Chalet style - what is it?
Imagine a cosy, sturdily built lodge on the side of an alpine hill. In winter, skiers ride not far from this house, in summer, herds graze peacefully. In the evenings, during the heaviest snowfall, the firewood crackles in the fireplace, and you sink into a comfortable chair with a book in your hands... This is how the chalet looks in a nutshell. If that's not enough to get a warm feeling for this amazingly fabulous style, read on.
What does the word "chalet" mean exactly? Chalet is the name of the style of architecture, which is common in Switzerland, France and Austria, but it is popular in other countries of the world, as well. A house-chalet is distinguished by its yielding atmosphere of well-being and relaxation, created by massive and spectacular furniture pieces that can be found at nfoutlet. In the article, they describe how "chalet" differs from other styles and how you can create a similar atmosphere.
The distinctive features of architecture in the style of "chalet" are:
Rolled roof. The roof in such houses is usually placed under a larger angle so that any precipitation - snow, rain, hail - rolls off of it naturally.
Natural lighting. Most often, such houses have large or panoramic windows. This is done so that the building itself would "merge" with the surrounding landscape. It will allow you to create a feeling of comfort, warmth.
Two floors. Most of the houses in the style of the chalet have two floors, plus a main floor sometimes. The first floor is usually built of stone or brick, it can be tinted from the inside or outside of the building. The second floor is made of wood - planks, beams or logs.
Household materials. Natural materials are used not only for the construction of the building itself, but also for the interior. For example, the “chalet” style in architecture does not accept the use of plastic windows. Instead of them, the usual wooden frames are inserted. The walls can be lined with clapboard, exterior siding, styled over wood, or even left without a trim.
Simplicity. In the "chalet" style, there is no place for fancy ornaments, gilded decor, bright shades, which are typical of classics or modern interior styles. One of the main ideas of the style is a combination of practicality and unity, therefore in such houses, it is usually a simple, but cosy environment.
Landscaping. The architectural styles are used for the creation of residential buildings, but in this case, the environment also plays its part. A chalet-house is often linked to forests and grasslands, therefore, they are pictured favourably outside the city.
The main advantages of houses in chalet style:
Good heat insulation and microclimate. Yes, wood, stone or brick have some deficiencies. But due to the joint use of materials, they are levelled by their advantages. So, wood "breathes", therefore it provides a good microclimate in the house. And the stone perfectly keeps warm in the house in winter.
The atmosphere of cosiness. It is achieved due to a large number of ecclesiastical illumination, the use of natural materials, a specific architecture. If everything is done according to the rules, you feel relaxed and at peace.
Reduction of load. The load on the foundation is reduced in comparison with similar houses made only of brick or wood. This is due to the fact that stone or brick will take the load of the upper floor, and the foundation takes only a small part of the load.
Attractive look. The house in the chalet style stands out favourably against the background of typical private houses, suburban cottages and mansions. Thanks to the combination of several construction materials, it differs significantly.
Chalet style: how to achieve it
A chalet-style city apartment... Is it possible to imagine such a thing? It is possible to imagine, and it is not difficult to do, but all this will not be quite right - it will be just an imitation. In a city apartment, the chalet feels insecure; it prefers country houses or summer cottages.
The fact is that the chalet-style interior is inextricably linked with the exterior. They are firmly attached to the landscape, and nature determines the appearance and interior decoration of the house. It was nature who told people how best to build houses in order to effectively withstand winds and precipitation, prepared materials for construction and inspired design features.
If you are keen to recreate full or part of the classic chalet design style, it's a great idea to take inspiration from the best of the bunch. Check out some of these amazing luxury ski chalets in Val d'Isere to get your creative juices flowing. These chalets redefine the typical "wooden hut" stereotype while retaining the beauty of natural materials. And they always centre the design of each room around the views, with seating often facing windows instead of televisions.
Nature and architecture define the design
The magnificent mountainous nature was in need of contemplation. So Swiss houses have got rectangular terraces and balconies. The roofs of the Alpine houses needed to keep the houses warm and protect the terrace from severe frosts and heavy snowfalls, so they became sloping, gable, with overhanging edges.
The foundation and plinth have chosen stone for more reliability. The attics and upper floors wanted to be made of wood. Time, though merciless to the tree, darkened and cracked the floors, but it only added more colour to the houses.
The chalet-style interior is shaped not only by nature, but also by the entire architecture of the building. All architectural ideas and techniques are directly reflected in the interior and are at the same time constructive and decorative. And this is another reason why a chalet is difficult to implement in an apartment.
Only natural materials
With the architecture sorted out, let's look inside the house. The appearance of plastic here is tantamount to the appearance of the dinosaur in New York. The chalet is a rustic style to the core, and it will not tolerate any artificial materials, only eco-materials. Only wood, stone.
Many styles love wood: contemporary, Scandinavian, loft, modern, Provence. In each of these styles, the tree is revealed from a new side in a different way. Provence applies a thick layer of paint to it, modern covers it with glossy varnish, the chalet style, like the loft, loves rough lumber, massive wooden furniture. An obligatory architectural element of the chalet style is wooden ceiling beams, which with each new crack only become more picturesque.
For a chalet-style interior, only solid, natural wood, massive logs and beams are suitable. Particleboard and MDF will destroy the magic of the style.
Barn and hunting lodge aesthetics
Alpine chalet is always a style close to the design of barns and hunting lodges with sheepskin carpets. The interior of the house is in harmony with the surrounding nature. Everywhere there are handicraft household items made of wood, textiles and metal.
Chalet-style terrace
A chalet-style house is hard to imagine without a spacious terrace. And there are a number of reasons for this. First, a beautiful view of the mountains asks for it. Secondly, the architecture of the alpine house makes it easy to do this thanks to the protruding roof canopies. One has only to use a terrace board that is resistant to humidity and temperature extremes, or an array of wood, and even an open and wind-blown part of the house will be warm and cosy. This picture is completed by large panoramic windows.
Chalet style furniture
Chalet-style furniture looks somewhat rough, massive and antique. Heavy tables with raw wood tops, wicker chairs, soft furnishings in soothing colours. The decor showed its presence only minimally, for example, in the form of carvings.
Alpine motives in the decor
It is the decor that makes the chalet stand out from another rustic style - country style. Chalet-style interiors include carpets or animal skins on floors and walls, antlers and tapestries. Given the current trends in interior fashion, skins, horns and other hunting trophies can be dispensed with. Better to focus on handicraft decor - pottery, woven rugs, baskets, etc.
Chalet style fireplace
The heart of the alpine house is the hearth, it does not matter if it is a stove or a fireplace, the main thing is that the hearth is real. An electric fireplace will not create the right atmosphere. The fireplace is faced with rough grey stone.
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