Germany is closer than it seems: German-style houses have been in fashion for many years. Surely you have seen in photos or in real life in Europe such cozy white cottages, the facade of which is divided into beautiful sections with wooden beams. These are the houses in the German direction, laconic, as if they were toys. You can build such a mansion on your own country plot. Here you need to turn to professionals, because the design of a German-style house must be thought out to the smallest detail. A team of specialists will create the exterior, interior and landscape design.
Beautiful two-story house in German style
Living room with fireplace in German style
German style stone house
Features of the half-timbered style
Initially, in Germany, wealthy citizens began to use a special method of frame construction in the construction of their houses. A frame was erected from strong, high-quality wood, which bore the main load from the roof. The frame was filled with other materials: brick, crushed stone, stones. The gaps filled with these materials were often covered with plaster.
Over time, the wood darkened and visually stood out against the background of the walls. This formed the special appearance of the house: elegant crosses of wooden frame elements, massive beams and braces supporting the roof, a combination of transverse and diagonal dark lines.
Half-timbering is developing, and now you can find houses where part of the walls are filled with glass panels, the wooden elements and roofing have light shades, and the walls are dark. But finishing a house in a half-timbered style in the classic version involves dark shades of the roof and frame, and light contrasting walls.
Any house can be decorated in a half-timbered style, using natural wood or imitation from modern materials for decoration.
Decorating a wooden house with half-timbered timber Source pinterest.nz
Exterior finishing of the finished building, performed by professionals, requires minimal time investment and allows you to achieve perfect compliance with the architectural style of the half-timbered house. An example photo shows what a wall made of red brick and ebony looks like.
Choice of colors
The basis of the color scheme of German-style rooms is made up of delicate, warm light shades. Most often you can find interiors whose main color is white, olive, cream or soft coffee.
The presence of black and gray colors in small quantities is acceptable. To add zest to the interior, you can add bright accents in yellow, azure, blue, and purple colors. Wine and cherry shades of red are quite rare.
Living room in German style with fireplace Source roomester.ru
They prefer to leave the walls light; this approach helps to emphasize the volume and contour of the furniture, which is most often presented in shades of brown. In some interiors you can find soft pink, blue, gray, green or olive furniture.
The flooring, on the contrary, is made from natural wood in dark shades. The material is oak, ash, walnut, pine or alder.
Modern living room furnishings in German style Source stroyson.ru
In general, the combination of light and dark shades in the interior makes the space expressive and emphasizes the severity of the style.
Advantages and disadvantages of half-timbered houses
Construction of a house from scratch in the half-timbered style is rarely carried out; more often it is used for finishing facades. The advantages of this decor include:
- an elegant image of the house , which combines the charm of antiquity and the impeccable quality of all elements;
- naturalness , harmony with the surrounding landscape;
- a variety of materials , textures, finishing shades, allowing you to create a unique solution and organically fit it into a specific landscape;
- the possibility of combining half-timbered elements with other style trends;
- high speed of finishing of facades and roofs, installation of decorative elements.
Yard and garden
Do you want to feel at your dacha that you are somewhere in a Bavarian village? Then the courtyard and garden also need to be made beautiful. They must be clearly divided into zones. Planning and restraint are the main features of the German site.
Modern interior in German style
Country house in German style
Even a small piece of land can be turned into an incredible garden. Plants are placed in several tiers. Preference should be given to fruit trees, beautifully trimmed shrubs and flowering plants. You need to choose ones that bloom at different times of the year: then from May to September there will be a lot of bright colors.
There is definitely room for a table and chairs in the courtyard
Office furniture in German style
Think about the layout of the flower beds on the site in advance. They can be divided into identical square zones, between which there will be paths. They are sprinkled with gravel or laid out with natural stone.
Small house in German style
Preference is given to an alpine slide and designer garden figures. For example, a decorative metal bicycle painted white will look good. It is necessary not only to come up with a design for the yard, but also to make it functional. Therefore, first they think about where the table with chairs for outdoor dining will be located outside, and then they choose rustic German-style decor for the yard.
