The chalet style has an amazing history that dates back several centuries. The word "chalet" is translated from French as "shepherd's hut". The birthplace of this beautiful style is the province of Savoy, located on the border between Italy and Switzerland, where local shepherds actively settled on the snowy alpine slopes. They erected, although it would be more correct to say - they simply “collected” small and cozy, but very strong houses from improvised materials. For this, mainly stone and wood were used. It was these houses that were the first chalets. Given the very harsh climate and difficult terrain, people sought to design an extremely durable home that could provide complete protection from wind, snow and other precipitation, as well as wild animals.
The modern habitual appearance of the chalet began to take shape around the fifties of the twentieth century. Moreover, thanks to the active promotion of ski tourism, this style has become a real hallmark of the mountains. As a result, the exceptional simplicity, maximum practicality and amazing comfort of the chalet contributed to its progressive development. Now all over the world you can see private houses made in this style.
What features does the chalet style have? 7 main features
Chalet-style houses are unique. They have a number of individual characteristics, among which should be highlighted such points as:
1. Layered architecture. This feature is primarily due to the mountainous terrain in which this style originated.
2. The basement is quite high and is made of stone. In turn, the second floor is necessarily wooden. The standard layout of chalet houses includes:
- on the ground floor, the location of the entrance hall, kitchen, bathroom, as well as various utility rooms;
- on the ground floor, the location of the children's room, bedroom, bathroom and dressing room; rest rooms;
- in the attic is the location of the office and guest rooms.
Please note that the most fire hazardous rooms are located on the basement floor. Such a solution guarantees maximum security at home.
3. Gable roof. It has a slight slope and wide overhangs that protect the walls and foundation from precipitation. The slope, in turn, provides a gradual convergence of snow, thereby preventing its possible avalanche. In addition, thanks to this constructive solution, a snow cap is formed on the roof, which retains the warmth of the house in winter.
4. Balconies protected by wide overhangs. Staying on them is as comfortable as possible throughout the year and regardless of the weather.
5. Large and spacious terraces. They can hang or simply lean on the columns.
6. The use of predominantly wide or panoramic windows.
7. Complete unity of exterior and interior.
In general, we can say that chalet-style houses are extremely interesting and attractive with their own architecture and interior. They are the embodiment of complete comfort, exceptional harmony and unique romanticism.
The current trend in the construction of private country houses can be called the emergence of numerous chalet-style projects that perfectly reflect the identity of the Swiss villages in the mountains. Quite massive and reliable, they are able to withstand various natural disasters, and for a person who is tired of everyday worries, they become the best haven for relaxing in a cozy, warm environment. What are the modern designs of chalet-style houses? We will talk about this in a future article.
Features of chalet-style houses
Chalet-style houses or, as they are also called, Swiss houses, have their own distinctive features, thanks to which they contrast sharply with other buildings. This is due to the origin of the style in the distant Alpine mountains with their harsh climate, where there was a need to build reliable, warm dwellings that could protect from fierce winds and snowfall. Hence the features of the architecture of buildings, namely:
- Huge gable roofs that protrude significantly beyond the walls of the house - it is they who own the function of protection against snow drifts;
- The lower part of the building is necessarily made out of stone, and the upper part is made out of wood. This division of the structure makes it warmer, more reliable and durable;
- The presence of an attic with a balcony, which is located under the reliable protection of the roof;
- Large windows with excellent views of the surrounding landscapes.
In today's design of houses, one can find significant differences from the requirements of the style, for example, the construction of the lower tier of brick or concrete, and the upper one - using frame technology from profiled timber, replacing gable roofs with flat ones. Despite this, chalet-style houses remain always recognizable and uniquely beautiful. The main advantages include the durability of the building. The stone base reliably keeps the wooden top from moisture, as well as a large sloping roof. Made from natural materials, the chalet-style house is distinguished by high environmental qualities.
