A cozy, warm interior, formed on the slopes of the Alpine mountains due to the fact that shepherds built houses where they could keep warm while grazing livestock, is an ideal option for decorating country houses, dachas, and small cottages in cold climates.
A chalet is a small wooden building with a pitched roof that hangs over the facades. The house is surrounded by a terrace, necessarily has a balcony and an attic, which opens up into a free space above the living room - the so-called second light. A chalet-style living room in a city apartment can look like this, if it has enough space for a second level and wood trim.
Chalet color palette
The interior of the chalet-style living room contains shades of nature: cream, ocher, amber, honey, caramel, light coffee, brown. You can dilute it with white or slightly black flowers.
There is also a place for bright details in the living room: orange, red, raspberry, purple or bright blue. These could be vases on the floor, bright sofa pillows, etc.
Features of style. Color spectrum
The mentioned comparison with a village dwelling is not an accident. The chalet style originated in France. This word was used to describe shepherd's huts or small houses that were built in the Alps. The proximity of the mountains left its mark on the construction and interior design of the housing. The chalet is characterized by simplicity of furnishings, environmental friendliness of the materials used and special home comfort.
The modern interior of the living room fully meets these requirements. To accurately embody the chalet style in the reception room, follow these principles:
- natural materials are used in decoration and decoration - wood, glass, stone;
- textile elements must be made of fur, leather, linen, wool;
- for the living room it is customary to select furniture with a touch of antiquity;
- the whole design looks simple, but expensive and well-made;
- accessories typical of a rustic style are used to decorate the interior: clay dishes, hunting trophies, etc.;
- A fireplace is required in the living room.
Another feature of the chalet is the unity of color. Choose chocolate, terracotta, mustard, caramel to decorate the room. For contrast, dilute the cream or amber living room with white, black, and gray details. Interspersed with red, purple, pink, yellow, orange, and lilac are also possible, but only in the form of individual accents.
Advice. The chalet is suitable for apartments and country cottages. You can decorate not only the living room, but the whole house in the spirit of a rural hut.
Chalet in finishing
The Alpine living room assumes wooden (decorative) beams on the ceiling. Modern cladding slats made of wood are appropriate.
A ceiling made of ordinary plasterboard in light colors is suitable: from milky, pearl to wood-like color.
The walls can be decorated with stone (imitation), wood panels, or plaster or vinyl wallpaper with a texture reminiscent of stone or wood are suitable. There may be brickwork or monochrome walls.
An excellent option for the floor would be: parquet, heat-treated boards, laminate with traces of “antiqueness”. The color of flooring materials should be in harmony with the walls: from light to dark brown or gray.
Natural and artificial lighting
They will allow you to imagine what a modern or classic chalet living room might look like, photos posted in online interior publications. The traditional interpretation of Alpine interiors assumes the presence of medium-sized windows in the room, which are closed with wooden shutters . This design decision is determined by historical background. In ancient times, the owners of real Swiss and French houses tried to protect themselves as much as possible from bad weather, piercing winds and snowfalls characteristic of a mountain climate.
Modern insulated and durable double-glazed windows protect no worse than stone and wooden walls, which is why most of the latest generation chalets have large windows. Unfortunately, panoramic glazing is present only in some city apartments, and it is not always appropriate, given the view from the window. Therefore, the only thing you can do is install wooden frames or choose a plastic option that is suitable in texture and tone.
For window drapery, use classic drapes in neutral shades with grommets. Light white curtains will also work
that do not block the penetration of daylight.
Select ceiling lamps in neo-Gothic or colonial style: round wooden structures with massive candlesticks and candle-shaped lamps, forged cast iron or bronze chandeliers with patina . Lighting should be varied, but soft and diffused, so it is recommended to purchase a pair of floor lamps or stylized forged candlesticks on a high stand to complement the ceiling chandeliers.
Chalet furnishings
Typical furniture for a chalet-style living room design would be a cozy soft sofa, possibly wicker armchairs or a rocking chair and a wooden coffee table in brown tones.
