Chalet Style Bathroom

The French word "chalet" usually refers to a small structure made of wood with a distinctive overhanging roof. Chalet is a type of national Swiss housing, which has become popular thanks to the alpine resort towns.

The chalet style is usually built in the country cottages or small, cozy hotels. Chalets do not necessarily have to be built entirely of wood, quite often the first floor is made of stone. Despite the fact that the first chalets were shepherd's huts (that is how the word is translated), modern buildings built in this style do not look like houses for the poor. As a rule, the chalet is a solid, two- or three-storey building, furnished in accordance with modern concepts of comfort.

Today in the style of chalet performed not only at home, but also in private rooms. This trend in design has become so popular that even owners of urban apartments seek to recreate in their homes interior, reminiscent of the snowy Alps. We advise to start the transformation of an ordinary apartment into an alpine house from the bathroom.

Chalet style has a lot in common with rural and eco-style, but it is still quite distinctive. Consider the characteristic features of the interior of the room, made in the style of the chalet:

• Wood and stone as the main finishing materials. Other interior elements made of these materials are also welcome, such as wooden beams under the ceiling or a stone oven as a source of heat.
• With the exception of bathroom fixtures, all interior furnishings, including furniture and doors, are made of natural wood or materials imitating it.
• Chalet style does not seek to refine the interior. Furniture and plumbing is chosen of the most simple, traditional models. Genuine retro or aged interior objects are welcome.
• A soft, calm color scheme. Both in finishing and in furnishings are used predominantly natural color palette.

Every direction in design has its fans and opponents; chalet style is no exception. Rustic romance in the interior of a modern home will appeal to not everyone. Below are the categories of people who will feel most comfortable in this style.

So, the interior in the chalet style will suit you in the following cases:

• If you can only relax in nature and prefer to spend your vacation at the cottage or in the countryside: to breathe fresh air, walk through the woods, steam in the bath and enjoy other pleasures of country life.
• If you are a fan of skiing and other winter sports. In this case the interior of your apartment, decorated in the style of the chalet, will throughout the year remind you of beloved heart ski resorts.
• If your idea of coziness lies in using natural materials, simple, solid furniture and minimum decorations.

Quite expectedly, natural colors are preferred in the chalet style, which is inherently close to rustic. This applies not only to finishing materials, but also to furniture and accessories. Since we use wood and stone for the walls and floor, it is obvious that all shades of brown and gray colors will dominate in the surface finishes.

Furniture in the interior of the bathroom in the chalet style is also usually wooden, so in color it is in harmony with the walls. Brown, red, burgundy, beige - this is the color scheme for the interior of the room.

In addition to the colors of wood and stone, there are other colors that can be found in the alpine nature, such as white, dark green, blue, yellow. But these tones should be used very carefully, as a light, neutral color palette, almost devoid of bright spots, is preferred for the chalet.

To keep the light muted, you can do away with the main ceiling light and divide the lighting into zones with wall-mounted light fixtures. By turning them all on at the same time, you will achieve good, even illumination. And if you need a dim, almost intimate light, it will be enough to light only one of the fixtures.

For a bathroom in a chalet style it is necessary to choose as simple and compact lighting fixtures as possible. An excellent solution will be spot lights, which almost do not take up space and allow you to regulate the degree of light in the room.

The decor elements in the interior of the bathroom, made in the chalet style, are also reminiscent of what served as a starting point for the formation of this style. The nature of the alpine mountains and villages is reflected not only in the use of exclusively natural finishing materials, but also in the choice of accessories.

For example, chalets are traditionally furnished with hunting trophies - stuffed animals. Of course, in the bathroom, such a decorative element would not be appropriate. Firstly, it takes space, which in the bathroom is not much, and secondly, such products simply can't stand constant contact with water and steam. If you want to add some color to your bathroom interior, limit yourself to deer antlers that can be hung on the wall. They can not only decorate the room, but also serve as a holder for towels or become the basis for an original lamp.

Paintings and figurines depicting the animals and plants of the Alps are also welcome. Try to choose items that will not be harmed by high humidity.

Traditionally, the following types of finishes are used in the chalet style: the floor is made of natural stone slabs, the walls are lined with wood, on the ceiling, too, wood or just white plaster. But the stone floor will cost a good amount of money, in addition, constantly cold stone - not the most suitable option for the bathroom, on which we often walk barefoot. The best solution would be ceramic tiles, stylized as natural stone. It perfectly withstands contact with moisture and is much better than stone retains heat. And if you install a "warm floor" system in the bathroom, you will have the full feeling of walking on sun-heated stone or wooden planks.

As for sanitary ware, you should also choose the most uncomplicated models made of traditional materials - cast iron, acrylic and sanitary ware. Experts advise to choose not snow-white, but beige sanitary ware for a bathroom in the chalet style. Many people prefer to mask such modern bathroom attributes as a washing machine or shower cabin with wooden boards and slats. Try it, it turns out very unusual!

• As in all other, close in spirit styles, the chalet actively uses objects of manual labor. This can be handmade wooden cabinets and shelves, as well as accessories made by hand. For example, knitted rugs, sewn lampshades on lamps, etc.
• Potted plants in the interior of the chalet are quite common and the bathroom is no exception. You should choose potted flowers that are well tolerant of moisture and plant them in rough clay pots.
• Furniture and plumbing in the bathroom, made under the chalet, be sure to have a touch of antiquity. To avoid spending on expensive designer models, you can achieve this effect yourself. With the help of sandpaper, you can create scuffs, and in stores for creativity there is a huge selection of varnishes and paints, with which you can quickly age the surfaces.