Modern chalet-style house designs
Companies involved in the construction of chalet-style houses offer many standard projects for the construction of comfortable buildings, from which you can choose the one that best suits the requirements of a particular family. A preliminary project can also be drawn up individually, which gives much more advantages - you can take into account the terrain and build, for example, a beautiful house on a mountainside or fill the building with additional functional rooms. If you decide to do the development yourself, we advise you to pay attention to the following successful examples of projects.
One-story house with an attic and a basement
The project of a one-story chalet-style house with an attic basement is the embodiment of a dream of a comfortable, cozy and functional home with minimal construction costs. In such buildings, everything is thought out to the smallest detail: on the ground floor there are common areas: a living room, a bathroom, a kitchen working area, a dining room with access to the terrace. The attic floor contains several bedrooms and an additional bathroom.
Each owner equips the basement at his discretion - it can be equipped as a relaxation room with a sauna, a wine cellar or utility rooms - the choice depends on the needs of the family in a particular setting. Thus, the building, which occupies a small area of land, turns into a full-fledged stylish home for the whole family.
Chalet-style house with garage
Living in a country house, a person practically cannot do without a car. A personal car solves many problems, allowing you to quickly and comfortably get to work, bring children to school or go shopping. The equipment of a garage on the territory of the house has great advantages compared to separate garage buildings, sheds or open parking lots - this is saving the adjacent territory, ease of movement, and also no need to invest extra money in additional building materials, decoration, communication systems.
The garage can occupy a compartment on the first floor of the house or be located in the lower basement. In the first case, it will be necessary to build a corridor between the car room and living rooms in order to avoid unnecessary noise and unpleasant odors. In the second option, when the house is located on the territory of the basement tier, it is necessary to observe the correct slope of the descent and provide for a rainwater drainage system. This option allows you to arrange a garage for several cars at once, without “stealing” the living space of the house.
Cottage with sauna
The benefits of a sauna have been repeatedly proven by scientists. A visit to the steam room not only improves immunity and improves the condition of the body as a whole, but also brings a lot of pleasure, effectively removing the feeling of fatigue. The construction of saunas in suburban areas has become quite popular in recent years, and the location of it under the same roof with the house provides additional benefits that come down to economy and convenience.
The steam room can be located on the basement or first floor of the building, as well as be attached to one of its walls. The advantages of such projects are that for the sauna it will not be necessary to build an additional foundation, communications. Water supply, heating and sewerage equipment is brought into one system with the house. Cladding and thermal insulation are also executed simultaneously with the construction of a residential building, which significantly saves costs.
In addition, the building is already equipped with a bathroom, so there is no need for its equipment specifically for the sauna. If the steam room is built as a protruding part of the house (an extension), it is often supplemented with a terrace with a swimming pool - in the summer, this solution will bring invaluable comfort.
Chalet house with large veranda
The veranda is an excellent place where you can have a great time with your family or a friendly company. Unlike winter evenings, when preference is given to the comfort of a living room with a fireplace, warm days beckon to unite with nature. Projects of houses in the style of a chalet with a veranda are quite popular and involve the construction of both open (protected by protruding roof vaults) and closed areas. The latter are often equipped with a heating system, equip here with additional living space with upholstered furniture.
On the veranda, you can organize a summer kitchen, which will help to avoid excess smoke, steam and odors from entering the living rooms. A family with children can equip a small playground here, which will be a good help on rainy days. Finishing a house with a chalet-style veranda made of wood and stone will turn even the most modest project into a stylish luxurious building.
Chalet-style house on a hillside
The construction of houses on sloped plots makes it possible to build comfortable unusual dwellings with a convenient layout. These are always unique projects, as different terrain features force new decisions to be made. Of course, such a construction will cost a little more than a conventional building on a flat area, but you can save money on buying land, which will cost much less. Since the chalet houses, as we have already said, come from the Alps, their location on the slopes becomes completely natural, and the massive stone pillars that support the structure perfectly emphasize the style.
