Your sauna is an extension of your home

By Ryan Linner · 3 min read

Most people shop for a sauna the way they'd shop for an appliance. They compare sizes and prices, pick one, and put it wherever there's room. Then a year later it's the most expensive storage shed in the yard.

The saunas that get used every week have one thing in common. They feel like part of the house.

You'll use what you can see

If you can see the sauna from the kitchen window or the back deck, you'll think about it. If it's tucked behind the garage, you won't. We start every design by standing inside the house and asking where the eye lands.

Make the walk easy

In February, a 60-foot walk across wet grass is a reason to skip it. Keep the path short, lit and solid underfoot, ideally straight from the back door.

Plan for the after

The sauna is only half of it. You need somewhere to cool down, a cold plunge or shower, and a place to sit afterward. That's where conversations happen and where friends start asking when they can come back.

Let it belong

Choose materials and a shape that fit your home and landscape, not just the catalog. When it looks like it was always meant to be there, it becomes a room you use, not a purchase you regret.

If you love looking at it, you'll use it.