We are both academic persons having PhDs from the University of Tokyo and have spent most of our working lives in research and teaching positions in Japan, China and Finland. Jari has also had a busy company life from which he is now about to retire.
This is our retirement dream - to still create an active life after being too old to compete with younger people in academia or industry, but not too old just to lay down. When our kids are grown up and the nest has been empty, we also need some meaningful doings to fill our time.
We love various cultures, gourmet food, and most of all, peaceful and beautiful Finnish nature. Especially Lumin is enthusiastic about nature conservation and environmental protection, and she loves to do farming of our organic food.
Lumin is skilled at cooking and baking, so you can enjoy home cooked food and baked sweeties. Jari is skillful with his hands and loves to build and fix things. Every year the estate gets more technical stuff, which he proudly presents to anyone who is interested.
So, we have a perfect environment to welcome everyone to stay at Pinecrest and enjoy the surroundings not too far from Helsinki and close to Porvoo's historic city. Please let us know what you prefer, and we will tailor a program to your preferences. We will make your stay as memorable as possible.
We can provide guidance in Japanese, Chinese, English and Finnish, so no need to worry too much about language or cultural barrier, when staying with us.
Lumin & Jari, 2022
Pinecrest Villa has been officially open to the public for two years now, and we are still in the process of building our yard and renovating it. We would like to thank all the professionals and amateurs who have been involved in the renovation and redesigning of the courtyard, thanks to their contribution, the courtyard of Pinecrest Villa has become more and more unique, distinctive as well as popular. We feel it is very important to share their designs and works.
Porvoon Kivi Oy has laid the stone paving (slate rock) and greeneries. They also implemented the gate pillars. The design of the areas is pretty much our own. The yard stones are Liuskemestarit's Karhu (Paljakan Pronssi) Puolanka municipical In Kainuu. Paljakka is the name of stony hill (in Finnish “vaara”), and there is a National Park and a small ski resort.
The gate has been designed by me and Jyrki Eklund, who also made it. He has a small Taide Takomo in Sipoo. He has implemented also the other fence elements on the wall. The motor system is from Italy, Nice. The LED lights have been designed and implemented by us and they are from Ledvance.
The gate pillars and the surrounding wall is made of Ikikivi's Perustuskivi. This is from Nilsiä municipal in Savo. The same stones have been used here and there elsewhere. It is characterized by the rough surface and exceptional light color as a Finnish rock. Grill pergolas is my original design. It started from a hexagonal shape where from the dining area was “pulled out”, the middle area stretched on one side, and the back side “pushed in” a little bit. Then pillars were placed at each corner and connected with horizontal logs. I might have received some influence from Japan. However, the structural importance was the middle pilar that holds the roof. I was lucky to find a log artist to implement my vision. Eetu Puurtinen (Outopuu) from Tuulos. That was very hard work. The real jackpot for me was his proposal to use Mainiemen Kartano's old larch logs within the construction. The center pillar is 4m high and more than 100 years old larch log. Similar logs have been used for the floor and the furniture there. However, the smaller logs are from our land, cut and peeled off by us. The lamps are bought from Netherlands (Nostalux NL) made in Holland or Italy for marine usage. The electricity work has been done by ESV-Sähkö Oy. The marquises are Italian made (Gibus) and installed by Artic Store.
The lamps in the visitors' parking area are from Konstmide, Sweden. The Pinecrest Villa logo designed by Dana Huston-Chen, USA that is also included into the gate has been designed by Keyi, China.
- Written by Jari Vaario, 2024
2025 has been a busy and exciting year here at Pinecrest Villa! Our main goal this year was to make the villa more comfortable and enjoyable for everyone who visits. Bit by bit, we’ve been refreshing our outdoor spaces and facilities, and we’re so happy with how everything has turned out.
We kicked things off in spring by laying new stone pavements and lawn areas around the barbecue pergolas. The space now looks better than ever - perfect for weddings, family gatherings, and company events during summer season. It’s wonderful to see so many people celebrating their special days here already this year!
Our sandy beach path got a serious upgrade. It’s now runestone, a new stone inspired by Viking’s runic inscriptions, and grass walkway that not only looks beautiful but also solves a long-time issue – no more rainwater washing out ruts! Now guests can stroll down to the beach easily and safely, even after heavy summer showers
We added a new outdoor restroom in the garage, making it so much more convenient for hosting an event outside. No need to head back to the villa mid-party – everything you need is right there and you can walk in with shoes on.
Down by the beach, we installed logo-branded railings along the seating area – a small touch that really adds character. We also put in handrails on the stone steps leading to the beach, making access much safer when going to swim in the sea. And while we were at it, the backyard staircase got an upgrade too, so everything feels sturdier and easier to move around, and especially from barbeque area to toilet in garage.
As always, Jari brought his creative touch to the design details – from the custom railings to the improved staircases and other finishing touches. His work adds so much personality and warmth to the place, and it’s been great to see his design hobby shine through these projects.
We spend most of our time managing Pinecrest Villa during summer and autumn seasons, and during the winter, we like to take on new challenges and explore something different. There will be a lot of ideas for improvements for next year, but more about them later.
We have continued to develop our web site and have included photos our guests have provided us from their events. Have a look and be inspired by them for your own events.
For 2026 we have new package offers for different types of events. We will increase services provided by us and our third-party partners. Please, take a look on our booking page.
With all these updates, Pinecrest Villa welcomed more guests than ever in 2025! We hosted weddings, anniversaries, company meetings, family gatherings, and all kinds of celebrations. Every event brings new energy to the villa, and we’re truly grateful to everyone who chose Pinecrest as the place to create memories.
Thank you for being part of our story and helping us keep Pinecrest thriving. We can’t wait to welcome you back next season and share even more improvements in the future!