Chalet style interior design ideas
The first thing that catches your eye when you enter the house is an incredibly cozy and at the same time luxurious environment. The interior is decorated in natural shades, merging with the surrounding nature, and stone and wood are used as finishing materials.
The living room resembles a hunting lodge - here you can see large natural furs laid out on the surface of the floor and upholstered furniture, trophies on the walls. The room itself is large, high ceilings, panoramic windows. Massive ceiling beams and columns are a mandatory feature of the style. The central element is a fireplace, near which there is a seating area with upholstered furniture.
To preserve the special old spirit of the home, all modern household appliances are usually hidden behind furniture or wooden wall panels. Chalet-style furniture is unfinished, solid wood furniture, antique or antique.
For bedrooms, wooden massive beds, bedside tables and armchairs of a simple classical form are also chosen. Carpets, natural skins-spreads will look great here, which give the rest room a special warmth of the hearth.
Chalet-style houses - photos and projects
In the gallery below you can see more photos of unusually beautiful chalet-style houses. Each of them, of course, has its own characteristics that can be taken into account when developing your own project. Happy viewing!
The architectural style of the chalet combines reliability, comfort and special charm, which is the reason for its immense popularity. For many, such buildings are a model of simplicity and comfort, an ideal place for a family hearth. Massive, strong, solid structures reliably protect against autumn dampness and winter frosts, and are just perfect for the Russian climate. Modern chalet-style house designs differ markedly from traditional Swiss houses, but the main, most characteristic features remain unchanged.
This style has such characteristic features that it is very difficult to confuse it with any other. Even despite the modern interpretation and the presence of several destinations with ethnic motifs from different countries, the chalet houses are still recognizable and retain their unique flavor.
House architecture
Chalet houses belong to the buildings of the combined type, in which stone and natural wood are optimally combined. Classic housing is a two-story house, where the first floor is completely made of stone, and the second is wooden. As a rule, at the bottom there are premises for economic and technical purposes: a kitchen and a dining room, an entrance hall, a garage, in large houses there is a laundry room and a boiler room. In the same place, often, is the living room. The upper floor is designed for living rooms, an office, bathrooms.
Such buildings are characterized by large sizes, different levels due to landscapes of mountainous terrain, and the presence of wide encircling terraces. The balconies are also quite spacious, supported by wooden or brick columns. Any extensions or superstructures for such a building are not typical; the project initially calculates the number and location of all the premises that may be needed.
The roofs of houses are usually gable, very gentle, with canopies and wide overhangs that can protrude 2 meters beyond the perimeter of the walls. This provides excellent protection to walls and foundations from precipitation. The roofs are massive and have a reinforced truss system, as they have to withstand high snow loads.
Most houses have high, powerful foundations and plinths - reliable protection against spring floods.
Doors and windows
Chalet houses very often have two entrances - front and side, especially if the building is large, there is a garage and other utility rooms where a separate entrance is needed. Doors of a simple rectangular shape, wooden, most often solid. It is not customary to highlight the main entrance with decor or color, although sometimes it is made in the form of an arch and lined with decorative stone.
There should be a lot of windows, large sizes (panoramic ones are welcome), with a small number of lintels. Attic windows often have a triangular or trapezoidal shape, repeating the lines of the roof, all the rest are square and rectangular. Simple platbands and lattice shutters can be used as decor.
Materials for construction and decoration
For a classic chalet, only natural materials should be used - wild stone and logs, but such construction will be very expensive. For this reason, concrete, foam blocks, bricks, as well as glued beams and frame structures for the construction of upper floors are widely used in almost all projects. Such materials can reduce construction time and reduce financial costs. To increase energy efficiency, heaters are used: mineral wool, XPS and other materials.
When finishing the socles and lower floors, preference is given to artificial stone, plaster and basement siding, the upper floors are sheathed with clapboard. For roofing, natural tiles are traditionally used, as well as more affordable options - flexible tiles, ondulin, composite materials.
