there were a hole in the floor, we’d hide it under a rug and put on some jazz” Fri, 14 Aug 2026 12:01:12 +0000 https://www.kotona.com/articles/eira-teemu-second-home-karkkila https://www.kotona.com/articles/eira-teemu-second-home-karkkila 0 A rental home in the archipelago brought happiness and peace: “It was like balm for my weary body and mind” Fri, 14 Aug 2026 08:38:40 +0000 https://www.kotona.com/articles/minna-komulainen-archipelago-rental-home https://www.kotona.com/articles/minna-komulainen-archipelago-rental-home 0 A home that changes with the seasons: “I’m always bringing bits of nature back from my walks” Thu, 13 Aug 2026 09:20:25 +0000 https://www.kotona.com/articles/miia-kauhanen-column-natures-cycle-at-home https://www.kotona.com/articles/miia-kauhanen-column-natures-cycle-at-home 0 10 ways to bring nature into your home—the Finnish way Wed, 12 Aug 2026 13:56:47 +0000 https://www.kotona.com/articles/10-ways-to-bring-nature-into-your-home-the-finnish-way https://www.kotona.com/articles/10-ways-to-bring-nature-into-your-home-the-finnish-way 0 Why biophilic design works—and what we can learn from Finnish homes Wed, 12 Aug 2026 12:45:34 +0000 https://www.kotona.com/articles/biophilic-design https://www.kotona.com/articles/biophilic-design 0 Their own little piece of Finland—inside figure skater Adam Rippon and entrepreneur Jussi-Pekka Kajaala’s modern log cabin Tue, 11 Aug 2026 13:49:24 +0000 https://www.kotona.com/articles/adam-rippon-jussi-pekka-kajaala-finnish-log-cabin https://www.kotona.com/articles/adam-rippon-jussi-pekka-kajaala-finnish-log-cabin 0 Finnish family of five shares a remote island home with a host of animals—trips to the mainland are limited to a few times a week Fri, 07 Aug 2026 08:00:17 +0000 https://www.kotona.com/articles/anniina-jalkanen-island-log-house https://www.kotona.com/articles/anniina-jalkanen-island-log-house 0 “I could never live in an all-white home”—Fernanda and Nils-Johan filled an old wooden house in Åland with Brazilian color Thu, 06 Aug 2026 06:30:16 +0000 https://www.kotona.com/articles/fernanda-and-nils-johans-aland-home https://www.kotona.com/articles/fernanda-and-nils-johans-aland-home 0 Inside an architect and artist’s summer retreat—with hammocks instead of sofas, colorful floors and a sauna like art Mon, 03 Aug 2026 06:00:18 +0000 https://www.kotona.com/articles/tuomas-siitonen-jenni-rope-island-cottage https://www.kotona.com/articles/tuomas-siitonen-jenni-rope-island-cottage 0 “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