Not everyone likes expensive and intricate styles with high-tech elements. Many people want to be transported from the bustle of the city to a quiet, calm village, to a cozy hut that will protect them from bad weather. The chalet style will help you fulfill this desire.
At first glance, the amazing simplicity of the design and natural details are noticeable, but this does not at all deprive the kitchen of functionality and comfort. At the same time, it is important not to overdo it with a massive, rough texture, so that the interior does not become repulsive. We will find out how to do this further.
Features and Characteristics
The chalet style is not very popular due to the peculiarities of its design. In the modern world, it is used mainly only for country houses.
However, there are people for whom it will be ideal in a city apartment, the main thing is the availability of space, since this style does not like cramping and tightness.
So who is it suitable for? If you love nature, rustic motifs, green grass, alpine hills, small houses, if the bustle of the city is a burden for you, then the chalet style is just for you.
With its help, the kitchen will be filled with a kind of rural comfort and harmony.
The distinctive features here will be the following:
- Exclusively natural materials such as stone, wood, ceramics. They are in construction, decoration, furniture, everywhere. Moreover, the furniture should be of good quality, a little rough.
- An antique effect created using certain materials or antique objects.
- A single work and dining area that does not tolerate separation of floor coverings.
- The presence of photographs, landscapes in massive wooden frames, decorations in the form of stuffed animals and weapons are welcome.
- The textiles are selected to be natural, with a rough texture.
- Although the chalet style seems very simple, even the most elaborate items have their purpose and are characterized by functionality.
Tips for design and decoration
For floor coverings, an economical option is possible instead of natural wood - laminate panels.
Metal kitchen utensils are hung in plain sight, on hooks and pendants. Dark-colored metal fittings are used for fastening.
Decor in the form of bunches of garlic, peppers, herbs, as well as jars of canned vegetables or fruits will complement the rustic motifs in the interior.
On the shelves you can place vessels with cereals, spices, decorative porcelain products, and decorative handicrafts.
The space behind the hob and work area is tiled with ceramic tiles, and it is also possible to use stone and brick.
The chalet style can be implemented in any setting - from the design of a small kitchen in an apartment building to a country house, with different budgets, the main thing is creativity and imagination.
Advantages and disadvantages
A chalet-style kitchen really gives you the opportunity to immerse yourself in a rural atmosphere, simplicity, and natural motifs.
The interior is made only in natural materials, making the interior luxurious and rough at the same time. This kitchen is filled with coziness.
With all this, creating such a style is not so easy. It requires careful attention to details, each of which can disrupt the idea.
In addition, the room must have a high ceiling, otherwise it will not be fully completed.
It is also worth noting that the chalet style most often involves neutral dark tones, so the task of filling the kitchen with light becomes more complicated.
Finishing materials
At first, a chalet-style kitchen may seem rough and uncouth, but in fact it is cozy, modern and functional.
Flooring
To fully reproduce the chalet style, the floors are finished with wood. Unfinished boards are suitable for a private house; in city apartments they look less appropriate. They are replaced with parquet or laminate that imitates a wooden surface. You can also decorate the floor with large tiles or porcelain stoneware.
On a note! A good material for a chalet-style interior is wood, but you can also opt for brown, beige or white tiles.
Ceiling
The main element of the chalet style is the ceiling beams located along or across the kitchen space. For an apartment, massive logs look rough, so they are replaced with imitation veneer or polyurethane. This option does not create a large load, which is especially important for multi-story buildings.
A budget way to finish the ceiling in houses is leveling, plastering or painting in light colors. To create a wooden imitation: apply foam to the surface, leave it to dry, and then give it a relief and paint it.
Surface leveled with plaster
Walls
Wall decoration is represented by a large selection of materials: from plaster to wallpaper. The only thing that needs to be preserved in the interior is naturalness and naturalness. Use panels, brick or stone. You can plaster the surface and cover it with white, beige or brown paint. To brighten up the walls, you can add paintings of mountain plants or animals. Nowadays, wallpaper that imitates stone or wood with a textured coating and hunting miniatures is increasingly used.
It's good if the walls are uneven. Depending on the kitchen area, they are finished with tiles or clapboards imitating stone and wood. Whitewash or water-based emulsion emphasizes the stone base. For a medium-sized kitchen, choose blue, soft green and brown colors. Small areas of space are finished with brick or stone: a fireplace, various niches or a separate wall.
Apron
More reliable materials are used to finish the apron:
- Tiles to match the color of other interior elements. This is a durable, resistant material that is easy to clean from dirt.
- A natural stone that looks beautiful and expensive, but requires careful care.