Furniture upholstery can be made of leather, velor or other material.
To save space, it is better to attach the TV to the wall with brackets.
An integral attribute of a chalet - a fireplace can be:
- gas, then you need gas equipment supplied by professionals for safety;
- electric - with imitation of flame, there are models with the sound of cracking logs;
- decorative from plasterboard and stacked firewood;
- the bio-fireplace is safe and looks great, with a live fire without soot and the usual smoke.
Basic design rules
To decorate a living room in a chalet style, you need to apply all its features to your room. Features of the chalet style are:
- fireplace;
- animal skins;
- wooden furniture;
- lamps;
The color scheme for furniture should be gray, brown and beige. The room should have the presence of wood or wood cladding. Walls and ceilings are characterized by the use of natural materials - wood, glass, stone. There must also be a chalet-style sofa (as well as a bed). Any accessories that will complement the decor must be made of clay, wood or other natural material. If a bedroom is chosen for the interior of the chalet, then it must have a wooden bed, and all decorative elements are made with the appropriate style features.
The guest room on the attic floor is decorated in chalet style. The ceiling and walls made of timber frames fit perfectly into the overall design idea.
Stylish modern furniture looks harmonious in the interior of a chalet-style living room.
Rough, untreated wood is the best choice for walls and ceilings. A fireplace made of natural stone is also an interesting detail.
To start decorating a living room in a chalet style, you need to decide on the colors to use. Decorating a room involves colors:
- yellow;
- brown;
- chocolate;
- cream;
- coral;
- amber.
You can dilute such a warm range of shades with gray, pale blue, white and black colors. These tones can be used to decorate all interior details - the bed, the walls, the ceiling, and other furniture. Bright colors can be included in the design, but in small quantities, for example, adding accessories in pink, blue, red, lilac and purple to the room.
The ceiling design must have wooden beams or slats and must be decorated in light colors.
The rustic style is ideal when it comes to decorating a hunting lodge or a country cottage.
An electric fireplace that simulates the burning of a flame makes the atmosphere in the chalet-style living room warm and romantic.
Lots of wooden finishing materials, rustic furniture, a fireplace - everything you need to decorate a guest room in a chalet style.
The walls can be decorated in different ways: one can be made of stone, the other covered with wooden slats. It is possible to wallpaper the walls with “stone-like” or “wood-like” wallpaper. You can simply cover it with bricks or board it. Lamps decorated with wood or stone would also not be out of place here.
The floors are made of boards or parquet; laminate can also be used; the colors are selected in brown or gray tones. It is better if your floors imitate antique flooring.
A panoramic window allows home owners and their guests to get as close to nature as possible. What else do you need to take a break from the bustle of the city?
The stylish interior of the living room in a chalet style is decorated in accordance with all requirements.
Furniture in such a living room
For chalet-style furniture (bed, sofa, tables, cabinets), only things necessary for everyday use are selected. For example, a soft large chalet sofa (or bed), one or two massive armchairs, a coffee table made of wood... A chalet sofa should be leather or made of pleasant warm fabrics, such as velor or suede. You can put pillows on top of the sofa as decoration, the color scheme of which should not be conspicuous, since everything should be in the same shade. You can add a warm blanket made from animal skin or knitted yourself.
From the furniture in the living room, you can add armchairs; they can be soft and cozy to match your sofa or wicker “antique” (for example, a vintage rocking chair). Also, a chalet-style living room should include a bed. Having a small coffee table made of antique wood will add zest to your interior. The wooden table can be varnished, this is at your discretion. In addition to the table, you can hang lamps, wooden shelves or a slide for books in the living room, you can also put a grandmother’s chest or an old chest of drawers yellowed from age - all this will be an excellent addition to the chalet style. If the room is large, you can put a large dining table with “old” wooden chairs. This will give the living room an antique feel.
The chalet-style guest room is decorated with various decorative details. One of the most interesting elements is a carpet that imitates animal skin.
