Kotona: Finland's First Global Lifestyle Media That Unveils Nordic Happiness to the World
Finland isn't only about quiet forests, quirky saunas, and reindeers roaming in Lapland. It is also about homes where happiness is handmade, simplicity is sacred, and even mundane tasks feel oddly satisfying. Happiness in Finland isn't about luxury or perfection: it's about creating functional homes and lives — a society built on trust and balance.
Kotona, Finland's first global lifestyle platform (www.kotona.com), celebrates the quirky charm and everyday beauty of Nordic life. Kotona bridges the gap between Nordic values and international curiosity, offering an authentic glimpse into the homes, traditions, and sustainable practices that makes Finland special, with a touch of playful originality.
Kotona Celebrates Nordic Homes, Bringing Nordic Values Into Everyday Living
”Finland has cracked the code of living well. At Kotona, we celebrate the beauty of simplicity and sustainability, but also the small quirks, creative ideas, and moments of joy that make everyday life special. It’s an invitation to embrace a more intentional, balanced lifestyle rooted in nature and authentic living,” says Maija Koski, Editor-in-Chief of Kotona.
”We Finns are strangely happy, and our homes might have something to do with it,” Koski continues. ”Finnish happiness isn't curated – it's often created with our hands, a bit of effort, and a sense of humor. Whether it's fixing up your summer cabin, creating cozy corners, or finally tackling that drawer of doom – we've got the tools, tips, and ideas to make it happen. Beautifully.”
The Finnish Way of Life: Creativity and Happiness in Every Home
Kotona is an invitation to embrace the creativity, resilience, and beauty of Nordic living. With stunning visuals, relatable content, and a strong sustainability focus, Kotona invites the world to explore Finnish homes and lifestyles like never before.
Kotona focuses on:
Design & Decoration: Explore authentic Nordic dwellings, from old log houses to stylish urban apartments, tiny homes, and cozy saunas. Find inspiration and practical tips for decorating your space while discovering Finland's rich design heritage.
Plants & Gardening: Whether you're a houseplant enthusiast or dream of a lush garden, Kotona offers expert tips and creative ideas for every season. Marvel at balcony oases, snow-covered gardens, and vibrant vegetable plots nurtured by passionate home gardeners.
Build & Renovate: Discover inspiring renovation stories and breathtaking before-and-after transformations. Kotona also encourages restoring the old and prioritizing eco-friendly renovations, providing practical advice and solutions for tackling the challenges of building and renovating.
DIY: From crafts to knitting and carpentry, Kotona features fun, easy-to-follow instructions to help you upcycle materials you already have at home. Discover creative ways to reuse leftover wallpaper, scrap yarn, and more—straight from Finland's wool-sock-wearing communities.
Nordic Lifestyle: Delve into captivating stories about the Northern way of life and its people, showcasing the beauty of the unexpected and the charm of Finnish culture.
"Kotona is Finland's first global home and lifestyle media platform, uniquely distinguished by the largest collection of lifestyle photography in its category. It exemplifies the innovative spirit of our family-owned media company, A-lehdet, a pioneer in media content, digital commerce, and growth marketing”, says Heli Arantola, CEO of A-lehdet.
Kotona is the product of extensive research. Collaborating with the University of Helsinki, the team explored how Finnish values, lifestyle, and storytelling resonate with global audiences.
“Finland is at the forefront of tech, and also this development project benefited from high level AI-empowered tech solutions. With a deep passion for journalism, language, and its nuances, Kotona has collaborated with translation researchers to develop an AI-assisted process for translating its content into fluent and natural English.”
What Makes Kotona Stand Out?
- The Beauty of Doing Things Yourself: Learn how Finns tackle DIY projects that are simple, stylish, and satisfying.
- Elevating the Mundane: Discover how to make cleaning, organizing, and renovating joyful – yes. We turn ordinary tasks into small victories.
- Cabins, Saunas, and Silence: Ever wanted to escape to a cozy cabin in the woods? Kotona gives you a front-row seat to Finnish homes where silence is golden and saunas are sacred.
- Sustainable Living Without the Lecture: From reusing old furniture to growing herbs on your windowsill – practical ideas that make life greener and better.
- Finding Joy in Small Moments: Like that first cup of coffee with zero noise.
- Sustainability: Kotona is committed to inspiring a sustainable lifestyle by showcasing mindful, authentic, and environmentally harmonious ways of living. Through practical ideas and beautiful inspiration, the site aims at empowering readers to create fulfilling, sustainable homes and lives.
What Kotona Brings to the World
- Sustainability That Feels Doable: As the world grapples with overconsumption, burnout, and climate anxiety, Finland offers a refreshingly real alternative. Kotona shows how small, thoughtful choices can significantly impact people and the planet.
- The Art of Everyday Joy: Small wins, like organizing your chaos drawer or dipping in to an ice hole. Life doesn't have to be grand to be beautiful.
- Happiness Rooted in Society: Learn how Finland's trust-driven, equal society inspires homes that are functional, warm, and purposeful. Saunas, Silence, and Simplicity: Forget luxury spas – the Finnish sauna is about family, mindfulness, and simple breathing space. Kotona shares how you can bring that philosophy into your home.
- Visual and Seasonal Inspiration: Stunning homes, cozy cabins, and ideas that prove beauty and sustainability go hand-in-hand.
The Beauty of The Unexpected: Kotona
- Kotona (Finnish for ”at home”) is a Nordic home and lifestyle media and the guide to Nordic living: homes that inspire, ideas that surprise, and stories that celebrate life as it is—beautifully simple, delightfully quirky, and unapologetically real.
- Kotona is part of A-lehdet, a Finnish, family-owned media company founded in 1933. A-lehdet is a pioneer in media content, digital trade, and growth marketing. A-lehdet publishes many beloved magazines and produces some of Finland's most popular digital media.
- In addition to its media brands, the A-lehdet Group includes Finnish Design Shop, the world's largest online store dedicated to Nordic design, and Laine Publishing, a world- famous publisher specializing in knitting and crafts.
