Avoiding bombast, unnecessary luxury and cluttered living space is a progressive trend of our time. An environment is needed that provides comfort with minimal resource and physical costs. One of the options for creating such a dwelling is a Scandinavian-style house. What is characteristic of these buildings will be discussed in the proposed article.
Content
- 1 Scandinavian home style: traditions and modern features
- 2 Materials used in the construction of houses using Scandinavian technology
- 3 Basic requirements for the content of Scandinavian house projects
- 4 Features of building houses in the Scandinavian style
- 5 Scandinavian style house facade decoration
- 6 Distinctive features of the Scandinavian interior of country houses
- 7 Great budget option: Scandinavian-style country house
- 8 Scandinavian style in landscape design: inexpensive expressive simplicity
- 9 Scandinavian style houses: projects, photos, prices
Scandinavian home style: traditions and modern features
The time when the emergence of a new architectural style, the Scandinavian, was officially recorded, can be considered the middle of the twentieth century. Although the active manifestation of the main trends has an earlier date - the end of the nineteenth century. The geographical homeland of the Scandinavian style in the architecture of houses is the Nordic countries: Norway, Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Sweden.
Lush European Baroque, demanding classics, multidirectional Art Nouveau were gradually replaced by the minimalism of the Scandinavian style. The harsh climate put forward its own requirements: the dwelling should be durable, keeping warm well.
However, Scandinavian-style housing projects cannot be judged from the standpoint of rationality alone. Design with obvious modesty symbolizes well-being, coziness, comfort. The main distinguishing features of this architectural direction can be considered:
- simplicity and brevity;
- use of natural materials;
- functionality;
- bright hues;
- minimum decor.
Today, two branches of the style can be distinguished: a classic look and a modern one. The classic gravitates towards ideal severity, correct forms, confirmation of wealth, security, but without monumentality and luxury.Modern Scandinavian-style houses are characterized by softer lines and shapes. In everything, simplicity and exceptional functionality, the expectation of convenience and personal comfort.
Materials used in the construction of houses using Scandinavian technology
When building houses using Scandinavian technology, it is recommended to use only natural materials. These can be:
- wood;
- metal;
- glass;
- natural stone.
The main building material is wood. Moreover, not every pine tree is suitable for the construction, for example, of a Scandinavian house from a bar. Trees in the northern regions grow much more slowly, the rings are close together, which provides a high density of wood. It is these raw materials that are suitable for construction.
Metal in Scandinavian technology is often used as an additional material to strengthen structures. Reinforcement of the foundation, use when laying floors, supports for supporting canopies, fences - these are the main applications of metal products.
The use of glass allows home design in scandinavian style fill with natural light, and panoramic windows are the hallmark of this trend.
Natural stone is used in the construction of the foundation. It is both a strengthening and decorative material. The foundations of Scandinavian houses are quite high. The stone protects it from moisture and water penetration.
Basic requirements for the content of Scandinavian house projects
The Scandinavian style in architecture is gaining popularity. Not only aesthetic features, but also natural conditions, the mentality of people living in the northern part of Europe, formed the requirements for housing. It is these criteria that become fundamental in the development of projects. These are:
- Energy efficiency. The project should be aimed at minimizing energy consumption. A layout is used in which you can heat the room with minimal costs, high-quality insulation is laid, an economical heating method is used.
- Naturalness of materials. In addition to environmental friendliness, such materials provide proper energy insulation and heat conservation.
- Maximum use of solar heat and natural light. This is achieved due to the location of the windows on the south side of the building, as well as due to their large size, the width of the building as a whole (the narrow shape does not provide maximum use of natural light).
- Application of economical construction technologies. Preference is given to prefabricated timber structures or frame structures using wood-based panels, which do not require much time and large labor costs for construction.
Photos of Scandinavian-style houses show a variety of architectural designs and a tendency towards square or wide rectangular building shapes. Despite the simplicity, traditional rationalism, lack of bright decor, the buildings look aesthetic, pleasant, solid.
Helpful advice! Before developing a project, you need to decide on the type of heating system, since the height of the foundation (in particular, for a water heated floor) and the types of building materials used largely depend on this.
Features of building houses in the Scandinavian style
Pine wood is more often used for the construction of Scandinavian houses. The material has a rather dense structure (it is worth recalling that the place where this tree grows significantly affects the density of the material) and lends itself well to processing.Birch and beech are less commonly used. Houses are built from a bar, as well as using frame technology and cladding with slabs of wood materials.
A number of technological features of construction make Scandinavian houses durable, not affected by precipitation:
- Use of materials that meet the required quality standards. The timber must have a certain density, degree of dryness, and an acceptable level of defects. The frame is manufactured under industrial conditions, in accordance with the requirements, it is mounted directly on the object.
