London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Tuesday, Sep 30, 2025

A Log Cabin Kit Home Pops Up at the Edge of a Lake in Southern Finland

A Log Cabin Kit Home Pops Up at the Edge of a Lake in Southern Finland

Prefab builder Pluspuu erects a rustic yet refined retreat an hour’s drive from Helsinki.

Since 2017, Pluspuu has delivered svelte-yet-woodsy prefabs that clean up the rough edges of the log cabin typology. Their models recently caught the attention of a Finnish couple who, after relocating to Switzerland six years ago, wanted to build a retreat in their hometown of Heinola where they could return to on holidays.

Knowing they wouldn’t be using it most of the year, homeowners Otto Lepistö and Elina Hunnakko selected a design from Pluspuu that could serve their own family as well as renters looking for private access to Finland’s unspoiled archipelago. "We didn’t want the interiors to be too refined, but still wanted them to feel stylish," says Elina. "Pluspuu’s models are very modern and fresh when compared to the appearance of traditional timber houses, which tend to be very heavy and old fashioned."

Pluspuu offers 12 home designs, plus a couple different saunas to pair them with. Elina and Otto selected the Iniö model, which appears feather-light on the land, and carries the fine detail of a plume.

Set beneath a black gable with extended eaves, the two-level, three-bedroom home features an airy, loft-like interior, soft wood finishes in birch and pine, 20-foot floor-to-ceiling windows in the living room and dining area, and wraparound decking. "Windows on three sides of the living room make it feel as though you are outside-you can experience all four seasons very intimately," says Elina.



Twenty-foot-tall ceilings and huge windows connect indoors with out. A wood-burning fireplace centers the living-and-dining area.



A view from the kitchen out toward the living area provides a sense of the lofted interior.



From the living area, a winding staircase leads to the second level with an additional living space and two guest rooms.



The kitchen is designed to prioritize open floor space, which gives owners Elina and Otto options while entertaining.

The home itself is comprised of column-and-beam, non-settling log structures and cross-laminated timber panels. Pluspuu developed the building system in collaboration with Ollikaisen Hirsirakenne Oy-a builder based in Pirkanmaa, Central Finland, with more than 40 years’ experience in log house construction.

Eight-inch-thick spruce logs and wood fiber insulation help maintain ideal indoor temperatures and humidity, which is critical when homes are built in subzero climates (Pluspuu’s designs can go to -30 Celsius, or -22 Fahrenheit). The houses can be warmed with geothermal heating, and triple-glazed windows ensure proper insulation.



The first-level hallway leads out from the bathroom and bedroom to the living area.



A bathroom stands opposite the principal bedroom on the first level.



The bedroom showcases the cross-laminated timber logs used by Pluspuu, which have mitered edges for a softer look. The home-like all of Pluspuu’s models-features triple-glazed windows that provide insulation in a wide variety of climates.



The stairs are comprised of a twisting metal frame and wooden steps.



The second level showcases the ceiling’s rimakatto finish. The battens soften the home’s appearance while improving acoustics.
Courtesy of Pluspuu

With each of Pluspuu’s models, clients can request subtle tweaks for something more bespoke. "Our home is unique because it features a ‘rimakatto’ ceiling," says Elina. "It’s a Finnish word that means covered with battens in a Scandinavian style. It softens the appearance and improves acoustics."

Just down from the home toward the water, a sauna building by Pluspuu was built on the foundation of an old cottage. It accommodates a party of eight, and provides views out over the lake. Nearby, a hot tub accommodates 10. "If it’s winter," says Elina, "guests can go skinny dipping, and then jump in the hot tub."



A view down from the top of the stairs provides a sense of the ground floor’s configuration.



Off the second-level living area are two adjacent guest rooms.



A look inside one of the guest rooms provides a closer look at the rimakatto ceiling. The home’s interior is finished in locally sourced birch and pine.



On the second level is another bathroom.



Elina and Otto paired their Iniö model with a sauna from Pluspuu and an adjacent hot tub that sit just down a path beyond the home. In winter months, guests can skinny dip before warming up again.