- MDF is an environmentally friendly material that can imitate any wood. It is not afraid of moisture, but is easily damaged by impacts and can catch fire from an open fire.
- Brick is a durable material that is not afraid of damage, moisture and grease.
- Skinali are also used for the apron, choosing a pattern that suits the style.
Color spectrum
It is already clear that natural materials are the hallmark of the chalet style. At the same time, naturalness and naturalness are also expressed in the choice of color.
The most relevant colors here are stone, wood, and various shades of brown and gray.
In addition, you can often see black, beige, sand colors. All natural shades of nature are collected in this style. This is the sky, earth, water, foliage, tree, greenery, etc. Bright colors are not found in such an interior.
The ceiling beams and furniture are made of wood, so brown motifs predominate.
The walls are usually lighter colors such as beige, light brown, faded yellow. The finish can be made of either light or dark brick.
Bright accents are allowed only in decor. These could be pots with plants, dishes, textiles, photos.
Style Features
The chalet’s main interior characteristics are close to eco-style and country, but it also has a number of features:
- the leading role in design is played by natural materials - wood, stone and their corresponding colors;
- ceiling beams are left exposed. On the top floor there may be no ceilings at all; the roof is trimmed from the inside with wood;
- The interior elements are large and a little bulky. The windows are large, providing maximum light and good visibility;
- A mandatory element is a fireplace, finished in the same tone as the surrounding environment, but installing it in the kitchen is not always advisable;
- modern household appliances are disguised to avoid dissonance with the general mood of the room. Wires, switches and similar paraphernalia are also mounted covertly.
Characteristics of furniture
All kitchen furniture, including the kitchen set, should look simple, but at the same time sound and reliable.
Materials must be made of solid wood. First of all, you should choose hardwoods, since they are stronger and therefore more durable. These are oak, beech, ash.
Advice! Furniture made from natural wood is very expensive, so you can find a worthy replacement for it. An analogue can be MDF, covered with veneer, corresponding to the outwardly natural texture.
In this style, the original solution would be to use antique, vintage furniture. Facades are most often not covered with colored paint, but only varnish or stain is used.
As a decoration, a set with carvings or patinated elements is designed. All these rules apply not only to the kitchen set, but also to the dining table. Forged parts are also used, chairs can have leather upholstery.
Curtains and textiles
Textiles are everywhere in the chalet kitchen. Its task is to hide the coldness of natural stone. Linen tablecloths, lace napkins, furniture covers should be combined with curtains on the windows. The armchairs and sofa in the living room are covered with faux fur or a checkered blanket.
When choosing curtains, you should look at the texture; it should be combined with the furniture upholstery, there should be no decor on it, with the exception of floral embroidery, checks, stripes, polka dots. You can also hang blinds or Roman shades on the windows. Large panoramic windows are left uncurtained.
Decorating the kitchen in a chalet style
The walls can be made of various materials, but in any case, naturalness and naturalness must be preserved.
Wooden wall panels, brick, and stone surfaces are used. It could be just a plastered wall, which is painted brown, gray or beige.
Here you can dilute the boring design with paintings in the form of alpine flowers and animals. Today, wallpapers that imitate wood or stone, have a textured finish and contain hunting scenes have become widely used.
For the ceiling, the simplest option is to paint it white. The best option would be to install wooden beams. They come in handy in this style, complement it, and harmonize with the overall picture.
It is also common to use wood to cover the floor. It can also be made of stone, or it will be cheaper to lay out tiles in the form of stone. In addition, skins look good on the floor.
Choosing a kitchen sink and faucet
A retro style sink should be deep rectangular or semicircular, it is better if its surface has a bronze or copper coating. A massive stone or ceramic sink looks interesting. The mixer is chosen to be L-shaped in copper or bronze, it should have simple taps. If some sections of the water supply remain open, then it is better to invest in copper pipes; they will complement the style of the Chalet.
In the photo: When choosing a sink, you can choose sinks made of stainless steel, artificial stone, but ceramic sinks look best, although they are quite expensive.
Relevance of household appliances
Appliances are important in any kitchen. In the modern world it is very difficult to imagine a given room without a stove or refrigerator. It is important to choose it in such a way that it fits harmoniously into the interior. This is not an easy task. Despite the wide selection of models, choosing the right option is not so easy.
To solve this problem, you can choose the usual technique, but in accordance with the color that matches the overall style. It can be beige, brown, sand shade. Snow-white technology is definitely not suitable in this situation. It will stand out too much against the general background, and such a contrast will deprive the picture of its integrity.