Decor and colors
It is not customary to richly decorate chalet-style houses, so stucco, mosaics, stained-glass windows, patterns and ornaments on the walls are not used for decoration. Instead, decorative functions are performed by carved architraves and cornices, figured railings, consoles, stone-lined pillars at the porch, corners and chimneys.
Bright colors and too contrasting combinations are also unacceptable: the color scheme includes all shades of gray and brown, white, terracotta, sand. As a rule, the lower floor is decorated in light colors, the upper one - in dark colors.
Facade decoration in the style of a chalet
For the construction of this chalet, considerable funds are needed, a significant percentage of which will go to the development of the project. It is impossible to independently perform calculations without special knowledge, and the construction process requires certain skills. But it is much easier to give an existing dwelling a characteristic look of a shepherd's house, and all the work can be done on your own.
Despite the standard combination - stone bottom, wooden top, there are a lot of finishing options. The first floor and the basement can be sheathed with basement siding, the walls can be lined with decorative stone-like tiles, or, for example, the main area can be plastered and painted white, and the corners and basement can be highlighted with artificial stone.
To finish the second floor, you can use vinyl siding, planken, lining, WPC, and the fastening does not have to be done only horizontally. Vertical wood paneling also looks great and gives the house a more expressive and colorful look. When choosing a finishing method, consider not only the cost of materials and appearance, but also the complexity of installation, if you are going to do all the work on your own. For example, consider the lining of the lower floor with a stone plate.
Prices for various types of facing stone
Lower floor cladding
Stone cladding is a fairly popular finishing option. Plastushka (dice) is called run-in fragments of sandstone or other rock of small thickness. These plates have uneven edges, a smooth, layered or rough surface and an uneven color of various shades. A well-made laying of slabs visually does not differ from natural masonry and creates the impression of massiveness and strength of the walls.
Wall preparation
Such a facing material is quite heavy, so it cannot be mounted on a weak base. In order to qualitatively prepare the walls for finishing, you first need to dismantle the basement ebb, remove the gutters, branches, climbing plants.
After that, dirt is removed, moss-covered areas are cleaned, and the plaster is also checked to see how firmly it holds. If delaminations, swellings are found, a dull sound is heard when tapping with a hammer, this means that the old coating is no longer suitable, and everything must be removed to a solid base.
Cracks in the walls are thoroughly cleared and sealed with cement mortar, the same is done with deep recesses, chips, through cracks.
In brickwork, it is imperative to carefully examine the seams and seal the voids with a solution. It is not necessary to eliminate minor irregularities and roughness: when facing, a thick layer of adhesive solution will completely hide these shortcomings. But stains from oils, bitumen and resinous substances should be completely removed, otherwise the solution will not stick to the base, and very soon the lining will fall off. Any solvent, gasoline, turpentine is suitable for cleaning. After the stain disappears, the wall area should be washed with soapy water and rinsed with clean water.
If the walls are made of bricks or blocks in good condition, without cracks and shedding, it is enough to treat them with a grinder with an abrasive nozzle to remove the frozen mortar and possible irregularities. After that, dust is swept away and the surface is covered with a primer.
The primer "Betonokontakt" is best suited here, which will provide the most reliable adhesion of the finishing layer to the base. The primer can be applied with a roller and brush, the main thing is that there are no missing areas, especially at the seams.
Tools and materials
In the process of facing you will need:
- drill with a set of drills and a mixer attachment;
- trowel and notched trowel;
- mallet;
- Bulgarian;
- dry adhesive mixture;
- expanded metal galvanized mesh;
- mushroom dowels.
Must have increased adhesion to hold stone plates, so carefully study the information on the package when choosing. Cement-based mixtures are best suited - Ceresit CM 17, Maxiplix T-16, LITOFLEX K80.
