Chalet... This is what small Alpine rural houses are called. Their distinctive feature is their characteristic architecture. The word chalet translates as “shepherd’s hut.” Chalet architecture originated in the southeastern regions of France, near Switzerland. The French call these buildings Swiss houses. Today there are a lot of similar buildings in the Alps. We invite you to get acquainted with the chalet style in modern architecture. You will learn about the design features of alpine houses and interior ideas.
Decor
The use of a large number of details in the chalet is not recommended, as they change the atmosphere in the room. The style is emphasized by wooden bowls, furniture and animal figurines. The decor will be complemented by an animal skin on the floor or sofa, woven carpets, a painting in a simple frame with an alpine theme. Floor lanterns are suitable for lighting. On the windowsills you can put 3 old glass jars that imitate candlesticks.
Chalet style can be created in a small apartment, adhering to several conditions. Natural materials that can be minimally processed are chosen for the premises. The rooms are painted in light colors and provide soft light. Wooden slats are installed on the ceiling to imitate beams. Animal horns and skins, knitted blankets, decorative plates, and paintings with an alpine theme are used as decoration.
How to choose furniture
The chalet style is characterized by simple forms and high functionality.
A kitchen-living room in a chalet style involves the use of furniture with simple shapes. Sometimes it can even be rough, the main thing is that these are high-quality and reliable headsets, oriented towards long-term use.
A kitchen in a chalet-style house should have the following features:
- Furniture must be made exclusively from natural wood. Moreover, it must be artificially aged and made from such strong species as oak, beech, meranti, ash.
Advice! If your budget is limited, then it would be best to order furniture made from artificial materials that perfectly imitate natural wood.
- Wooden facades should not be painted. Ideally, they can be covered with stain or varnish. Wood carving looks great in such interiors. A good choice is dark metal fittings.
- It is advisable to make the chairs wooden and massive. They often contain riveted elements and leather inserts.
- The dining table is most often classic: a rectangular tabletop made of solid wood with shaped legs.
- The equipment should be stylized as retro and antique. An excellent option would be built-in appliances hidden behind wooden facades.
Wood and stone
The chalet translates as “shepherd’s hut,” so natural stone and wood became obligatory elements in the decoration. The following tree species are considered common:
- pine;
- nut;
- oak;
- cherry;
- Karelian birch.
Budget materials include lining, boards and timber. The floor is covered with roughly processed unpainted boards, which are treated with stain or wax. The second option is to lay matte parquet with the same texture of the wood cut. Stone imitation tiles are used for flooring in apartments. Additionally, they create the effect of wear, antiquity or chipped material.
The walls are plastered or covered with wooden wallpaper based on veneer or thermowood, clapboard or block house. Often only one wall is completely covered with boards that are placed horizontally. Light colors are chosen for the interior. Massive wooden beams are not installed in apartments with ceilings 2.5 m high, since the structure will visually reduce the space. In Khrushchev buildings they can be replaced with boards or wooden slats.
Chalet style in the interior: photos and key features
Since the chalets were shepherds' huts, and later became a refuge for hunters, the key feature of this style in the interior is the work with natural materials. The closer to nature the house looks, the better. However, this does not mean that you need to completely abandon metal and glass, especially in the kitchen with regard to household appliances. But products made of wood, fabric, and stone should prevail. It is advisable to introduce as little glass into the interior as possible, replacing it with more “live” and warm materials.
The general atmosphere that should be born when looking at such a house is that every detail was made with one’s own hands: from the carpet to the fireplace. The latter, by the way, does not occupy the last place in the room. If possible, it is best to place it in the living room or bedroom, and also give preference to live fire rather than its imitation. But this option, of course, is only suitable for a country or private home. But the chalet style can be recreated in an apartment. Here, a classic heating system will be hidden behind the fireplace façade, but from an aesthetic point of view, such a “trick” will look no worse.
As for furnishing the rooms, it is recommended to choose massive products that are spacious and soft. This is especially true for the bedroom and living room, where an abundance of various armchairs and sofas, couches, and even pillows scattered on the floor, located on animal skins, is allowed. The latter add a special flavor to the chalet-style interior, as they bring the house closer to its original design, reminiscent of hunting and pastures.
Animal skins can become either a carpet in front of a fireplace, a sofa or a bed, or a cozy blanket or bedspread for any piece of furniture. For example, for a wicker rocking chair located by the fireplace: how pleasant it will be to relax in it on winter evenings with a cup of hot mulled wine.
For the chalet style, furniture with the effect of aged wood is preferred. In addition to the fact that it looks as natural as possible, even the most inexpensive product with such processing acquires a history and looks more expensive. An important fact is that you can age any piece of furniture yourself no worse than they can do it in a store: this process does not require any special skills. Moreover, it is recommended to carry out a similar procedure not only for your favorite chests of drawers and chairs, but also for ceiling beams, partitions: in a word, any wooden parts in your home.
