Today, the country house has finally ceased to be perceived by the townspeople as a place where you come exclusively in the summer, spending time trying to grow a worthwhile crop or caring for little grandchildren.
A modern dacha is a great place for a good outdoor recreation among relatives and friends. Cozy evenings by the fireplace, board games that have been popular since ancient times, walks and interior furnishings - all this today gives a person who wants to at least occasionally rest from the bustle of the city, offices and supermarkets, an incomparable pleasure.
That is why the interior of a modern country house is very important, because a beautiful and comfortable interior space helps a person to fully relax and escape from urban everyday worries. Well, it is not difficult to equip a country house or a small cottage, even with a limited budget.
Features:
Let's make a reservation right away that we will consider interesting interior ideas specifically for a country house or a small cottage no more than 36 sq. m, and not for a private house for permanent residence or a villa. These ideas will help you make the space of a small house cozy, where we come first of all to relax.
When starting to arrange a summer cottage, it is advisable to determine in advance the presence and space of functional zones.
The decoration of a country house will largely depend on the presence of a second floor, an attic and a veranda, on the number of rooms and windows in them.
The most common version of a country house is a wooden or brick structure with an area of about 6x6 sq. m, in which there is a small kitchen space, often combined with a veranda, 2-3 rooms on the ground floor and 1 large or 2 small rooms on the second floor or in the attic.
Let's highlight some features that all owners of a country house should take into account, regardless of its size:
- the interior of the cottage should not be like the interior of urban housing. This does not mean that the remnants of wallpaper or other finishing materials saved after renovation in a city apartment by economical owners cannot be used. Of course you can. But there is no need to create a similar interior in a style similar to urban housing, because it will remind you of city life and work worries;
- such common “urban” styles as loft, minimalism and urban style are not suitable for the interior of a country cottage. Plastic and chrome-plated metal accompanying these styles can be difficult to fit into a country interior;
- the kitchen area and the sitting area should be allocated, even if there is only one room in your house;
- calm light tones and all shades of natural wood are an excellent option for dacha decoration, and textile decor will perfectly cope with bright accents - pillows, curtains, tablecloths, all kinds of rugs;
- if you have paintings and reproductions that no longer adorn the walls of a city apartment, feel free to take them to your dacha. They will perfectly decorate the walls of a country house, however, if there are more than three of them on the wall, we recommend making frames for them in the same style and of the same color (with the exception of black and white works, for which you can use bright colored frames);
- do not refuse the device of a real or artificial fireplace - a live fire, an armchair and a soft blanket are identified with comfort and, like nothing else, dispose to a comfortable rest;
- if vintage items are used in the interior, then you should not "overload" the space with them. Great advice for those who cannot part with lovely figurines, caskets, shells and other souvenirs: divide the gizmos into three parts, selecting items that match each other in each pile, put 2/3 in the boxes, and place the rest in the room. Change "collections" once a year or as often as you like;
- It just so happened that things that we don't use in the city often "come" to the dacha, but it's a pity to throw it away. The main enemy of a beautiful dacha is trash. We need to part with this without regret, because we so often come across that even a modern, attractive country house from the outside looks careless and dull inside because of the abundance of old clothes, shoes, dishes.
Layout
The layout of a small country house should provide a comfortable and convenient stay. Since the country house is often small, it is necessary to carefully consider the planning and design of the interior in advance.
Determine for yourself if you can handle this task on your own. It may be easier to contact a specialist to create an ergonomic and beautiful interior design for your home.
Consider criteria such as the number of people who will live in the house, the possible increase in the family in the future, and the presence of small children.
Answers to the following questions will help to determine the peculiarity of the layout:
- how many floors there will be in the house;
- what will be the shape of the roof of the house, what kind of roofing material will be used;
- do we focus on an economy class project;
- what building materials will be used for the project.
Having identified these important points, you can start drawing rooms inside the house and choosing the design of a suitable porch. Usually in an economy class country house there is a central room combined with a kitchen, 1-2 bedrooms, and also a combined bathroom.
In a comfort class house, space can be allocated for additional bedrooms, as well as the arrangement of a sauna or bath.
The attic space is a great opportunity to increase the space of the house, designing it as a full-fledged second floor and equipping additional bedrooms, a library, a study or a recreation room.