Kitchen set in German style
Video description
In this video we will look at the features of half-timbered houses and the price of such a house:
Decorating a house in the half-timbered style has a number of disadvantages :
- The crossbars and other finishing elements need to be changed every 20-30 years ;
- the high cost of decorating a house in the half-timbered style (it is formed through the use of expensive high-quality materials);
- Without professional help, it is difficult to select suitable materials and install crossbars.
Half-timbered timber can be combined with other styles, for example, Chalet Source yandex.ru
Doors and windows
If features of Gothic architecture are present, then elongated vertical windows are installed. And typical houses are characterized by small rectangular openings. The window is divided into sections with wooden lintels. There should be nothing superfluous in this design, but if the owners want to decorate the mansion, the architect suggests decorating the window with bright shutters.
Vintage German style in the interior
Facade of a German house
German style kitchen
The face of any home is the front door. Only materials made from high-quality wood will fit here. The door can be completely wooden or with glass inserts. The exterior of the cottage will be decorated with canvases of contrasting colors. They can be gray, burgundy and even blue. If you have a garage, then the metal gates should not be shiny, but matte and dark brown.
Garage doors should not be shiny, but brown. Then they will organically fit into the overall project.
Private house in German style
Architectural features of the style
The half-timbered house style implies that wooden structures are an integral part of it. Whether they are made from natural wood, laminated veneer lumber or polyurethane imitations, these structures visually stand out against the background of the walls and create a unique look for the home.
Such structures include:
- vertical racks;
- horizontal beams;
- braces (diagonal beams);
- wooden panels.
Decorative details retain a certain volume, due to which they look reliable and solid. However, when finishing facades, fairly lightweight structures are used. The roof overhangs are not hemmed, as the beams must be visible. They are treated with a special varnish and must exactly match the color of the decorative overlays.
Construction of a house frame
It is worth noting that half-timbered technology is not used too often in our latitudes and it is better to entrust the development of construction plans and installation of structures to companies that have been working using this technology for a long time.
To make the wooden frame strong, the timber is fastened in a special way. For this work, the builder must know not only the theory, but also have practical experience in installing half-timbered houses.
Usually, builders simultaneously begin to pour the foundation of the future house and cut the prepared timber according to the plan. Glued laminated timber is most often used for the frame. It is much stronger than usual and is not afraid of bugs; due to the presence of glue on the wood, they simply do not eat it.
After the foundation is ready, the floor is insulated using mineral wool or expanded polystyrene. Then the main beams are attached to the foundation and the wooden frame is assembled.
Video description
Customers also often fear that the corners of houses made of laminated veneer lumber are blown out.
Is this so? Today we will check the corners of the house with a thermal imager: Traditionally, the distance between the posts is 3-4 meters, but the minimum step between the main elements of the frame is 60 cm. The width of the beams starts from 15 cm. Compliance with these parameters allows you to imitate the power frame quite accurately, following the style.
Traditional decoration of a half-timbered house, photo of a structure made of bricks, panels and frame elements:
The beauty of half-timbered timber is in the simplicity and rigor of the lines of the house frame Source www.bmp-stroy.com.ua
To emphasize the design of the walls, the foundation is covered with natural stone. Entrance doors are made solid, matching the color of the frame. Together with the classic white color of the walls, these details form the main features of the half-timbered style.
Nowadays, modern solutions are often intertwined with traditional style features, allowing architects to create houses with a unique look. Thus, glazing of walls is actively used, when the gaps between the beams are filled with multi-layer energy-saving double-glazed windows. Finishing half-timbered timber in combination with glass facades for a finished house is possible when arranging winter gardens, closed balconies, and terraces. The combination of wood and glass looks luxurious.
See also: Catalog of half-timbered house projects presented at the Low-Rise Country exhibition.
Interior decoration
Inside, wood, stone, metal, and glass are used for decoration. Wall surfaces are plastered, painted or wallpapered. There are beams on the ceiling; after whitewashing, it is not forbidden to apply gilded relief figures or paintings to it. A fireplace and forging elements are required.
