The Influence of Finnish Culture on My Work
Hello and welcome back to the eighth part of my series Beyond the Image, where I share the story behind the house featured in Super Finnish’s marketing. In this series, I take you through the inspiration, the five and a half months of building, and where the house stands today. In this post, I go even deeper and share some thoughts on how this building project gave me the final confirmation and confidence to start helping people turn their homes into their dream homes.
I hope you enjoy it!
Beyond the Image: Part 8
While waiting for the building permits, I had a moment of calm and time to reflect on who I am and what I’m doing. I never regretted starting the building project. In fact, I felt inspired to do even more and began thinking about ways to help others achieve similar goals for themselves. For many people, the idea of building something or redesigning their spaces can feel overwhelming—especially when taking on the roles of project manager or lead designer. But for me, the building experience was a responsibility that brought me a sense of freedom. It made me realize that through my passion, I have something valuable to offer—helping others bring their home projects to life.
I now have a couple of years of work experience in the U.S. behind me, and I’ve had the privilege of working with many amazing people and projects. I’m happy to notice that so many people want to be deeply involved in the projects they want to accomplish. I’ve been lucky to find people I get to work with as a team.
Home Design on Your Terms
When I started Super Finnish, I knew I didn’t want to be the typical Hollywood turn-key designer. It’s important to me that the people I work with make the final decisions about the choices, solutions, and options I provide. After all, it’s their home we’re shaping and creating.
I bring countless ideas and inspiration to the table, but the soul of the home always belongs to the people who live there. Many clients seek help not just to get started on their projects but to find the confidence to make decisions. Often, I meet people with a clear vision, but they just need support and a spark to set their plans in motion.
The end result is always a blend of their vision and my professional suggestions, ideas, and inspiration—but ultimately, it’s their home, reflecting their story.
It was always my dream to build a house, to create something that didn’t exist. When I finally got the chance to do it, my hunger for it only grew. I wanted to be more involved in the process, and I wanted to inspire others to do the same. Whether it was about making their existing homes work better or building something from scratch, I wanted to help them take that step.
What High-End Means to Me
Luxury is sometimes such a loaded word for me, especially in the LA area, where it’s hard to avoid terms like high-end and luxury. To me, high-end means quality materials, functional design, and products that meet the need. For many, though, it means expensive stuff that just looks fancy when friends come over. In Finnish culture, things are often down-to-earth and very function-focused. Homes tend to be smaller, so it’s essential that they function well and that every detail is thoughtfully planned. That was exactly what I wanted for my vacation home.
I designed the kitchen island to be the heart of the home, offering a range of functions. It’s perfect for cooking, doing dishes, dining, folding laundry, working—and it’s also a beautiful centerpiece.
A Bigger Home Is Not Always The Solution
From the very beginning, it was clear to me that I wanted to build something small. This would help me keep both the maintenance expenses and the upkeep itself low. The main structure is only about 550 sq ft, and the sauna building is half of that. Oh, how important it was to make sure the spaces functioned well and that the furniture was exactly the right size. This is what I want to help people with—creating functional spaces!
In the U.S., homes are often much, much bigger than in Finland. But I’ve realized that this brings a whole new set of challenges for people living in them. It’s common to buy the biggest couch, the biggest TV, and the biggest coffee table, and call it a day. But that doesn’t make the space functional! It fills the space, sure, but it doesn’t make it feel cozy—the way many of my clients want.
What I was creating when I was building my mökki, was something I wanted to create for others too: homes that feel comfortable and function well. When you walk into your home after a long day at work, you should feel calm. You close the door, and the crazy, loud world stays outside, unable to get in. It’s not easy to make that happen, and it requires a deep understanding of what people truly need and who they are.
When I talk about bringing my heritage to my work, I truly mean it. We can do high-end design, but that doesn’t always mean showroom-style spaces filled with fancy stuff. With open communication we can achieve amazing things, just like I did when I was building my dream house.
Jussi-Pekka Kajaala
Nordic Visionary, Creative Entrepreneur
