Published: January 27, 2016
Thanks to its simplicity and naturalness, the Russian style in the interior of our apartments is finding more and more fans. People often mistakenly believe that decorating an apartment in the Russian style, or as it is also called country style, consists of using folk art items, but this is far from the case. Of course, wooden dishes and furniture, Gzhel, Khokhloma, Dymkovo toys and Palekh miniatures create a certain impetus in the folk direction of country music, but these are not all components of the Russian style.
- Distinctive features of the Russian style
- Accessories in a Russian style setting
The concept of the image of Russian style and its types
Russian style in the interior of a room is a collective image, and has no clear boundaries or recommendations. If you wish, there are three directions that you can follow when decorating your apartment in country style:
- The “A la Russe” style is more of a kitsch style, since it simply collected everything that is known about the decoration for which Rus' was famous. Somewhere he added, somewhere he exaggerated, he mixed both wealth and poverty. A room decorated in this style will more likely resemble a souvenir shop or a folk art museum. Due to its originality, it is more often found in hotels for foreign tourists than in ordinary residential premises.
Photo: style “a la rus”
- “Russian hut” - a room or house decorated in this style will not look rich. The main feature of this folk-style interior is the preservation of traditions created over centuries. It reflects the decoration of the home of a person who lived in Rus' and had average income. All the things that create this interior will carry a semantic load, but there simply won’t be any unnecessary or unnecessary things. This type of Russian style is very much loved by people living in the city; it displays all the pronounced features of a Russian hut. All furnishings of the apartment, decorated in country style, are made from natural materials.
Photo: “Russian hut” style
- “Terem” - the basis for creating an interior in this style is taken from princely houses or palaces, which is why it is most attractive to lovers of colorful decoration. Everything here breathes with bright colors and attributes of Russian antiquity. Of course, the material from which the interior decoration and decorative elements are made is wood. But, unlike the previous country style, the wood is almost always covered with interesting patterns. Very often, such an interior is complemented by a tiled stove. If the size of your home is limited, then you can replace it with a decorative fireplace, the design of which reflects the spirit of antiquity.
Photo: “terem” style
Whatever option the owners of the room choose, it will be original and charming in its own way, and a room decorated in this style is always attractive.
Advice: the main thing is to be careful and not get carried away by the little things. By overloading the overall appearance of the house with an abundance of decorative details, you can simply distort the very idea of creating a Russian style in the interior.
Basic principles and rules
The practical organization of space and the colorful modern national character express the new Russian style in the interior. Which began to take shape not so long ago, at the end of the 20th century, and has become very popular and in demand today. There are no clear rules and requirements for it, and many interior designers have agreed that the Russian style is a collective image that focuses on the spirit and features of our home environment.
The main features of the Russian style in the interior:
- environmental friendliness - decoration and accessories are rapidly moving towards naturalness, which is why the use of natural materials is encouraged; a special role is given to wood and stone;
- texture - the immense presence in the Russian style of a kind of figured workmanship, but along with this, the minimal processing of the material, close to the untouched appearance of nature, looks great;
- handmade decor and accessories – homespun tablecloths, handmade carpets, icons, kitchen utensils and many other traditional folk items add special color to the interior.
All the subtlety of the interior in the Russian style is characterized by harmony, home comfort and filling the soul with family warmth.
The Russian image in the interior is equivalent both for an apartment and for a country house or dacha. The main features and concept of the style help create harmony and warmth, and also bring the impression of unity with nature.
Modern Russian style is the return of interior design to its original form, which includes Khokhlama painting, a cozy stove and carved wooden furniture. The play of colors is due to the naturalness of the textiles used. One color is used as the main color, and the rest are its additional touches:
Colors for interior decoration in Russian style
Distinctive features of the Russian style
Before choosing the Russian style on the Internet for arranging your own home, you must remember that it was based on the influence of a temperate climate and national traditions. Therefore, you need to be guided by the simplest principles when creating a country style in your home, and then it will be comfortable and original. Its main characteristics are the following indicators:
- Naturalness. When choosing materials for finishing, it is necessary to use natural materials. It could be wood, painted or not, or stone.