Modern trends require minimalism in furnishings that do not overload the space. The furniture upholstery is made of chocolate, dark green, and burgundy fabric.
The living room has spectacular furniture with a sofa and pillows, armchairs, and a table covered with a tablecloth. A large role is given to low massive chandeliers, candelabra and candlesticks. Priority is given to chests with metal parts, carvings or stucco. The bedroom has a large canopy bed. There is a feeling of wealth, nobility and power in everything.
The multifunctional kitchen is characterized by immaculate cleanliness and polished metal utensils. For Gothic style, expensive brocade and velvet textiles are required, otherwise textiles in pastel shades made of linen and cotton. The combination of dark and light tones gives the atmosphere drama and severity.
Imitation of half-timbered timber: materials and their features
Since the basis of the style is a wooden frame, the main task when decorating a house is the choice of suitable materials. The choice of decorative elements comes down to three options:
- wooden beam;
- laminated veneer lumber;
- polyurethane beams.
Wood is the most expensive, heavy, and difficult to maintain material. It has its advantages and looks great if handled correctly. However, polyurethane parts have become very popular.
“Boards” made of polyurethane are very difficult to distinguish from natural ones in appearance Source fasad-exp.ru
Polyurethane overlays are attached to the façade of the house with liquid nails suitable for exterior finishing work. Lightweight, accurately imitating the texture and color of painted wood, such decorative overlays are cheaper and more practical. They do not shrink, are easily replaced if necessary, and are not afraid of moisture and sunlight. Polyurethane beams are not attractive to insects and mold, and even from a close distance they look indistinguishable from wood.
The pattern on the surface of polyurethane beams can imitate old wood with its irregularities, or new smooth beams. Elements are produced with patterns characteristic of different types of wood. In the color palette of polyurethane beams you can find any shades, from the lightest to black.
Features of facade finishing
Imitation of frame beams can be done using ordinary smooth wooden boards impregnated with a protective compound. The width of the board must be at least 10 cm and the thickness at least 2 cm.
Often, polyurethane boards are used instead of wood. They do not need to be coated with a protective composition, since the material itself is moisture resistant and does not suffer from insects. Any hardware store offers a wide selection of polyurethane products.
Beams can be attached to walls made of any material, the main requirement is a flat surface.
Natural board finishing technology
When finishing with natural wood or laminated timber, it is important to purchase high-quality processed material. Most often, larch, pine or spruce are used for such work. Wood requirements :
- treatment with fire-resistant, water-repellent, antiparasitic compounds;
- high-quality drying of wood, guaranteeing no shrinkage of boards in the future;
- thorough painting of the timber on all sides with special durable paints and varnishes.
You can paint not only the beams, but also the walls of the house themselves Source criptopia.ru
Well-treated wood is secured with dowel screws or nails, and the cut areas are carefully processed and painted. Boards can be visually aged with special compounds or with a brush for brushing before painting.
Walling
To fill the lattice space, cellular concrete or brick is most often used. In warm regions, treated OSB boards and double-glazed windows can be used for these purposes.
In regions with harsh climates, it is highly recommended to use brick or concrete with insulation. Even an energy-saving double-glazed window will let in the cold in harsh winters.
Whatever material is chosen for the walls, it must meet the following requirements:
- Environmental friendliness;
- Energy efficiency;
- Light weight;
- Strength;
- Moisture resistance.
Interior wall decoration depends on style preferences. The outside walls are usually plastered and painted white or another light color.
The walls in half-timbered houses are always mounted from the inside so that the wooden frame remains visible.
It is important to remember that the heavier the wall material you use, the greater the load placed on the foundation and the deeper it must be.
What matters when decorating a house in the half-timbered style
The imitation of half-timbered timber on the facade begins with the arrangement of wooden elements on the walls. The imitation will look authentic only if it accurately recreates the structure of the real frame. That is, the architect or designer must consider what kind of frame would be required to build a house of the appropriate size.
After the arrangement of beams and boards has been drawn up, the appropriate width and thickness of the elements is selected. They should be voluminous enough to create the feeling of a reliable and built-in frame.
