The farms in question consisted of groups of small log houses huddled together, since the main building, livestock shelters, outbuildings and saunas were all built separately. In sparsely populated areas such as eastern Finland, a 'village' might consist of one solitary farm on the top of a hill, commanding a spectacular view of vast forests and lakes. Then, about a hundred years ago, as the rural population began to prosper from timber sales, they set about extending the old two room farmhouses. Extensions were added to the length of the building, or a second floor might be built. It became the fashion to paint the buildings with red ochre, in imitation of the more prestigious brick buildings.
Red houses are still integral to the 'ideal Finnish landscape'.
The village, however small, was always the scene of social interaction and local customs. Since fields and cattle were the source of the people's livelihood, merely complemented by what forest and lake could provide, the rhythm of life was shaped by farm work. Spring sowing, watching crops grow and harvesting occupied the lives of farmers from spring to autumn. The harvest had to be sufficient to keep both people and animals alive through the long, dark winter of the North. Annual festivities and weddings provided pleasant breaks in the seasons' work, and they were duly celebrated by the entire village with music and home brew.