A ceremonial sauna experience and a characterful use of colour make Honka Kömmeli the highlight of the Oulu Housing Fair

Press release 22 May 2025

A ceremonial sauna experience and a characterful use of colour make Honka Kömmeli the highlight of the Oulu Housing Fair

• Honka Kömmeli is a modern interpretation of traditional architecture painted in the classic tone of Falun red. The elegant red is visible on the façade as well as indoors, and it serves as the main tone of the interior. Another main colour of the interior is smoky blue, adding a fascinating depth to the space.
• The unique sauna is inspired by the age-old Finnish sauna, where the benches are high in the room, creating an atmospheric washing area below.
• The interior design in Honka Kömmeli has been created by the highest quality players in Finnish design. 

Built for the Oulu Housing Fair, Honka Kömmeli is a log home with Falun red colour on the façade and in the interior, as part of a wider stylish and bold colour scheme. The sauna is inspired by the age-old Finnish sauna, where the benches are high in the room, and Japanese onsen spas, offering the most unforgettable sauna experience at the Housing Fair.

Traditional Falun red as an inspiration for a characteristic use of colour

Honka Kömmeli is a home with countless enchanting details and a distinctive use of colour. The interior is decorated in particular with smoky blue tones, brick red, and light, natural wood surfaces.

The light sand-coloured concrete floor and light log walls form an elegant backdrop, which is complemented by surprising colour and tile choices. The smoky blue is used in several areas of the home: the impressive fireplace charms in tinted petrol, and the same colour scheme continues in one of the bedrooms and a toilet, including a stylish Woodio toilet seat made of waterproof wood composite. The red on the façade of Honka Kömmeli is another accent colour used in the interior.

“We went for a traditional brick red and a strong blue, but with modern tones. Strong colours create interesting accents to a home where the natural tones of wood are the main focus”, says Titi Reijonen, the Aare Visuals interior architect who co-designed Honka Kömmeli.

Honka Kömmeli’s interior design features genuine materials that also age beautifully. All the partners involved are high-quality Finnish companies with a long history and an appreciation of craftsmanship. There are spectacular details in every room of the house: custom-made lighting and furniture by Fasetti, timeless furniture by Niemi Design, luxurious rugs by MattoMatti, and stunning textiles by Annala and Jokipiin Pellava.

Every room, transition and view has been carefully designed, making Honka Kömmeli an experience for visitors. The thoughtful framing and placement of the views create an intimate and earthy atmosphere.

The subtle CLT log design creates a harmonious look

The numerous natural wood details, from fixed and loose furniture and slats to towel hooks, represent skilful design in Finnish wood. The same careful attention to detail and decades of experience also show in the design of the Honka CLT logs.

Honka only uses the highest quality certified Finnish wood with as few knots as possible to create a calm and elegant result. The company was the first log house manufacturer to develop a non-settling log, which allowed modern and ambitious architecture to be built with logs. Now, Honka is taking log construction to another level with the Honka Fusion+ CLT log, launched in May 2025.

“The new logs use a minimalist CLT log seam groove developed and refined over the years, which allows for a sophisticated and timelessly elegant wall surface”, says Eino Hekali, product director at Honka. 

In addition to the elegant log design, Honka has developed houses with health-promoting features. Honka log houses have clean indoor air, relaxing acoustics, and natural and low-emission materials that enhance the well-being of the residents on a daily basis. The Ruukki® Classic LowCarbon roof complements the healthy, ecological and low-carbon Honka log house.

A ceremonial experience inspired by the age-old Finnish sauna

Inspired by the age-old Finnish sauna, where the benches are high in the room, the sauna in Honka Kömmeli stops time by offering a memorable sauna experience. Juho Lonkila, the architect behind Honka Kömmeli, wanted to bring a ceremonial element to relaxation and bathing moments.

“In Kömmeli, the sauna goes back to times when people washed themselves without running water, with the difference that you don’t have to carry the water inside yourself”, says Lonkila.

In the sauna, red tiles are harmoniously combined with heat-treated pine walls, ceilings and slats with a hint of red, completing the atmospheric sauna experience.

Further information and interview requests:

Riikka Vahtervuo, Marketing Manager

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Honkarakenne Oyj manufactures high-quality, healthy and ecological log homes, holiday homes and public buildings under its Honka® brand from Finnish solid wood. The company has delivered 90,000 buildings to over 50 countries. House kits are manufactured in Finland, the company’s own factory is located in Karstula. In 2024, Honkarakenne Group’s net sales were EUR 36.7 million, of which exports accounted for 29%.