The choice of materials becomes the key to the durability of decorative structures. Thus, when working with natural wood, larch is considered the most durable material, resistant to external influences. However, laminated veneer lumber from pine or spruce, if properly dried and processed, will be just as reliable.
Modern house made of laminated veneer lumber in the half-timbered style Source www.pro-workshop.ru
Wooden elements are painted in 3-4 layers, the quality of the paint must be high. All ends, fastenings and joints are carefully painted. Each element is painted before installation and is mounted completely ready for work.
When working with polyurethane beams, there are fewer processing requirements, and special attention only needs to be paid to the choice of adhesive. After all, he will have to hold the overhead elements for years, in all weather conditions. Finishing with polyurethane parts is much cheaper than using wooden structures.
Classic half-timbered wood involves white walls, dark brown wood for the frame, windows, and dark-colored tiles on the roof. Currently, the variety of possible shades allows you to achieve different effects. Sometimes the walls are painted in dark colors, and the frame cladding is made light. The main rule: window frames, overhead wooden elements, metal roof tiles and entrance doors must be similar in color.
Recommendations for arranging the main rooms
The living room is one of the largest rooms, yet it is not cluttered with furniture. The central place is given to a sofa group with a folding coffee table. A small chest of drawers is placed opposite the sofa and a TV is installed on it. There are several hanging shelves around, which serve to store small items.
Living room in German style Source dekormyhome.ru/
Spacious living room Source artsten.ru
A popular element of a living room in a German interior is a fireplace. This can be a full-fledged product with all the functionality, or a portable model.
The floor is usually dark, covered with laminate or parquet.
The walls are left light and can be covered with wallpaper or paint.
Wall paintings, photographs and clocks are used as decoration. The window sills are decorated with potted plants, and the windows are curtained with light curtains and tulle. Additional lighting can be created using table sconces and floor lamps.
Spacious living room in a Bavarian house Source salonatelie.ru/ Spacious and cozy living room Source roomester.ru
Bedroom
The central element of a German-style bedroom is a spacious wooden or metal wrought-iron bed with bedside tables on either side. The amount of other furniture for storage is kept to a minimum; all things are mostly hidden in the dressing room.
The head of the bed is distinguished by boards laid out in a special way.
Bedroom in a German style Source dekorde.com Spacious bedroom in a German house Source artsten.ru
Dark parquet or laminate flooring is covered with a short-pile carpet in pastel shades.
The walls are decorated with light, plain wallpaper or pastel plaster.
You can use a large outdoor flower pot or vase as decoration.
Bright bedroom room Source dizainvfoto.ru
The windows are covered with heavy floor-length curtains, but fabric in pastel shades is preferred.
Kitchen
It is one of the main gathering places for all family members. The spacious room has a cooking area and a large dining table. All the furniture is arranged so that you can easily cook in the kitchen, moving between appliances, and not disturb the rest of the family members standing at the table.
Spacious kitchen in German style Source 1000remontov.ru
German spacious kitchen Source rehouz.info
If there is enough space in the room, the dining table can be placed not far from the kitchen unit, then its surface can also be used as a work surface. You can often see small kitchen items hanging above the countertop, as well as light bulbs and additional hooks.
The table can be either ordinary or in the form of a large cabinet with many drawers and cabinets. In this case, the tabletop protrudes beyond the cabinet, so it is comfortable to sit at such a table.
Furniture, as a rule, is chosen from light wood for a small kitchen, and from dark wood for spacious rooms.
The floor is covered with ceramic tiles, usually white, or imitation wood or marble.
The walls are decorated with vinyl wallpaper in one color, or a layer of moisture-resistant plaster is applied to them.
Laconic and functional kitchen Source krit-nn.ru
The windows are curtained with light curtains or tulle.
An abundance of decorations in a German-style kitchen is not welcome. Free shelves can be filled with decorative plates on stands, and a vase of flowers or fruit can be placed in the center of the dining table.
Bathroom
The only furniture in the room is a cabinet under the sink and a small closet for storing things. Usually furniture is left white or gray, this is due to the desire to visually enlarge the space.