The plate differs in thickness and color. There are options for gray, gray-yellow, all shades of brown, with a red and purple tint and multi-colored splashes. The thickness varies from 10 to 100 mm. Gray-brown and gray stone is great for chalet-style decoration, as it most closely resembles the rocks of the Swiss Alps in color. You can take any thickness, but it is more convenient to work with a thin plate - about 15-20 mm.
Advice. As a rule, plastushka stone is sold in packs of 1m3 per pallet. The area that can be covered with this amount of stone directly depends on the thickness: for example, a package of 15 mm thick plastushki covers an area of 45 m2, and stones with a thickness of 50 mm are only enough for 20 m2. This information is always indicated by manufacturers, so it is not difficult to calculate the right amount of material.
Prices for popular drill models
Stone laying technology
Some craftsmen attach the plate directly to the wall, but for greater reliability, it is recommended to use a reinforcing mesh. It is fixed to the base with dowels with wide caps - at least 10 fasteners are required per m2. The mesh should be well stretched and fit snugly to the surface, adjacent canvases are overlapped by 5-7 cm.
Next, a thick cement mortar is prepared (4 parts of sand for 1 part of cement) and applied with a trowel to the grid. The layer thickness is approximately 10-15 mm, the solution is carefully rubbed over the grid so that each cell is filled. If voids remain, the plates will begin to lag behind the wall and the cladding will have to be repaired. When the mesh hides in the thickness of the mortar, and the mixture begins to set slightly, they take a notched trowel and form a relief on the surface that will provide better adhesion of the stone to the wall. After the mortar has dried, the walls are primed again.
Step 1. lay out on a flat dry surface, alternately joining them together. They should fit as tightly as possible so that there are no large gaps. If necessary, any element can be cut with a grinder, if some protrusion prevents the stone from being laid in place.
Stones for joining in the inner corners are sawn in the same way
Advice. When cutting stones, be sure to use safety glasses and gloves, because small crumbs fly off the stone with great force and can cause injury. Also, a respirator will not be superfluous - stone dust easily enters the respiratory tract.
Step 2 Mix the adhesive solution according to the manufacturer's instructions. Calculate the volume of the mixture at about 2-2.5 m2, since laying takes time, and the mortar sets quickly. The prepared mass should stand for 5 minutes, then mix it well again.
Step 3 Laying of dies is carried out from the bottom up. Before applying the solution, it is recommended to moisten the stone from the back side with water and leave for 30-40 seconds so that the liquid is absorbed into the porous structure. Next, a mortar is applied with a trowel, the stone is pressed against the wall and beaten with a mallet so that it takes the desired position. The solution should protrude slightly on the sides.
Press the stone down to release the glue. Remove excess with a spatula
We press the stone, forming a neat angle
Step 4 They take the second fragment, moisten it, apply the solution and gently join the stone with the previous one. Try to press the stones so that the glue fills the gaps between them, but does not stain the front side. If this nevertheless happened, the solution must be immediately wiped with a damp cloth, because after drying it is very difficult to remove its traces.
Step 5. Fasten the rest of the dies, exactly repeating the layout. After completing the first section, the joints are checked, the voids found are filled with mortar. Then the stones are again laid out on the ground, the solution is re-kneaded and the next section is lined.
When the solution dries, the walls are treated with a water repellent. This composition improves the external characteristics of the stone, protects the seams from moisture penetration and significantly increases the service life of the coating.
Hydrophobic water-repellent coating in action
Prices for various types of water repellent
Video - Chalet-style house projects
Video - Stone cladding
Many projects of private chalet houses in our catalog are made with the preservation of all solutions of the original style. But there are also cottages that partially convey this style with adaptation to our conditions. Since this direction, in its honest execution, is characteristic of houses from the snowy regions of Europe, it is not always clear and precise execution is appropriate in most parts of our vast country. In order for a country cottage to look harmonious with the area, such a site is required so that it is close in its natural characteristics to European regions: mountains, pines, firs, rocky terrain. Not everywhere we can find this, so sometimes it’s enough to have coniferous trees on the site, and stones can be brought. This is just our opinion! We do not claim such a solution. We perfectly understand all the realities of the Moscow region and it is for this reason that we are working on some chalet-style houses adapted to our area, not excluding the mentality of the Russian people.