Furniture for a chalet-style living room is chosen mainly in light shades. An interesting design solution is to furnish the room with upholstered furniture.
Soft, voluminous sofas in the chalet-style living room are decorated with multi-colored pillows.
Fireplace in the living room
The presence of a fireplace in the living room is a must; it will add coziness to warm evenings. You can choose a decorative fireplace for the living room in an apartment or purchase a bio-fireplace. In addition, there are electric and gas fireplaces. Which one is better to install in the living room?
An electric fireplace operates primarily by being plugged into the network; the principle of operation is regulated by a remote control or by response to sound. When turned on, such a fireplace simulates the crackling and burning of a flame; it is suitable for a living room in an apartment or in a private house.
An ideal option for selecting furniture for a chalet-style guest room. Soft leather sofas blend seamlessly with wooden furniture.
A natural stone fireplace surround looks stylish in a chalet-style guest room.
The installation of a gas fireplace must be carried out by specialists. These fireplaces are used only in the interior of a country house, because... a qualified team must install the fireplace installation, connect gas to it... Such an installation is difficult in everyday life, in addition, it is necessary to constantly monitor and check the safety of the fireplace during operation.
A decorative fireplace is a body made of plasterboard or other material that is installed in any room. These are logs laid inside and imitation of fire using candles.
A biofireplace is a very expensive pleasure, because... it runs on bioethanol, which gives the appearance of live fire. Moreover, after using it there is no smoke or smell. Such a fireplace will be perfectly used both in an apartment and in a house.
Natural stone combined with wood creates a chic frame for a wood-burning fireplace.
The eye is drawn to the fur ottomans, which make the ambience in the chalet-style living room attractive and enchanting.
Bed in the living room
If you are decorating a bedroom in a chalet style, then its indispensable attribute will be the bed. A chalet-style bed is chosen to be massive, made of natural wood, and in natural colors. The bed should have a high headboard with carved patterns. Blankets and pillows for the bed should be chosen in soft, warm colors so that when you see the bed you immediately want to lie down and fall asleep. You can make a bed from wrought iron and make a large carved headboard. When you see such a bed, you will get the impression that you are in an ancient castle. In the bedroom, hang thick dark curtains to dim the light, and place a wooden bedside table near the bed.
Spacious chalet-style living rooms can be divided into a relaxation area and a bedroom. A bed in the living room in a country house is quite comfortable and unusual.
A functional solution for a chalet-style living room is wooden bunk beds.
A huge sofa converts into a full double bed. The chalet style is notable for its coziness and comfort.
One of the main decorative elements of a chalet-style room is lighting; there should be a lot of light. How to choose a chandelier and lamps for a chalet-style living room? If you adhere to the main rules of the interior and do everything in the given color scheme, you will notice that the lamps should be designed closer to the Gothic style. The chandelier should be massive, made of wood or wrought iron, natural colors (black, brown), there should be a lot of light bulbs. If you select lamps for the interior of a country house, they should be almost the same in all rooms. Wrought iron table lamps come in a variety of shapes.
For the bedroom, you can use spotlights; such lighting will bring not only beautiful light, but also a bit of modernity to the given style. You can place different lamps in the kitchen - above the work area in the form of caps with lamps or above the dining table in the form of intertwined branches. In order to harmoniously select lamps made in the same style, it is better to make them to order.
Chalet-style living room in a country mansion in Alaska.
A soft high bed with an upholstered headboard is the ideal choice for a chalet-style living room.
Additional accessories
Once you have decided where and how the chalet-style furniture will be placed, you need to remember about decorating with antique attributes. What to choose from “grandmother’s chest”?
- on wooden shelves on the walls you can place old books in worn bindings;
- You can hang an old family photo in a beautiful vintage photo frame on the wall;
- an antique cuckoo clock can also be placed on the wall;
- ancient paintings with bright, rich landscapes;
- trophies from hunting (weapons, deer antlers, stuffed animals);
- pillow covers, hand-knitted, fur;
- flowers in clay and wooden slides can be placed both on the floor and on window sills;
- boxes, chests, figurines, various forged items.