You can lay the foundation for a chalet style even in a city apartment at the initial stage, when the premises are being renovated. Redevelopment for such an idea is not necessary; it will be enough just to pay attention to the design of the ceiling and the covering of the walls. Instead of wallpaper, it is better to use wooden panels, which can be placed only on the top or bottom of the wall, using textured paint on the open areas.
A similar scheme works with the ceiling. The most attractive in terms of chalet style are longitudinal or transverse rectangular wooden beams that cross the ceiling. Small lamps are often attached to them or between them for additional light. It is also advisable to make windows and access to the balcony for a chalet-style interior from wood, instead of the plastic usual in city apartments, or order a stylized wood covering.
Fireplace
Some designers argue that if the interior does not have a fireplace, then it cannot be called a chalet. Of course, a hunting lodge lost in the Alpine mountains could hardly exist without this attribute. But modern housing dictates its own rules, and it is not always possible to build a real wood-burning fireplace, especially if we are talking about a city apartment.
The fireplaces in the chalets were huge and served as both a hearth for cooking and heating. Of course, such an interior detail will look very harmonious in a country house, but you should not install an electric analogue of a real fireplace. Such a detail can destroy the entire perception of style.
Important! It is necessary to pay close attention to every detail. Just one element can destroy the entire atmosphere of the interior.
Textiles and decor
The textiles in such interiors depict animals, coniferous trees and flowers that can be found in the mountains. The windows are covered with curtains made of natural materials (linen, chintz or cotton). They can be beige or white. In addition, stripes, polka dots and checks are suitable. The length of the curtains can stretch to the floor or rest in the middle of the window sill.
It's hard to imagine a chalet without a fireplace. It can be used as an applied or decorative interior element. Mostly, fireplaces are placed in living rooms, and they are lined with rough-hewn gray stone. In some cases, such premises are equipped with Dutch stoves.
The modern interior of the chalet is decorated with large poufs covered with imitation goat fur, and the floors are covered with carpets. Oriental motifs on them are unacceptable.
The walls in such interiors are decorated with drawings depicting forest and mountain landscapes. Such rooms are decorated with bouquets. They are based on dried flowers. There is room for woven rugs on the walls and floors. Hunting trophies are an iconic decorative element in such rooms.
Also, such interiors are decorated with:
- forged metal objects, for example, candlesticks;
- ceramic dishes;
- wooden handicrafts;
- antique toys;
- wicker vases;
- embroidered tablecloths and napkins;
- old photographs;
- animal skins;
- stuffed animals;
- deer antlers.
The chalet style is perfect for decorating a house or a large apartment with a high ceiling. It attracts with its comfortable environment.
This type of housing is ideal for lovers of a secluded holiday surrounded by a natural atmosphere. Since natural materials are mainly used to decorate such interiors, residents are guaranteed a favorable environmental environment. The Alpine interior will fit perfectly into a country house and a city apartment.
Chalet-style kitchen: design tips
Maintaining a chalet-style kitchen interior is the most difficult thing, since in addition to convenience and comfort, the functionality of all available furniture and household appliances is valued here. Some details will still be disharmonious with the overall idea, so it is important to play them correctly. For example, where the hob will be located, it is recommended to replace the usual tiles on the wall with masonry.
The same must be done for gender. Perhaps cleaning stone is somewhat more difficult than ridding tiles of grease and scale, but such a solution will fit much more organically into the chosen style. In addition, as far as is permissible, some parts of household appliances are hidden behind wooden panels: oven, microwave, etc.
Since metal and steel will definitely be present in the kitchen interior, its quantity is kept to a minimum. In particular, a refrigerator can be styled like a wooden cabinet thanks to a special coating, as well as a hood decorated with stone and wood. Small parts like coffee maker, etc. can also be selected in the required frame.
But it is necessary to occupy a large area with natural materials, so wooden chairs and a table are required, and even if a bar counter is planned, it is also made of wood. In addition, attention is paid to decorative and functional elements. A kitchen with a chalet-style interior should have curtains. If you value blinds, consider French roller blinds. This is a kind of hybrid of classic fabric curtains and blinds that can be easily rolled up by lifting them.
Designers recommend forgetting about kitchen cabinets and paying attention to open wall shelves: for a chalet-style kitchen they are a better option. If there is enough space in the room, these shelves can be occupied by decorative clay dishes: a variety of jars, cups, pots. And the rest is hidden in the lower kitchen cabinets. If there is not as much space as you would like, you can cover the shelves with bright short curtains to protect the dishes displayed on them from dust.
Among the small details for a chalet-style kitchen, it is also worth noting pillows or chair covers made of colorful fabrics, a lamp with a carved lampshade or an interesting ornament, but always made of wood.