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Trump Announces Intention to Impose 100 Percent Tariff on Foreign-Made Films
Altman Says GPT-5 Already Outpaces Him, Warns AI Could Automate 40% of Work
Singapore and Hong Kong Vie to Dominate Asia’s Rising Gold Trade
Trump Organization Teams with Saudi Developer on $1 Billion Trump Plaza in Jeddah
Manhattan Sees Surge in Office-to-Housing Conversions, Highest Since 2008
Switzerland and U.S. Issue Joint Assurance Against Currency Manipulation
Electronic Arts to Be Taken Private in Historic $55 Billion Buyout
Thomas Jacob Sanford Named as Suspect in Deadly Michigan Church Shooting and Arson
Russian Research Vessel 'Yantar' Tracked Mapping Europe’s Subsea Cables, Raising Security Alarms
New York Man Arrested After On-Air Confession to 2017 Parents’ Murders
U.S. Defense Chief Orders Sudden Summit of Hundreds of Generals and Admirals
Global Cruise Industry Posts Dramatic Comeback with 34.6 Million Passengers in 2024
Trump Claims FBI Planted 274 Agents at Capitol Riot, Citing Unverified Reports
India: Internet Suspended in Bareilly Amid Communal Clashes Between Muslims and Hindus
Supreme Court Extends Freeze on Nearly $5 Billion in U.S. Foreign Aid at Trump’s Request
Archaeologists Recover Statues and Temples from 2,000-Year-Old Sunken City off Alexandria
China Deploys 2,000 Workers to Spain to Build Major EV Battery Factory, Raising European Dependence
Speed Takes Over: How Drive-Through Coffee Chains Are Rewriting U.S. Coffee Culture
U.S. Demands Brussels Scrutinize Digital Rules to Prevent Bias Against American Tech
Ringo Starr Champions Enduring Beatles Legacy While Debuting Las Vegas Art Show
Private Equity’s Fundraising Surge Triggers Concern of European Market Shake-Out
Colombian President Petro Vows to Mobilize Volunteers for Gaza and Joins List of Fighters
FBI Removes Agents Who Kneeled at 2020 Protest, Citing Breach of Professional Conduct
Trump Alleges ‘Triple Sabotage’ at United Nations After Escalator and Teleprompter Failures
Shock in France: 5 Years in Prison for Former President Nicolas Sarkozy
Tokyo’s Jimbōchō Named World’s Coolest Neighbourhood for 2025
European Officials Fear Trump May Shift Blame for Ukraine War onto EU
BNP Paribas Abandons Ban on 'Controversial Weapons' Financing Amid Europe’s Defence Push
Typhoon Ragasa Leaves Trail of Destruction Across East Asia Before Making Landfall in China
The Personality Rights Challenge in India’s AI Era
Big Banks Rebuild in Hong Kong as Deal Volume Surges
Italy Considers Freezing Retirement Age at 67 to Avert Scheduled Hike
Italian City to Impose Tax on Visiting Dogs Starting in 2026
Arnault Denounces Proposed Wealth Tax as Threat to French Economy
Study Finds No Safe Level of Alcohol for Dementia Risk
Denmark Investigates Drone Incursion, Does Not Rule Out Russian Involvement
Lilly CEO Warns UK Is ‘Worst Country in Europe’ for Drug Prices, Pulls Back Investment
Nigel Farage Emerges as Central Force in British Politics with Reform UK Surge
Disney Reinstates ‘Jimmy Kimmel Live!’ after Six-Day Suspension over Charlie Kirk Comments
U.S. Prosecutors Move to Break Up Google’s Advertising Monopoly
Nvidia Pledges Up to $100 Billion Investment in OpenAI to Power Massive AI Data Center Build-Out
U.S. Signals ‘Large and Forceful’ Support for Argentina Amid Market Turmoil
Nvidia and Abu Dhabi’s TII Launch First AI-&-Robotics Lab in the Middle East
Vietnam Faces Up to $25 Billion Export Loss as U.S. Tariffs Bite
Europe Signals Stronger Support for Taiwan at Major Taipei Defence Show
Indonesia Court Upholds Military Law Amid Concerns Over Expanded Civilian Role
Larry Ellison, Michael Dell and Rupert Murdoch Join Trump-Backed Bid to Take Over TikTok
Trump and Musk Reunite Publicly for First Time Since Fallout at Kirk Memorial
Vietnam Closes 86 Million Untouched Bank Accounts Over Biometric ID Rules
Explosive Email Shows Sarah Ferguson Begged Forgiveness from Jeffrey Epstein After Taking His Money
×