Villa Kaste enchants in Levi

Is this Levi's most beautiful holiday home?

For a four-person family living permanently in Nokia, building a vacation home in Kittilä was only a matter of time. For them, Levi is by far the number one destination in Lapland. They’ve vacationed there for ten years with friends, staying at their friend family's cabin. The father remembers his first trips to Levi from his own childhood.

The serious planning for their own holiday home began during the COVID-19 pandemic. In the fall of 2020, they started looking at ready-made cabins, but when they couldn’t find a suitable one, they decided to buy a plot. They found a location they liked in the Taalo area. They reserved the 2,000-square-meter plot sight unseen in early spring 2021. Several plots along the same street had been zoned for new holiday homes. When they visited the site for the first time, the decision felt right. The plot is ideally located in the middle of Lapland's nature, yet all the ski resort’s services and recreational activities are conveniently nearby.

They purchased a house package from PolarHouse, choosing a villa from the Aava collection that suited their preferences in both layout and appearance. With a dark exterior and a large terrace built facing the forest, the end result is strikingly modern. The family also prioritized sustainability in the construction. The walls, clad inside and out with sturdy log panels, are insulated with wood fiber. There’s no plastic in the structure, so the breathable walls improve indoor air quality.

Downstairs features the main living areas, two bedrooms placed on either side of the entrance, and a sauna area. The open loft serves as a sleeping and hangout space for the family’s two sons. The spacious upstairs lounge also has a desk for remote work. The villa is extremely open and filled with natural light. There are large windows, and the ridge beam reaches over five meters in height. The windows are framed in black with grilles, as required by Kittilä municipality’s building regulations for the Taalo area. At first, the family disliked this rule, but once the grilles were in place, they found them beautiful—and decided to keep them for their aesthetic value.

Local builders were found through PolarHouse’s network. When construction began in the spring of 2022, the couple started planning and purchasing interior furnishings. The goal was to have everything ready by the time the building was completed. They succeeded: one room in their Nokia home was filled with furniture and other items, which were transported to Levi during the winter holiday in February and immediately arranged in the villa. Friends and relatives also traveled from the south to help. The villa quickly took on a charming look.

They used a computer program for interior design to ensure furniture fit their planned locations. The interior style was carefully thought out, and some pieces were bought second-hand online. The black kitchen was created with furniture from the Kvik store in Tampere.

The villa’s warm and inviting atmosphere is created by coffee-brown treatment on the interior walls and ceiling. The tongue-and-groove ceiling is striking on its own, thanks to millimeter-precision installation. There are no trim pieces where the ceiling meets the walls; instead, hidden lighting glows from the seams, enhancing the cozy mood. The finish was done with Coloria’s new Latte oil wax. The family is extremely satisfied with their choice, and the color has received widespread admiration. It seems to appeal to everyone.

In the wet areas, the wall color shifts to dark gray. The utility room has dark paneling, and the bathroom features large, stylish tiles. The sauna has windows on two sides, offering forest views to the backyard. While enjoying a sauna, one is likely to spot reindeer wandering in the lichen-filled woods—there are plenty in the Kittilä region regardless of tourist numbers. It’s not the reindeer who avoid people, but the people who yield to the reindeer.

Since building their own villa, the family spends much more time in Levi. They drive there from Nokia once a month, regardless of the season. In winter, the typical activities include downhill skiing, cross-country skiing, and snowmobiling. In summer, they switch to hiking and cycling trails. Taalo is also just a short distance from Levi’s highly rated golf course.

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