Photos: Emilia Rotko
In early 2025, a plumbing renovation was carried out in the semi-detached home of Emilia Rotko, a social media influencer and digital marketing professional living in Southern Finland. For the family of four, the timing was ideal, as updating the bathroom and sauna area had already been part of their long-term plans. The old spaces no longer matched modern style preferences, and they were also considered impractical in terms of fixed furniture placement.
More practicality and safety in the bathroom and sauna area
The main goal of the renovation was to make the bathroom and sauna area more functional: the family wanted more space, as well as more durable and safer material choices. At the same time, they decided to replace the sauna stove – the old one did not suit everyone’s taste, as it produced only very hot, sharp steam instead of offering a variety of comfortable sauna experiences.
During the renovation, the sinks were repositioned, allowing for more room to move. The new color palette of the bathroom and sauna area is earthy and warm – sand-toned tiles, wooden furniture and the sauna’s beautiful alder surfaces create a visually pleasing whole. The spaces also became significantly safer: the old tiles were not only outdated but also slippery. The new tiles have a light texture that reduces the risk of slipping.
In addition to new surfaces and a more functional layout, the family invested in lighting to create both atmospheric light and brightness when needed, bringing depth and spaciousness to the rooms. The sauna benches are slightly deeper and sturdier than before, and a safety rail was built around the sauna heater.
A modern sauna heater encourages the family to sauna more often
Perhaps the most surprising outcome of the renovation has been the family’s changed sauna habits. Before the renovation, the sauna had a simple on-off style heater that was either on or off, with no possibility to adjust the temperature. “The difference compared to the old one is incredible – now we actually sauna, and we want to sauna. The previous sauna didn’t invite us in, and it didn’t feel like a place where we wanted to take the kids. Now sauna time has become an important weekly routine for us,” Emilia says.
For many children growing up in Finland, some of the dearest childhood memories involve shared family sauna moments. The family’s new sauna is a place for meaningful, shared time together, but also a place where the adults can breathe, unwind and clear their minds. “My spouse and I also have very different sauna preferences: I like gentler steam and he prefers stronger heat, and now the sauna allows both of us to enjoy the kind of session we like!” Emilia adds enthusiastically.
A reliable and easy app for remote sauna heater control
In a household with young children, adults constantly have their hands full, which made the idea of remote sauna heater control appealing to Emilia and her spouse – and with good reason. The family chose the Mondex Teno E2 WiFi stove for their sauna, and after just a few months of use, the WiFi feature has already made it much easier to start sauna sessions. “My husband, who is a fan of smart devices, loves how easy and reliable the app is,” Emilia says. It was also important for the family to choose a stove made in Finland, as they trust Finnish quality and durability.
Through the mobile app used to control Mondex’s remote-operated WiFi sauna heaters, adjusting the timer, operating time and temperature is simple. The app also provides interesting statistics on sauna heating frequency, electricity consumption and the overall cost of sauna sessions.
A safe sauna heater for families with children
To use the Mondex WiFi sauna heater remotely, the door sensor included with the stove must be installed on the sauna door. For remote control to work, an adult must check the sauna, close the door and set the stove to standby mode using the control panel, which is installed on a bathroom or dressing room wall – out of children’s reach.
If the sauna door is opened before heating begins, the standby mode automatically deactivates, and the sauna heater cannot be controlled remotely until the sauna has been checked again, the door closed and the standby mode reactivated from the control panel. “As a parent, I feel a huge sense of relief knowing that standby mode turns off automatically if the kids open the sauna door,” Emilia says.
Watch the video to see how the new sauna transformed Emilia’s family’s sauna habits:
You can follow the humorous and authentic everyday life of the family on Emilia’s Instagram account @emiliarotko.