Wooden house that made the dream come true

She had thought about it so many times. Moving to Uusikaupunki, that is. When the COVID-19 pandemic threw the world into disarray for a couple of years, even turning her home into an office, Noora Kiela started really wondering why she would always waste time driving from Rauma to Uusikaupunki to spend her free time there, when she could just make her hometown into a permanent home.

Noora had already had an eye on a terraced house that she had weighed up near Pietolanlahti, but she hadn’t quite made the final decision yet. In Christmas of 2020, she strolled around Uusikaupunki admiring the Christmas calendar windows of the wooden houses, each more enchanting than the last.

“I just thought about how wonderful it would be to live in this wooden house area, in your very own house,” says Noora and sighs.

 

 

At that moment the stars aligned, as soon after her enchanting tour, she noticed a sales notice on a sweet, white wooden house on the edge of Vallimäki.

The previous owner had named the house Villa Saarnilehto, and with its wooden floors, tile stove and outdoor sauna, it was a dream come true for Noora. Even through the wintery landscape, Noora was able to envisage how the old apple and pear trees, burnet roses, maples and lilacs would provide her with a secret garden in the summer.

That moment set the wheels in motion, and the wheels kept turning for the following month.

“I spotted the sales notice on Wednesday, and on Friday, I came to look at the house for the first time. On Saturday, I brought my dad, who gave his blessing to the project by saying that as the foundation and the roof are in order, everything in between should be good too,” says Noora and laughs.

Noora’s terraced house in Rauma was able to find new owners in record time. By mid-February, everything was set, including the moving date. Noora would be able to move to her dream home at the end of April.

 

 

On the day of the move, Noora’s two small, white bichon frisé dogs, Uuno and Urho, also gave their blessing to the new home. The two balls of fluff made their way directly up the hallway stairs and found a place for a good nap.

“They don’t usually behave like that in new places. It felt like now we have truly come home.”

As the family had an ongoing construction project for a bigger family cottage, Noora’s dad let her know in advance that her home renovations would have to wait a couple of years. For Noora, this turned out to be an excellent solution.

“I’ve had time to live in peace and think, which things are truly worth fixing and which are not. For example, I initially really wanted to paint the living room furnace, but now I love the green colour. I’m happy that I didn’t grab the brush and start painting straight away,” says Noora.

Villa Saarnilehto is beautifully decorated with recycled and handmade objects and pieces of furniture. Noora’s fascination for everything old can be seen in each and every detail of the home. No wonder the family has gathered here for Christmas for the past two years. Noora’s little sister’s confirmation party was also organised at Villa Saarnilehto.

 

 

 

The location of the town house is ideal in many ways.

“In the summer, we have perfect place to listen to the music of the Night of the Lanterns. Of course, it’s also wonderful that my little sister can easily come by after school and can also house sit with the dogs when needed,” says Noora.

Returning to her hometown after being away for 10 years seems natural to Noora. The family and friends are close, and even though her job is still in Rauma, she does most of the work in the corner office of her living room.

Noora was also quick to find new hobbies in Uusikaupunki.

“I was persuaded to join scouting already when I was moving in, and now I’m leading a group of Cub Scouts, even though I’ve never been a Scout before. And of course, I am involved in Uudenkaupungin Vanhat Talot association, which focuses on old houses,” says Noora.

Living in Villa Saarnilehto, near both the beach and the city centre services, Noora is living her dream of the idyllic wooden house life. Far from the hustle and bustle, at the end of an old dirt road, in her own house, from where she can hear the resonant chime of the bells of the Old Church in the summer.

“Uusikaupunki is so perfectly familiar and safe. Everything is near, but I can still have my own peace. I don’t enjoy the hustle of the city, so this is a perfect place for me,” says Noora. “Something very drastic would have to happen before I would decide to leave this place.”