Bathroom with a window in a half-timbered house Source roomester.ru
Unusual decoration of a spacious bathroom Source archrevue.ru
A simple mirror without decorations is hung above the sink; a small sconce illuminates the sink area.
Floors and walls are usually finished with ceramic tiles. To create an interesting effect, you can use pastel tiles in several shades, or choose a material that imitates wood. The upper part of the walls is usually covered with white tiles.
You can lay a small white or gray carpet on top of the floor tiles.
Laconic bathroom space Source roomester.ru
Bathroom on the attic floor Source design-homes.ru
To make the interior of a combined bathroom feel light, toilets and bidets are made wall-mounted with a built-in installation. They are separated from the rest of the room by a frosted glass partition.
There are practically no decorations in a German-style bathroom; if you wish, you can place a small vase of flowers next to the sink.
Imitation half-timbered: interesting house designs
Glazing of a significant part of the facades seems unacceptable in the Russian climate. However, in the middle zone and in the southern territories such houses will be cozy and warm. Modern multilayer double-glazed windows made of special glass are not only durable, but also have energy-saving characteristics. In such houses, for example from a construction site, there is a lot of light, and they look luxurious and are an ideal solution for country cottages surrounded by a beautiful landscape.
Panoramic windows in a half-timbered house Source strolh.ru
Small one-story houses with half-timbered facades look fabulous. Imitation of style in this case allows you to decorate a simple, uncomplicated structure, making it interesting and unique.
Compact cozy cottage in half-timbered style Source lesstroy.net
The classic roof of a half-timbered house can be gable or hipped, but the modern style allows for complex designs. The finishing of the foundation can overlap with the decor of the walls using natural stone.
Complex shaped roof on a half-timbered house Source thesims.cc
Selection of accessories, interior decor
When choosing furniture, the emphasis is mainly on functionality, and appearance fades into the background. All pieces of furniture are quite simple and not overloaded with decorations. Large objects can be a little angular, but they are balanced out by small objects with smooth lines.
Multifunctional room of a German house Source storebe.ru
General principles that should be followed when arranging an interior in the German style:
- Upholstered furniture should be small and comfortable.
- Tables should be light and small.
- It is undesirable to use tall closed cabinets; it is better to give preference to open shelves.
- All furniture must be of high quality and functional. A German-style house does not accept the presence of useless items.
- Furniture can match any style, but must be made from natural materials. Upholstery of upholstered furniture should also be as close as possible to natural colors.
Living room with large windows Source salonatelie.ru
Lighting and textiles
The main source of lighting in a German-style house is large rectangular windows. Additional lighting is provided by artificial sources - a central chandelier under a simple glass shade and small lamps, frosted glass sconces.
In a German interior, the use of crystal chandeliers and wrought iron lamps is unacceptable; this will overload the laconic design. Suspended structures and podiums are decorated with decorative light.
Modern living room in German style Source rehouz.info
Living room overlooking the bedroom Source rehouz.info
Most of the time, the windows are open or separated from the room by light tulle. The darkness necessary for night sleep is achieved with the help of thicker, but light and not heavy curtains.
Sconces and table lamps usually have glass shades, but in some homes you can find silk shades.
Textile elements include a small number of decorative pillows on sofas, armchairs and beds.
Decor
The austere interior of a German-style house does not require a large number of decorative elements, but in the room you can find some of the following decorations:
- wall paintings, most often still lifes or landscapes,
- photos,
- mirrors,
- busts of famous personalities,
- decorative plates and mugs,
- vases
The Germans have a special love for flowers, so pots and vases with plants are located throughout the house and beyond. Moreover, flowers can be found not only on window sills, but also on the floor and even stairs.
Kitchen-dining room in a modern half-timbered house Source design-homes.ru
Situation
The interior decoration, or interior of a half-timbered house, is selected taking into account the characteristics of the style - laconicism, simplicity, minimalism, the predominance of horizontal lines. Narrow, elongated hanging furnishings and squat sofas leave room for a feeling of freedom. The color scheme is dominated by non-bright, light, pastel tones.
