Latvia’s Countryside Homes Are Getting a Second Life, and the Owners Are Doing It Themselves
Five homeowners across Latvia have turned aging farmhouses, a 1920s log house, two shipping containers and a 12-square-meter cabin into homes that magazine Country House is showcasing this season, Santa reported — and in most cases the owners did the bulk of the work with their own hands.
The projects span the country: a human-design lecturer and a digital marketing specialist in Ogres novads, an architect couple in Ulmale, a construction-industry manager in Spuņciems, a designer family in Bernāti, and a somatic psychotherapy specialist near Alsunga.
A 1920s Log House, Bought “With All the Forks Included”
Darja Krastiņa, a lecturer in human design systems, and her husband Pēteris Krastiņš, a digital marketing specialist, bought a fully furnished log house built in 1920 in Ogres novads. Krastiņa told Santa she recognized it as “my house” the moment she saw it — a rare feeling, she said. The renovation kept the rural charm while making the building modern, using contrast between light and dark, color in details, and no fuss. The historical black ceilings were cleaned and painted, the magazine reported.
Twelve Square Meters by the Sea
The Knapmāja, a 12-square-meter summer cabin near the sea in Ulmale, was built from CLT — cross-laminated timber — by architect Aija Ausmane and entrepreneur Valts Ausmanis. Santa’s designs have appeared in architecture and design publications around the world, prompting small-home owners to consider adding outdoor living areas like terraces, canopies, and outdoor kitchen zones.
Two Shipping Containers Become a Holiday Home
MC2 manager Rinalds Zeps and decorator Monta Skujiņa built their fully equipped holiday home in Spuņciems themselves from two used containers, Santa reported. About a third of the materials were leftovers from construction work at their parents’ or acquaintances’ homes. Zeps works in a construction-related field, so he knows the true costs of building materials and services and refused to overpay.
A Farmhouse Restored, Not Replaced
Designer Ingus Krūmiņš, his wife Eva Vecvagare, an oncologist and chemotherapy specialist, and their daughter Patrīcija, an artist, restored a former farmhouse in Bernāti, Nīca parish. As Krūmiņš put it, what was restored was not the house but the feelings. The work combined historical and modern design, with details such as barn doors painted in tones characteristic of Nīca, and Swedish red typical of buildings in the region. Most of the work at Pērles was done by the family’s own hands, Santa reported.
Old Walls Saved From the Wrecking Ball
Near Alsunga, somatic psychotherapy specialist Inese Upe persuaded builders to keep at least the old walls of her house after they proposed demolishing it — a common recommendation, since tearing down an old house is often easier than renovating it. The sp rafters and beams were also saved. The result, Santa noted, is a home that looks new but has a hundred-year-old solidity, and the old walls hold heat well.
Small Practical Ideas From Rural Homes
The same Santa feature collects do-it-yourself ideas from country homes: a seat made from an old milk can and a plank, by film artist Andrejs Deičmanis; a window installed above the kitchen work surface instead of a tiled backsplash, by Agija and Mārtiņš Tiknusi; sauna blinds made from juniper felled on the owners’ own land, by Armands and Daiga; and a homemade clay plaster — a base mix of clay powder and 0.2 mm gravel in a 1:2.5 ratio mixed with water, applied by Armands Ansons and his daughter Solvita at their Clay House in Pāvilosta. Santa also notes that with hybrid and electric cars growing more common, homeowners with charging stations recommend installing a fast-charging cable, since the charging process can otherwise be very long.
Worth a look