- Color spectrum. It will depend on which type of Russian interior is closer to you. When decorating a room in the “princely mansion” style, it is imperative to use bright and rich colors. And if you decide to decorate your apartment in the interior of an ordinary “Russian hut”, then white and red colors will be enough here.
- Furniture. To create optimal proximity to the original, it is better to use ordinary wooden furniture. To give it originality, it is possible to resort to carving.
- Doors and windows. It is impossible to imagine a Russian hut or princely lodgings without massive doors and windows with shutters. Of course, if lovers of the Russian style live in an ordinary city apartment, then there can be no question of any shutters. In this case, you can limit yourself to curtains made from natural fabrics.
Tip: to add some variety to the decor, you can complement the wall decor by painting floral patterns with the addition of gold paint.
Photo: decorating the living room with symbolic crafts
Photo: bathroom decorated in Russian style
Options for Russian style in the interior
- “A la Russe” is how foreigners see and portray Russia. It is based on elements of folk crafts. Includes samovars, nesting dolls, bast shoes, stoves, etc. However, not every lover of Russian style will dare to arrange such an antique style in their home. It is precisely because of its boldness and colorfulness that this version of the Russian style is not very popular compared to the others.
- “Russian Izba” - simplicity in execution, absence of unnecessary, random things, only useful and necessary. In this version of the Russian style, each item is located in a specific place in the house and performs a specific function. “Russian Izba” is very simple and even a bit dry, but it helps preserve the centuries-old traditions of the Russian people.
- “Terem” is a historical fairy-tale version of the Russian style, a reminder of the princely chambers. This option is distinguished by immediate beauty, sophistication, and, undoubtedly, antique household items;
- “Russian Empire” is a popular style among modern wealthy people. This option combines the pomp of France (in furnishings) and the sincerity and simplicity of Russia. In some cases, Russian modesty and simplicity with English restraint (in furniture) are allowed.
Despite the presence of variations, the Russian style has characteristic features that distinguish it from other styles.
Selecting plants for planting
It is difficult to imagine a design in the style of a Russian estate without various plants and flowering crops. Apple, pear, plum, cherry and other fruit-bearing crops mixed during planting, for example, with lilac bushes, are suitable for forming a garden. Currant, gooseberry, raspberry and other berry bushes have proven themselves excellent in the garden.
In the park it would be appropriate to plant birches, conifers, lindens, oaks, and rowan trees. The alleys will be truly transformed if they are framed by maples with sharp foliage and willows with flowing branches. Variegated flowering crops will decorate any green area : phlox, lupins, daisies, lilies and other perennial plants. You should not neglect annuals: petunias, asters, nasturtiums.
We recommend reading about arranging a mixborder in the landscape design of a site.
Kitchen in Russian style, or how to make the kitchen cozy?
In the photo: a Russian-style kitchen with decorative dishes
The kitchen is the place where food is prepared and consumed, so it should be functional and cozy. The Russian style in the interior of this room can be reflected in the design of the walls and the decoration of the furniture. Even the presence of dishes in folk style will give your kitchen an ethnic touch and tell about your belonging to the Russian people. The Russian craft is famous for making wooden utensils with its own ethnic patterns. Gzhel and Khokhloma painting are a distinctive feature of Russian culture with a characteristic color scheme. The main background of the dishes or furniture is black, with intricate patterns of plant motifs in bright red and yellow shades. Dishes made using this technique will be an asset to your kitchen.
In the photo: Russian-style kitchen
Kitchens with a stylized Russian stove look very unusual. In terms of functional features, it often performs the function of cooking. This structure looks appropriate and is not inferior to modern slabs.
In the photo: a Russian-style kitchen with a stove
When planning an apartment renovation or building a house, do not forget about the Russian style in the interior. Focus on Russian culture, and your guests will definitely be delighted and take note of this.