Distinctive features of the chalet
Projects of country cottages chalets can be either one-story or two-story. The second level of the house is attic. The roof, in most cases, is double-pitched, wide and with canopies that protect large terraces, car parks and balconies from precipitation. The plinth can be high, finished with artificial stone, but in order to get closer to the true atmosphere, natural stone will look better. Interior design is also performed using stone and wood. The cottage may have an open truss system and a stone fireplace.
The most popular solution for such projects is a combination of building materials. The first floor is made of aerated concrete blocks or bricks, and the second floor is made of glued or profiled dry timber. On the facade there is always a combination of finishing materials. In order to save money, the first floor, which is most often made of blocks, can be finished in a wet version of the facade with plaster. If you want a chalet cottage in the original style, but do not want a second floor made of wood, then the walls can be completely built from blocks, but the facade must be finished with wood imitation material.
Individual approach
Designing in the style of a chalet is always not an ordinary job that requires the appropriate competencies of the performer. A country house can be not only as an individual private residence, but also as a recreation center, a themed club or a restaurant, where you need to accurately convey the true atmosphere of this style.
Our architectural bureau will develop an individual project of a country house in this style. As a result, you will receive a turnkey project: architectural and structural sections, engineering networks, interior design, as well as the selection of all necessary finishing materials. Landscaping is always a separate service. It will require the development of landscape design, as well as all the necessary samples of everything that is planned to improve the territory.
The concept of "chalet" was born in the mountainous regions of Switzerland, where shepherds built simple warm huts with strongly protruding roof edges for wintering. Such an elongated roof provided natural snow removal, protecting buildings from the formation of large icicles. Frost-resistant durable wood was used as the main material, providing reliable protection from cold and wind. The main attention was paid to the strength of the foundation, which was equipped with rubble stones or granite. Therefore, such a mundane structure with a strong foundation well resisted landslides and rockfalls.
Project of a cottage in the style of a chalet S-296
Over time, the term "chalet" began to refer to all small rural houses in the mountainous regions of Europe, which led to the formation of an autonomous style in modern architecture. With the development of ecological tourism, "chalets" have turned from modest houses located among picturesque landscapes into elite cottages, provided with everything necessary for a comfortable stay. As for low-rise construction, this style is especially in demand today in the suburban sector in areas with difficult climatic conditions.
How to recognize a chalet-style house
- According to the far protruding overhangs mentioned above, which determine the main architectural difference between the objects made in this style.
- On a solid basis - a reinforced foundation and the first floor, built of natural stone or brick with multi-layer plaster.
- According to the topology of the interior, the main premises (living room, bedrooms, kitchen, etc.) are usually located on the ground floor. The second floor is an attic with a compact sleeping place, which can be used as an art workshop, a billiard room, a smoking room, etc.
A classic chalet-style cottage is two floors under a gable reinforced roof with an obligatory fireplace on the ground floor. However, the tourism business, in pursuit of profit, has already mastered the construction of three and even four-story chalets, which retained only large ledges from their "ancestors".
Modern chalet-style house designs are presented with an inspiring selection of architectural and interior solutions, each of which can become the basis of a successful business or personal everyday comfort. The interiors of such buildings are usually made in the style of "rustic primitivism" or "country", which allows you to create harmony between the internal and external stylistic concept of the house.
As the main material for finishing such premises, natural wood, solid board, “rough” solid wood doors and windows are actively used. The abundance of false beams, local areas with unplastered brickwork, massive furniture made of aged wood enhances the impression of being in a mountain house. In general, chalet-style houses can be safely called "veterans" of suburban construction, which confidently dominate the tourist segment.
