Finnish Couple's Five-Year Island Hunt Ends in Off-Grid Retreat
A Finnish couple's five-year search for a remote island to call their own finally ended in 2018 when they discovered Skjulskäret, a roughly two-hectare property on the edge of the Archipelago National Park. Aleksi Hautamäki and Milla Selkimäki had been searching using Google Maps and government property records for an island that was secluded enough to feel like an escape but still suitable for building a home.
They designed a compact retreat, Project Ö, which covers about 70 square meters and is made up of two buildings. The main cabin contains living, cooking, and sleeping areas along with a bathroom and sauna, while the second building serves as a workshop and additional functional space.
The home runs off-grid using solar power and filtered seawater, rather than relying on mainland utilities. A seawater reverse-osmosis system was chosen to provide drinking water, which is powered by solar energy.