Also, the layout of small country houses is usually complemented by terraces and verandas. Even an ordinary canopy over the porch of a country house allows you to use this space as a recreation area . The competent layout of even a small country house allows you to place a living room, kitchen, bedroom and bathroom in it. The living room can perform several functions at once - it can be a dining room, an additional bedroom, a games room and a relaxation room.
Particular attention should be paid to the location of the oven. The most practical option is considered to be in which the stove is located in the center of the living room, which allows you to heat the entire room and at the same time zone it.
Style
The interior of a country house should be such that one would like to come to the country house as often as possible. Consider some styles that are suitable for suburban life and allow you to use what was once sent into exile from a city apartment.
Country style or "rustic"
The most versatile, reflecting the special flavor of the country where it is used. Simplicity and bright accents, the use of natural materials and natural fabrics - all this gives the country style charm and soulfulness.
Provence
One of my favorite directions is this French style. Light shades of furniture, plaster wall decoration, forging elements, wicker baskets and textiles with soft floral motifs are the main distinctive features of the style.
Old furniture is quite useful here, which can be decorated in the Provence style with your own hands. True, you will have to work on them - if necessary, remove the varnish and paint with paint in light colors.
It would be appropriate to use lace tablecloths, curtains with lace trim, bouquets of wild flowers - dried flowers or fresh, wicker furniture, pots and flower pots with a variety of plants. Interior items can be decorated with decoupage-style applique, combining them with a single style.
Light painted walls and floors are invariable attributes of the Provence style. If the walls in the house are lined with clapboard, they should be painted white, but the beams can be highlighted in dark brown.
"Russian Country"
This is a special flavor of the village hut, where there is a large stove, simple wooden furniture, bright rugs and chintz curtains on the windows.
The style of a rustic hut involves the use of patchwork for bedspreads and pillows (you can use clothes that you no longer wear for making), patchwork rugs, crocheted tablecloths. All these decorative elements of the interior can be purchased today, so it is not at all necessary to spend time on needlework on your own.
It is good if there are antiques in the interior - a samovar, a spinning wheel, a spindle, or just various wooden crafts, including those made by hand.
Classic
This area includes the English rustic style, which is distinguished by restraint and aristocracy. Furniture suitable for this style is usually dark brown or reddish brown. The floor, window frames, doors are also painted in these colors.
For wall decoration, strict wallpaper with discreet floral patterns or a cage is used , it is good if these motifs are repeated in textiles. English classic country style is impossible to imagine without a fireplace and armchairs near it. Remember that the English style has a sense of proportion, so do not overload the space with decor.
The style of a Russian noble estate
It will also be a classic style. This style is similar to classic English country music, but a little lighter. If you want to give your home a “Chekhovian” flavor, then it is worth plastering the walls and painting them olive green, gray-blue or pink-brown. It is better to choose textiles in the same shade as the walls, but a little brighter or darker by a couple of tones.
Hang paintings or prints on the walls in simple dark brown wooden frames, favoring modest still lifes and landscapes. Glazed bookcases and crockery will also look great in the "Chekhov" interior.
Minimalism
Supporters of this modern style in country interiors should pay attention to Scandinavian country. The decoration uses light gray and white shades . A minimum of simple furniture, the absence of complex details and decorative elements - all this allows you to create a special space that gives a person a sense of freedom and peace.
A sense of proportion and a sense of purity of Scandinavian minimalism enables a city dweller to pay attention to the main reason why he came out of town - to the beauty of nature outside the window.
Furniture
Furniture in the country should correspond to the general direction of your chosen style. We do not always have the opportunity to buy new tables or chairs for summer cottages, but we can always give the old ones the necessary flavor. In most cases, it is up to painting - light colors for the Provence style, natural unpainted wood for the Russian country style, dark shades for the English and Russian classics.
Combining incomplete furniture will help the use of textile finishes with the same ornament and the same (or similar) in color.
- Today, new trends have emerged regarding the manufacture of country furniture on their own. For those who like to craft with their own hands, you should pay attention to old pallets. This furniture is now at the peak of popularity, groups of lovers of such "furniture creativity" today are even in social networks, where creative ideas are published. In addition to such advantages as affordability and environmental friendliness, it is still worth mentioning the main disadvantage of such furniture - the quality of the wood that will have to be used is rather low.
- Logs and pieces of logs left after construction or sawing off large trees should not be thrown away under any circumstances. This is almost finished furniture! You can make chairs, a laconic and beautiful bench, a table from a log. Log furniture is easy to handle, effective and practical. True, it will still require care and treatment from insect pests.
