There’s a particular kind of longing that comes with living far from home—and for many expats, it’s important to find a way to stay connected to their culture. For Finnish entrepreneur Jussi-Pekka Kajaala—who founded design studio Super Finnish and is now based in Pasadena, California—that longing lingers in memories of his grandparents’ sauna: the scent of birch smoke, the rituals of sauna culture, and the space to slow down and disconnect from the world.

Before moving to the U.S., he wanted to build a place to evoke these memories, where he and his American husband—Olympic figure skating medalist Adam Rippon—could return to each year to reconnect with Finnish traditions, nature, family, and each other.

The house is about 520 square feet, and there’s a separate sauna building with a guest bedroom, which is under 200 square feet. The project cost just over $250K—about 5 percent under budget. “Sticking to the budget is one of my favorite challenges,” says Jussi-Pekka. “With my long history in real estate, I understand the importance of keeping costs low, even if I never plan to sell this house. You never know what life brings, and it’s always wise to build with future value in mind.”" layout="wide" credit="Photo by Petri Hiltula" photoUserId=""/>

The answer lay in a modest prefab kit mökki (a Finnish summer cottage) with a separate wood-fired sauna, located in the countryside about an hour from Helsinki. Built with his father, the project is deeply personal. A tribute to Jussi-Pekka’s memories of home and love for traditional sauna culture, the retreat—which cost just over $250,000 to purchase and build—is where the couple spend four to six weeks each year, with hopes to one day spend entire summers.

The guest bedroom faces the sunrise, and the sauna is located to the left. A breezeway separates the two spaces, creating distinct functional zones." layout="" credit="Photo by Jussi-Pekka Kajaala" photoUserId=""/>

“Our mökki is our own little piece of beautiful Finland,” says Jussi-Pekka. “I always thought having a house in Finland would be important, but living in the U.S. has made me realize just how much it truly means to me. It’s perfect for bringing everyone together. Our little, secret hideaway home is where time stops and worries disappear.”

$22,464 Land	$1,080 Ground Survey	$21,534 Ground Building
$8,208 Foundation	$26,568 Structural Sauna Building	$44,280 Structural Main House
$21,600 Log House Assembly	$2,631 Flooring	$6,958 Plumbing
$16,837 Electrical	$864 Paint	$1,080 Ceiling
$3,583 Fireplace & Chimney	$2,106 Air-Source Heat Pump	$1,938 Sauna Stove & Chimney
$324 Sauna Benches	$1,296 Fireplace & Sauna Stove Installation	$734 Water Heater
$5,626 Waste Water System	$4,717 Well	$6,373 Kitchen
$2,700 Countertops	$3,451 Appliances	$2,721 Bathroom Furniture
$1,991 Bathroom Tiles	$1,359 Bathroom Tiling	$864 Lighting
$921 Walk-In Closet Cabinetry	$1,674 Interior Doors	$5,400 Furnishings & Decor
$1,751 Permits	$9,304 General Contractor	$1,348 Electrical & Plumbing Plans
$502 Landscaping	$1,080 Waste Recycling	$8,640 Patios
$2,075 Shipping Container Storage	$10,800 Misc ("this & that")
Grand Total: $257,390

Returning to My Roots

Jussi-Pekka Kajaala: I live in the U.S. now with my husband, but I wanted a place in Finland to return to every year—a place that felt like home. Building this house and sauna was my way of holding on to my heritage. I grew up immersed in construction, as my family has always worked in the industry. I started flipping apartments in my twenties, and I loved the process of renovation. But this was the first time I built something entirely from the ground up.

A view of the sauna and guest bedroom from the field. “The moss on the bedrock is protected, and the bedrock is surrounded by natural meadows,” says Jussi-Pekka. “Butterflies, insects, and wild animals thrive here, with many deer frequenting the area.”" layout="" credit="Photo by Jussi-Pekka Kajaala" photoUserId=""/>

Finding the Land

Jussi-Pekka: When I started the lot hunt, I had a pretty clear idea of what I wanted. A lot of people look for properties by the water, but I was focused on finding a dry-land location. I really enjoy how the trees, fields, and meadows change in color and character throughout the year. Most of the land on my property is wild meadows and old trees, which makes maintenance easy—and more importantly, supports the wild nature in the area.

Picking a Prefab

Jussi-Pekka: I chose a prefab model from the Finnish company Kontio and made a few key changes—a higher ceiling, larger windows, and adjustments to the roofline. The house is around 520 square feet, with a separate sauna building and guest bedroom under 200 square feet. I kept things small to save on costs, but also because I love the intimacy of compact spaces. The interiors, finishes, kitchen—everything was designed by me. The windows are also much larger than the standard prefab design.

