welcome to villa roosa
There is this interesting concept in Finland called housing fair – where every year there is a dedicated site where private people build new homes both for single families and multi-family units. These are built in co-operation with the construction companies selling their model houses and they are then decorated by professional interior designers for the pubic to visit for a period of 4 weeks before the new owners can move in.
I am hoping to visit that fair this summer, but here’s sample of what one can expect to see – Villa Roosa – a rather modern home and quite typical style for Finland. One thing to note about Finnish houses is that they normally have less bathrooms that the Us counterparts, but there is always a hot, steaming sauna, sometimes even two if the house is by the lake or sea.
The fireplaces normally store the heat and then slowly release it – a good feature in wintertime. A separate dining room is a rare feature in Finnish houses as building is expensive and houses are generally a lot smaller than in the US
Looks like this house has underfloor heating as there are no visible radiatiors. Note the machine close up in the ceiling – that is probably air heat pump that increases energy efficiency and can also provide cooling in summer time. This has been around for a few years now.
Note the circular cover in the ceiling – all houses are required to have air circulation system in place
Even in large houses the bedroom are normally quite small
Very American feature – this house has built-in washer and dryer (latter is still not that common, rather you stick laundry outside, which in winter can cause some challenges…)
This is also very rare – a bathtub. When I grew up there were bathtubs, but many were removed in the 80s as they were deemed not very water efficient compared to showers
Wood panelling in ceilings in sanitary areas in also the norm
Like the stairs with wood, glass and steel
A very standard sauna really – nowadays everyone also adds mood lighting with little LEDs in the ceiling in addition to the traditional part-covered under-stairs lights (old-fashioned mood lighting)