- A rather interesting idea would be to use construction coils in the interior of the garden. They can be purchased for a small price, as they are usually disposed of after being used on a construction site. A medium-sized construction coil will make a wonderful tea table, and small ones will make comfortable and stable stools, ottomans, armchairs.
Finishing
The decoration of a wooden house, according to most designers, should be as environmentally friendly as possible, natural. For a simple and economical finish, wooden lining is perfect, which can be painted if desired. In a brick or block house, both plaster and lining can be used for wall decoration . The wallpaper is recommended to be used in those interior rooms where there is no significant temperature and humidity drop.
In a small country house, it is not recommended to use complex decor, as well as expensive textured wallpaper. Places that often have to be wet cleaned (this can be part of the wall and the floor, the space between the stairs) can be laid out with ceramic tiles . The use of tiles and stone is possible as a finishing material for an open terrace - in this case, it will not be afraid of any weather conditions.
Decorating the house outside and near the porch involves the use of a variety of materials (from simple wood to porcelain stoneware and artificial stone), it all depends on the general architectural and interior style and the preferences of the owners.
The main thing is to remember the appropriateness and useful properties of certain materials specifically for a country house.
Design ideas
From what once came to the dacha to "live out their days", it will quite turn out to be a real designer thing. It's time to do what you can't do in the apartment, but you want to! In this section, we want to show you real examples of spectacular ideas for a suburban interior.
Let's start with the fireplace . Even if it takes up a lot of space, it is the undisputed leader in giving the country house a special comfort. Whether it is a real fire or just an electric imitation, the fireplace will be the main element of the living room decor. By the way, an imitation of a fireplace can be made of thick cardboard or plywood using an artificial stone for decoration.
The second thing that many interior designers love is the old sideboard . Sanded and re-painted, it will adorn both the living room and the kitchen.
The main thing is to follow some rules: if the interior of your house is closest to the Provence style, then feel free to paint the sideboard with light paint (milky white, white with the addition of olive notes); Mediterranean style allows the use of bright colors - blue and green, combined with stencil decor in dark colors; English classic involves painting in dark brown and red-brown.
And also give a special comfort to the interior decoration of the country house lamps . A table lamp with a semi-antique lampshade, a kerosene lamp on the chest of drawers, a collection of small kerosene stoves on the mantelpiece, a floor lamp on a high leg next to the sofa, sconces next to the sleeping places - all this will add individuality to even a simple interior.
At the dacha, it is often necessary to neatly place a variety of things - from inventory to bags of seeds prepared for planting and books on gardening. A large rack will help to defeat the clutter and put everything in place . Tall, from floor to ceiling, with deep open sections of various sizes, allowing you to place neat boxes or plastic containers in these sections, such a rack will become a real lifesaver in maintaining order in the country.
Beautiful examples
These photos show the most beautiful examples of a summer cottage interior:
- Beautiful classics with a slight touch of boho style are always a winning option. This example shows an option for a successful zoning of a resting place with the help of a bright carpet and upholstered furniture, conducive to friendly gatherings.
- A modern fireplace stove will not only heat a significant space, but will also perfectly fit into the interior of a small country house. The decoration of the oven itself echoes the decor of the entire room.
- Even a very small house will seem spacious and "airy" inside if you paint the walls in light colors and use laconic light furniture in the interior. Small details - baskets, ceramics, bouquets of flowers will add comfort.
- The space in the attic is ideal for organizing a cozy resting place. If there is an opportunity to install special roof windows, do not refuse it, because then you can be creative or read during the day in natural light.
- Elements of the "Provence" style are always advantageous in the country interior. Wicker furniture, forged lamps, textiles with discreet decor - all this will allow you to feel the warmth and tranquility of the blessed south of France with all your soul.
- An open veranda is a great option for those who want to increase the space of a country house. Here you can spend time on a hot afternoon and on a warm summer evening, gather at a large table during a family celebration or a friendly meeting, and if there is enough space, then even dance.
- "Eco-friendly" style in the interior is very popular lately. Simple lines, lots of wood, natural tones, a sense of purity and peace. It is important not to overload such an environment with details - just a few bright accents that attract attention.
- Mixing styles is always interesting. This example shows us that even a French Provence and a Russian hut can perfectly complement each other.
You will find interesting ideas for a small summer cottage in this video.