Back to Nature: A Wilderness Cabin in Finland - Remodelista
Photography by Kuvio.com/Anders Portman and Martin Sommerschield. Spotted at Arch Daily, a cabin in the winter wilderness by Finnish architect Ville Hara, with no running water, no central heating, and limited electricity. “That’s Finnish for steam, but specifically the type of steam that results from pouring water over hot rocks in a sauna,” Hara says. Mademoiselle rocking chair 130The house is an elegant frame for the wilderness outside. The house is oriented so that the dining room faces south: The morning light comes into the sitting area and then passes into the dining area. “I was worried about the durability of the finish, because I have two dogs. But the wax finish makes it easy to repair scratches,” says Hara. Made by Finnish furniture-maker Nikari, the dining table is a prototype of one that was in the Finnish pavilion at the Shanghai World Expo (Hara has a friend who is a carpenter at Nikari). The bedroom has one of two wood-burning fireplaces in the house, which are from Danish company Scan. The sauna is in a building of its own. The sauna’s separate changing area is a place to recompose yourself before braving the cold. “Most holiday houses in Finland don’t differ in any way from a normal house. Here, you are almost independent from the outside world; sometimes you feel too self-sufficient. That’s when you need friends to come and visit,” Hara says. The plan was developed as a rotated cross with edge to edge plate glass at the end of each arm. N.B: At this time of year, who can resist a cozy cabin? N.B.B: This post is an update; the original story ran on December 23, 2011.