A winding gravel road leads to the former harbour of the Strömfors ironworks in Loviisa, a town on the southern coast of Finland, about 85 kilometres (50 miles) east of Helsinki. A slope rises, dotted here and there with red-ochre cottages.
They once housed the ironworks’ dockworkers and formed a village of their own. In one idyllic little cottage, with white-paned windows, a family now spends time year-round.
“The exterior is protected and, to us, perfect,” says Pia Lohikoski. “We want it to look old inside as well. This is our cottage, and I’m putting in the things I like and enjoy!”
The Lohikoskis have furnished the cottage with nostalgic pieces and rustic country items. Pia collects all kinds of vintage objects and loves flea markets, so the kitchen is full of retro jars, colourful dishes and pieces from Finnish ceramics brand Arabia from decades past. The walls wear traditional, colour-rich wallpaper.
“On our first visit, I walked between these boulders,” says Lohikoski. “It was raining. I fell in love with the yard – it has a fairytale-forest feel all year round.”
The home is featured on Kotona.com, a Finnish lifestyle site covering homes, design, crafts and everyday living in Finland. (Kotona means “at home” in Finnish.)
