Who lives here?
Päivi, Paavo, and their almost 7-year-old French Bulldogs, Maj and KissKiss. When Maj was young, she loved the sauna, always wanting to be on the top bench and happily lounging there with Paavo. Nowadays, she no longer goes inside, but both dogs wait in the bathroom, and Maj likes to lie in front of the door, pushing her head under it.
What is your best sauna memory?
In our family, Paavo is definitely the sauna enthusiast, and his best sauna memory is from the smoke sauna at his childhood home. This smoke sauna is over 150 years old and is heated at most a couple of times a year. Paavo especially remembers and cherishes late Midsummer nights and the atmosphere.
How do you sauna?
At home, we cool off on the balcony, but nothing more elaborate. In our home sauna, we use biodegradable pouches (as easy as a tea bag) in the sauna water, filled with dried Finnish birch leaves from the Nystad Sauna Company. Birch is our favorite scent, although other variations are available. At the summer cottage’s outdoor sauna, the summer experience includes a birch whisk and cooling off in the Drop pool.
What is your ideal sauna like?
Atmospheric, wooden, and dimly lit. An old traditional outdoor wood-fired sauna or a smoke sauna.
How would you describe your interior style?
We haven't done much renovation or decorating in our home sauna. We use linen sauna seat covers, scented sauna water, and soaps. Päivi also pays attention to towel choices, and in winter, we light candles in the bathroom. At the cottage, we've planned cooling areas and pathways to the pool around the outdoor sauna. We've long considered installing a copper outdoor shower at the cottage. The shower itself has already been purchased, but the rest of the planning is still ongoing 😊.