Elegant half-timbered houses have not lost their popularity for more than five centuries. Originating in Germany, half-timbering spread throughout Europe. The historical centers of many cities are formed by streets whose houses are built in this style. And now technology makes it possible to carry out the exterior decoration of any house in accordance with the main features of half-timbered wood.
The visual lightness of such houses is combined with a feeling of reliability and solidity; the style provides great scope for creating an original, unique design of the external architectural appearance of the home. At the same time, it is associated with antiquity, a special European gloss and respectability. To understand what half-timbered houses look like, photos and main characteristics of the style are described in our article.
House in the classic Bavarian half-timbered style Source remontantenn.ru
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.
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
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.
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.
Design requirements
When constructing a half-timbered house, a careful calculation of the load-bearing capacity of the material, its thickness, as well as the exact location of one or another beam is required.
The uniform distribution of mass depends on this so that the beam does not bend or deform under the weight.
When using vertical posts 150×150 mm high 3 m, the maximum permissible step between them should not exceed 2 m. When using timber 150×100 mm or 200×75 mm, the permitted distance between them is reduced to 1.5 m.
When installing the rafters, a maximum step of 1 m is allowed, after which they are secured by installing 150x50 mm timber braces underneath. To further increase the stability of the lower purlin, place a vertical rail 150x50 mm in the center of the room. The floor lathing is made from small timber (50×50 mm) with a maximum pitch of 27 cm.
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.
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.
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.
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
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.
German style bedroom 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.