In the living room of the chalet, be sure to mount the TV on the wall, you can hang it high from the ceiling, and install a fireplace under it near the floor - evenings in such a living room will seem like a fairy tale.
The bear skin by the fireplace has become the most spectacular decorative element in the chalet-style living room.
The chalet-style living room is successfully divided into a relaxation area and a small bedroom.
In addition, a TV on the wall will add modernity to this design and save space - you will not need to select a bedside table for the TV. Nobility can be added to the chalet style with the help of plain carpets. You can put the skin of an animal (bear) instead of a carpet. To make a room created in the interior of a chalet feel comfortable and cozy, it is necessary to correctly arrange all the paraphernalia. And it is better to entrust this matter to a professional. Then the living room will show all the sophistication of the interior you have chosen, you will relax and unwind under the crackling fireplace in the mesmerizing beauty of a vintage chalet-style interior.
Chalet style welcomes the use of various cute decorative elements. Compositions of pillows of various sizes are considered a good choice.
An example of well-chosen lighting for a chalet-style living room.
Chalet decor
To decorate the floor, you can use a lint-free carpet in the same color or with imitation animal skins in a chalet-style living room. The walls are always covered in paintings (photos) on the theme of hunting, bright landscapes, antlers and other trophies.
Covers for soft pillows can be knitted or made by hand using another technique.
Live plants are also always appropriate.
You can hang a Gothic chandelier on the ceiling, and place unusual lamps on the walls. The style of candles in forged original candlesticks, vases made of ceramics and clay, large antique chests, and interesting boxes are beautifully emphasized.
Your chalet-style living room will give everything every home needs: convenience, a comfortable atmosphere of home warmth and elegance.
Examples of various photos of the interior of a living room in a chalet style.
Choosing a fireplace and accessories
An important element of the living room is the fireplace. According to tradition, it not only plays a decorative role, but also additionally heats the room. However, not every house or apartment project allows you to install a fireplace that performs 2 functions at once. Depending on the characteristics of the room, you can use the following types of fireplaces:
- gas - installed only by specialists! To do this, obtain permission from the city gas agency;
- electric - imitates the appearance of a flame, and sometimes the crackle of burning wood;
- bio - environmentally friendly, but expensive biofuel is used here;
- decorative is a portal made of plasterboard, inside of which logs are laid or large candles are placed.
It is desirable that, in addition to the fireplace, the chalet living room should have animal skins or horns, captured weapons, pottery, forged candlesticks, and boxes. Decorate the walls with landscapes or family photos. Choose wooden or forged lamps, close to the Gothic style. Pay attention to detail to create a complete interior in the spirit of a chalet: warm, cozy and original.
Photo of a chalet-style living room
Wooden furniture
Furniture is responsible for the character of the interior. If the color of the walls, the materials used, and additives do not yet fully give the feeling of the chalet style, then spectacular furniture can provide clear information about the aesthetics of the interior. Rustic antique furniture creates some dominant features in the interior. What furniture to choose?
- Armchairs, sofas, upholstered in soft fabric.
- Wooden interior elements: tables, chest of drawers, cabinets, table made from pallets, stump.
- Accessories and lighting play a huge role - lamps, chandeliers, especially old, antique, ornate ones.
Kitchen-living room of a chalet, photo
In the living room of a chalet you should avoid modern, plastic furniture. It is advisable to choose antique pieces of furniture. Handmade items look especially harmonious. You can find them at flea markets or buy them at an antique store.
Available for purchase:
- massive wooden chest of drawers with carvings;
- large tables;
- wooden stools, benches;
- old wooden boxes.
It is advisable to hide some elements of technology and electronics that do not fit into the atmosphere of a rustic style:
- First of all, the technique should not be in the center.
- Instead of a TV, the center of the living room should be a hearth - a brick, stone fireplace in the form of a tiled stove, a traditional fireplace.
