SamastaSanctuaries
Meet Dan, the maker

Made by hand.
Made with heart.

A joiner of ten years. Building saunas one at a time, between school runs and the kitchen kettle.

Dan in a worn leather tool belt working inside a timber sauna
From the workshop

I’ve been a joiner for over ten years, mostly making bespoke things out of wood, pieces that don’t come down a production line.

I care deeply about where the timber comes from, and about treating the materials I work with with the respect they’re owed.

Building my own sauna gave me something I didn’t know I was looking for: a healing space. A mindful pause built straight into the day. A deep exhale. A warm hug after a long one.

Dan carefully fitting handmade wooden pegs to a cedar rail
Why I make

Spaces built for healing.
A sanctuary away
from the hustle & bustle.

That I get to make these for other people too brings me a lot of joy and a real sense of purpose. I believe in beautiful, intentional spaces, and in helping people stay well, build their own sanctuaries at home, and share them with the people they love.

I love my family and my friends. I want to work from home, and I want to work smart. I want to spend as much time as I can with my fiancée and our three children. That freedom, the time, the closeness, is what I’m building all this for.

Dan
A little history

Saunas were never
just about luxury.

Long before they were a wellness amenity, saunas were places for warmth, washing, gathering and the necessary work of being alive in a cold country.

Kindling and a small flame in an open sauna stove

Purification & hygiene

A room to wash off the day’s labour before stepping back into the world. Traditionally, saunas also played a part in caring for family through birth, illness and old age.

Survival & warmth

In cold northern climates the sauna was essential, often among the first buildings on a new homestead.

Ritual & belonging

Finnish folklore tells of the saunatonttu, or sauna elf. The sauna held a place in rituals, family milestones and remembrance.

A practical work hub

Beyond bathing, saunas were used to dry crops and carry out household work. They served the everyday needs of a home.

Heat, rest & time

Known historically as the “poor man’s pharmacy”, the sauna offered warmth and a place to rest after a long day.

Your own sanctuary

Come for a brew,
a sauna and a chat.

Send us a note about your garden. We’ll write back to fix a time at the farm. Kettle on, sauna lit, no rush.

Start a conversation