Cottages are now built for families with children – old summer cottage traditions making a comeback, simplicity brings tranquility and closeness to nature

Press release Honkarakenne Ltd 17 August 2021 at 9 am

Cottages are now built for families with children – old summer cottage traditions making a comeback, simplicity brings tranquility and closeness to nature

The current boom in summer cottages reveals a new development: increasingly often, buyers are young families with children. People in their thirties and forties are now yearning for the summers and sauna cottage of their childhood. Rather than the latest conveniences, what they value in summer cottage living is togetherness and sustainability. Cost-efficient summer cottages only have the bare necessities, nothing more. This is because it’s considered a luxury in itself to relax in amidst nature. Honkarakenne responds to this demand with our new summer cottage collection.

“Our cottage is beautifully simple,” says interior design influencer Annika Meder-Liikanen, who writes the Vihreä talo (“green house”) blog. Her family’s summer cottage is currently being built by a lake in southern Savo where she spent many summers as a child. Meder-Liikanen, who studies architecture at Aalto University in Helsinki, designed the cottage with Honkarakenne architects. The 57 m² Rantama is one of Honka’s new autumn models.

For inspiration for Rantama, Meder-Liikanen looked back to the 1960s and 1970s, which were golden decades for summer cottages. She was particularly inspired by Kaija and Heikki Siren’s minimalistic cottages and the sauna designed by Reima Pietilä for the 1958 Brussels World’s Fair.“Rantama’s nostalgic feel comes from them, from a time when summer cabins were simpler. What little space is available is saved for the living space, which also includes the kitchenette. The sleeping area is very compact, with no space for anything else.”

Looking at the cabin from outside, you can sense the spirit 1970s in the low structure and the gently sloping gable roof, small windows, eaves extending over the terrace and the extended cross-corners. The ends of the logs are visible in the traditional way in the cross-corners.“The Sirens and Pietilä made excellent use of cross-corners, which is part of traditional log construction. It also provides some visual cover if there are neighbouring cottages nearby,” says Meder-Liikanen.

Getting back to basics

Rantama’s design was guided by environmental considerations and a keen sense of moderation. Meder-Liikanen stresses the importance of sustainability not only in construction but also in cottage life itself. The only modern convenience they have in the cottage is electricity. Water must be brought in, and the sauna is used for washing – there is no shower.

“When I was a child, going to the summer cabin was easy. You just had a single small bag to take along. What we had at the cottage was swimwear, wellington boots, towels and insect repellent, not much more.”

Honkarakenne sales manager Juhani Saukko recognises the present trend. “It’s clear to us that many people in their thirties want to return to their roots and share that cottage living culture with their children. When you’re not looking for a cottage that’s big, functionality and flexibility of the spaces are crucial. What we’re seeing now is that people enjoy the fact that the luxuries of urban living are entirely left behind when they come to the country. It’s now okay to have a large contrast between urban and cottage life. It actually heightens the feeling of being close to nature,” he says.

Honka’s autumn collection also has a larger version of Rantama, with an area of 77 m². The rooms are somewhat bigger, and the sauna also has a toilet and shower. The collection also includes Tyrsky, a villa model that is well suited to the Finnish Archipelago. It was designed by architect and world-champion windsurfer Tuuli Petäjä-Sirén before the Tokyo Olympics. The simple but stylish and functional Loimu is also part of the collection, and has a long terrace with an outdoor fireplace.

“What all these models have in common are the large windows, which give an excellent view of nature. In all the models, the lounge areas also extend to the terraces. This is different from the 1970s style – instead of narrow verandas, today’s terraces can be used for various purposes, and for simply relaxing,” says Saukko.

Honkarakenne manufactures healthy, eco-friendly and high-quality log homes, holiday homes and public buildings. They are made from Finnish solid wood under the Honka brand. The company has already delivered 85,000 buildings in over 50 countries. We manufacture our home packages in Finland, at our own factory in Karstula. n 2020, Honkarakenne Group’s consolidated net sales totalled EUR 52.9 million, of which exports accounted for 30%. www.honka.fi

Further information:

Sanna Huovinen, Marketing Director, Honkarakenne Ltd, +358 40 1978 707, sanna.huovinen@honka.com

Pictures are available at https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1hKaOpCQcOaBSMj2O13J0JSC2tdHa2MOP?usp=sharing