Fachwerk has a great future, without any doubt. Thanks to environmental friendliness, stylishness, reliability, lightness and short lead times.
Frame with gaps filled with cellular blocks
Some companies and enthusiasts from among individual developers are trying to revive half-timbered frames within the framework of the classical concept, according to which the house should be inexpensive, with vapor-permeable walls and a not very large glazing area (about 1/7 of the floor area). In this case, a cellular block is considered as the optimal material for filling.
But on the way to the goal you have to solve several problems. The first is how to prevent warping of frame parts? The timber inevitably leads to natural moisture even in a rigid structure, and cracks appear in the walls. But the main difficulty is associated with the insufficient thickness of the frame (it is difficult to purchase timber with a cross-section of more than 200 × 00 mm), and therefore the block filling. The heat transfer resistance of such a wall will be half that required.
EuroCode5
A hidden end bracket is perfect for joining frame crossbars and floor beams with posts and frames.
Ecocomplect
When assembling a truss structure, you cannot do without cutting at an angle, which must be done very accurately.
Ecocomplect
One solution to both problems at the same time is to use not timber for frame parts, but spatial trusses made of boards with a cross-section of 200 × 38 mm, filling the voids inside the truss with polyurethane foam or other foamed plastic. The thickness of the wall can exceed 50 cm, that is, nothing prevents you from filling the gaps with 38 GL ceramic blocks and even lining them with decorative bricks. As for sealing the joints between the stone and the frame, there is no serious problem here: ordinary polyurethane foam will help out, the consumption of which can be reduced if you fill the seams during the laying process.
Stanislav Nenitsa, CEO of Fahverkdom
Due to the design features, half-timbered houses do not shrink, so glazing can begin immediately after installing the supporting structures, without fear of changing the geometry of the openings. For glazing we use English multifunctional double-glazed windows. Blank walls are built like a pie and include two types of insulation. The main heating system in the house is a warm floor integrated into the foundation of the USHP (insulated Swedish monolithic slab). In this case, the building must be equipped with a supply and exhaust ventilation and air conditioning system. Thanks to this integrated approach, it is possible to provide a comfortable microclimate in both cold and hot weather. The risk of double-glazed windows fogging is practically eliminated. In winter, the cost of heating a house with an area of 300-350 square meters. m will not exceed 3 thousand rubles. per month. Some companies reduce the cost of building half-timbered houses by abandoning the forced ventilation system, which leads to significant inconvenience during the operation of the building and a reduction in its service life.
Bavarian brickwork: what are its features?
As the name suggests, Bavarian bricklaying originates from the German city. The motley façade of the building appeared in the seventeenth century in Bavaria, but the reason for this arrangement was the banal lack of homogeneous building material. The bricks were made from a heterogeneous mass, so their color varied, representing a yellow-red-brown ensemble. Today, using the Bavarian masonry method, special batches of bricks are made in three or four shades, which, when laid alternately, make it possible to create a variegated pattern, giving the building an original appearance. Currently, you can choose not only different colors in Bavarian masonry, but also textures: rough, smooth, rough, glossy or with a cracked effect.
Wall design with Bavarian masonry
There are two main designs that are used when using Bavarian brickwork. The first and second methods are based on transitions from one color to another. If you make a brick wall of different colors and shades, a work of art will be created. In this case, a clear geometry of the drawing is necessary. Sometimes when you see such a wall, it begins to “ripple in your eyes.”
Choosing a clear installation scheme
In the first case, Bavarian masonry is carried out according to a clearly drawn pattern with the choice of a suitable pattern and color. Two main colors are taken, which are diluted with a couple more shades. The result is four colors. You should think about a good combination so that the colors are not uniform, because such a combination of bricks will no longer be Bavarian. In the photo you can choose the most suitable brick laying scheme using different shades.
Chaotic layout
In this option, there is no clear pattern for laying the bricks, but you must ensure that different colors alternate with each other. If you adhere to this principle, you can get a gorgeous picture of the facade. The transition from one shade to another should be smooth. In this option, you can even use up to eight different colors that are close to each other.