Advice! In addition, it is possible to hide the equipment by purchasing built-in models. You can leave it in a visible place, but make it suitable for the design yourself. To do this, use outdated patina or stencils.
The only element of equipment that can easily be accentuated in a chalet-style kitchen is the hood.
There are many stylized models on the market, and many are made in the form of natural stone. This will be a harmonious attribute, perfect for interior design.
What to pay attention to
The somewhat rustic style is softened by the use of a variety of accessories. There is no need to seek professional advice to create the right atmosphere in your chalet kitchen. Take advantage of several simple ways to style your space:
- Kitchen utensils made of metal will serve as an excellent decor, so they are not hidden in a closet, but hung in plain sight, placed on open shelves or in a cabinet with glass doors. Jars of homemade preserves are also kept in a prominent place.
Emphasis on ceramics Source i.pinimg.com
- For the interior of the chalet, lamps with diffused yellow light are chosen; the work area is separately illuminated. A central chandelier with forged elements or with candle bulbs will have a stylish look.
Lighting option Source freedsgn.com
- The interior will be complemented by bunches of onions, garlic, hot peppers, bouquets of dried herbs and flowers. Fishing and hunting trophies, weapons and fishing tackle would look appropriate on the walls.
With high-tech elements Source legko.com
Kitchen lighting
Due to the use of wood tones and stone, such a kitchen is most often quite dark. In this regard, lighting is very important.
The options may be as follows:
- Lamps with frosted glass.
- Free-standing lamps in the work area.
- Round lampshades.
- A chandelier above the table in the center of the room.
- Portable lamp on the windowsill.
A chandelier in this style plays a key role in lighting. It is one of the important accents, at the same time complementing the interior to match the chalet style.
The ideal option would be a chandelier that contains many candle-shaped lamps. These can also be ordinary lampshades of non-standard shape with a matte finish.
Beautiful examples in the interior
The chalet style is still more about a country holiday. If your kitchen has a window with a beautiful view, try installing a sink underneath to admire nature while washing dishes or vegetables.
Since the spaces of houses are usually large, you can safely refuse the top row of cabinets, choosing instead of a two-tier kitchen - a one-story, but U-shaped one. There will be plenty of storage space below, and there will be space above the countertop for open shelves and beautiful dishes.
Don't forget about lighting! Think through different scenarios and use lamps to your advantage. For example, in the work area the light should be bright. And above the dining table or bar counter - warm and muted.
The photo shows a kitchen layout with a window
Decorating a kitchen for a chalet is not an easy, but very interesting task. When creating an interior yourself, rely on the main style features - this way you can recreate the atmosphere without the need to implement complex solutions.
Kitchen decor
There should not be too many decorated elements and accessories in the chalet style. They should also be simple and without elaborate forms. Functionality is also important.
Excellent use of textiles. The materials used are wool, cotton, and cashmere.
To prevent the interior from being too boring, it is worth diluting it with more saturated textile tones. Curtains should be chosen in the color of eggplant, dark red or the color of fermented wine.
Tablecloths and blankets can be light colors. The embroidery looks very beautiful. Furniture is also decorated using patchwork.
You can also lay fabric on the shelves. It can be plain in light colors or checkered, polka dots, or small flowers. Antique-style wooden toys are often placed on the shelves.
The dishes should be of muted tones; a material such as earthenware or clay should be used. Pans and pots are usually metal.
The walls are also decorated with paintings depicting hunting scenes, dried flowers and herbs, elk or deer antlers, and hunting paraphernalia. Place large jugs, copper basins, clay barrels.
But the equipment must be securely hidden. There is no need to display it in this style, since it does not correspond to it.
Decorating window openings
Windows in such a kitchen are usually made of wood or plastic decorated to look like wood; they can be left without curtains by installing tall flowers on the window sills. There are options for their combined decoration - blinds and thin curtains.
When choosing single curtains, preference is given to rich colors: burgundy, eggplant and dark red. Checkered or small striped curtains look simple and elegant in a rustic way. Long thick curtains with eyelets will add a touch of modernity to the interior and will be appropriate in spacious rooms.
Fireplace as an important accent in design
According to many designers, the chalet style simply cannot exist without a fireplace. The origins of this reasoning are hidden in the presence of such an attribute in hunting lodges located in the Alpine mountains. This is where this style originates. It was used for heating, and often equipped for cooking. The fireplace is simply irreplaceable here.
Of course, modern design does not exclude the absence of such an accessory. This is especially true for a real wood-burning fireplace, which is generally simply impossible to install in an apartment.
This would be an excellent option for a country house. But it is not recommended to install an electric analogue, as it only destroys the perception of style.