While the house is prefab, the interior and finishes are almost entirely designed by Jussi-Pekka. One of his favorite custom-made elements is an LED light he designed for the window wall on the view side—an idea inspired by the lighting strips in planes that guide to emergency exits. “It’s there to highlight the importance of the glass wall that faces one of the most important aspects of the house: the view,” he explains. The sideboard was inherited from Jussi-Pekka’s grandparents." layout="bleed" credit="Photo by Petri Hiltula" photoUserId=""/>

The fireplace is “mostly decorative” but is still used to heat the house in winter. The decorative concrete balls were found in a small design shop in Helsinki. They echo the concrete floor, which has a very rough finish. “Anything too polished would have felt out of place in this mökki,” says Jussi-Pekka." layout="" credit="Photo by Jussi-Pekka Kajaala" photoUserId=""/>

I wanted the buildings to withstand changing temperatures, especially since we lower the heat when we’re not in Finland. Timber is one of the best materials for this, as it handles temperature shifts well without compromising the structure.

Honoring Finnish traditions was also important to me, which is why I placed the sauna in a separate building. Traditionally, saunas were always detached structures, even though it’s more common today to have them inside the house. I love the ritual of walking from the house to the sauna, stepping into its peaceful world, and then heading back to the house to shower.

A Family Affair

Jussi-Pekka: My father was a huge help during the building process. He’s spent his whole life in construction, managing everything from single-family homes to large arenas. In Finland, it’s legally required to have a professional supervisor for the construction, and he took on that role for my project.

mökki—is by Jussi-Pekka. “Since I love cooking and am quite tall, I designed the kitchen island to be slightly taller than a standard one,” he says. “The kitchen island also works as the main dining table, but it’s also great for folding laundry and working.”" layout="wide" credit="Photo by Petri Hiltula" photoUserId=""/>

We work incredibly well together, whether I’m managing the project while he supervises the construction, or we’re side by side building 1,000 square feet of patios. From breaking ground to completion, it took five-and-a-half months, and the house will always carry the memories of us working as a team. I have plenty of ideas for new projects on the property, so we’ll definitely get to build together again. Like we have always done.

The biggest challenge during construction was facing the coldest, snowiest winter we’d seen in years. It added an extra layer of difficulty and work, but I always say it’s easier to keep the site clean from snow than to protect everything from water. I’m crazy enough to say that I really enjoyed the building process despite the weather!

Celebrating Sauna Culture

Jussi-Pekka: Aside from family and friends, the thing I miss most about Finland is the sauna culture. It’s such a huge part of Finnish life—there are 3.2 million saunas for just 5.5 million people! I built mine in the traditional way with a woodburning stove and no running water—you carry water from the well. The ritual of lighting the fire, waiting for the heat, walking to the sauna from the house...it’s all part of the experience.

“The ritual of lighting the fire, waiting for the heat, walking to the sauna from the house...it’s all part of the experience.”

I did allow myself one contemporary touch—a full glass wall that frames the view across the fields. Another fun fact: I’m six feet, four inches tall, so I specifically designed the sauna and the lauteet (sauna bench) to be large enough for me to lie down comfortably.

The sauna—which can fit up to six people—features a traditional woodburning stove. “Until the final days of his life, my grandfather had a woodburning sauna stove,” says Jussi-Pekka. “Every time I smell the smoke coming from the chimney when I heat my sauna with birch wood, I am instantly transport back to those memories.”" layout="wide" credit="Photo by Petri Hiltula" photoUserId=""/>

When we’re in Finland, I make sure to use the sauna every day. To me, it’s a ritual that helps me connect with my inner self—it’s hard to put into words just how important it is to me. Adam is an athlete, and when he was training he would use saunas in functional way, which to me is just wild! He is now getting used to the sauna traditions though and has definitely become a true sauna lover.

Looking Ahead

Jussi-Pekka: This house is my creative playground, a space where I can experiment and test ideas that I later bring to my clients. And with roughly 4,000 square feet of unused building rights left on the property, the opportunity to create even more is always there—though whether I’ll use it is another question entirely. I am really enjoying the simplicity of small structures and their maintenance.

More Construction Diary stories:

How a Designer Crafted His New Family Home—On Top of Their First Home

A Couple Pining for Their Woodsy Upbringings Experiment With a New Retreat

With $293K, Two Designers Make a Rhode Island Victorian Their Own

Project Credits:

Prefab House: Kontio

Architects: J-Kos Oy & Niina Näsälä

Interior Design & Landscape Design: Super Finnish / @jussipekkakajaala / @superfinnish / @finnishsaunaventure

Log House Assembly: Rakennus Luoma-Aho Oy

Cabinetry: Ikea

Photographer: Petri Hiltula & Jussi-Pekka Kajaala