- Windows and doors are also made of wood, metal-plastic is unacceptable due to its high thermal conductivity. Instead of ordinary glass, double-glazed windows are inserted, which contribute to effective heat conservation.
- The foundation is high, usually made of natural stone. In Scandinavian-style country houses there are no basements, the base encloses the communications area.
- Steep gable roof. This form of the roof promotes the creeping of precipitation, prevents the need to clean it off. In Scandinavian houses, attic spaces are designed as living rooms.
The above features allow us to conclude that each element of the structure is aimed at keeping warm, comfortable maximum functionality. All joints of load-bearing walls and partitions, creating an aesthetic pattern, first of all ensure tightness, and then decorativeness.
Projects of houses in the Scandinavian style, made of timber
Looking through the photos of Scandinavian-style house projects presented on the Internet, you can see that a significant part of them are made of timber. This is a rather expensive construction, the serious size of the cost is already felt at the project level. The timber has a high price, and its laying also requires the skills of specialists of certain qualifications. Scandinavian houses rarely have two floors, but these few buildings are most often built from a bar. In construction, two types of this material are used:
- profiled timber;
- glued laminated timber.
Profiling of a cant is achieved by perfect cutting (with an accuracy of millimeters) of a dried natural workpiece with a "groove" and "thorn" selection on opposite sides. These samples serve as a lock when laying the material.
Glued laminated timber is made from lamellas by gluing. Moreover, the structure of the fibers of the two wood blanks is located perpendicularly, which contributes to a stronger connection. Comparing the functional qualities of the two types of this material, the following advantages of laminated veneer lumber can be distinguished:
- practically no shrinkage at home due to the low level of material moisture;
- non-susceptibility to deformation due to the presence of a glued joint;
- high strength (twice as strong as a solid bar);
- low level of thermal conductivity, provided, among other things, by a barrier - the place of gluing.
Evaluating the building as a whole, one can note the following positive characteristics of Scandinavian-style timber houses:
- durability;
- no need for wall treatment;
- environmental friendliness and aesthetics.
Helpful advice! When ordering a house from a bar, you need to be confident in the quality of the material. Visual inspection will not allow a full assessment - documentary evidence is required. Non-certified products are a big risk.
Scandinavian style frame house projects
Frame technology is quite common in the construction of Scandinavian houses. It is less expensive and more affordable for self-construction. For the manufacture of the frame, a dry board is most often used.Sometimes glued laminated timber is also used. The choice most often depends on the features of the project (mainly on the number of storeys), as well as on the customer's ability to pay.
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Frame construction methods are of several types. A distinctive feature of Scandinavian technology is the use of a deadbolt. The board is sunk into the vertical racks, below the upper strapping. It contributes to a more durable fastening of the racks, and the base of a Scandinavian-style frame house no longer needs any additional reinforcement - everything is simple and durable. Next, the frame is sheathed. There are three possible options:
- The use of MDVP (soft chipboard). They make the frame structure rigid, protect from wind, heat and sound insulate.
- The use of special facade plasterboard. This material is undervalued yet, although it is an inexpensive and reliable option.
- Installation of rigid plates only in the corners, the rest is sheathed with a windproof film. Sometimes jibs are used instead of slabs.
The lining of insulation between the inner and outer skins, a vapor barrier layer also contribute to the strength of the walls of the frame structure. In accordance with the design requirements of a Scandinavian home, which presuppose a homogeneous external wood cladding, it is quite common for houses to be sheathed with raw boards. They also contribute to structural rigidity. Penetrating nicks and microcracks, the paint lasts a long time as a protective layer.
Options for one-story houses in the Scandinavian style
The most common Scandinavian houses are one-story. There are several reasons for its popularity:
- affordability;
- non-burdensome maintenance (saving costs for utilities, cleaning, repairs, etc.);
- availability of all premises necessary for comfortable living.
The photo of one-story houses in the Scandinavian style presents a variety of projects: compact rectangular buildings with painted gray facades, white platbands and fencing bars, modular houses from a bar with a preserved natural wood pattern, low interesting bleached buildings with a gray tiled roof. You can choose an architectural solution for every taste.
As for the interior layout of Scandinavian one-story houses, the projects involve a lot of the same, traditional. The ceiling height does not exceed 2.5 m, the total area is usually 130-170 m². There is no entrance corridor, an entrance hall, since they are considered to be of little use premises, stealing the total area and requiring extra costs for heating and lighting.
Kitchen and living room are combined. Bedrooms are usually three, but small in size. One of them can be used as a nursery. The bathroom and the bathroom are located close to the kitchen, as this facilitates the supply of utilities.
Helpful advice! When choosing a Scandinavian-style house project, you should not rush to make adjustments to the internal layout. The traditional location has been tested over time.
Noteworthy are two more positive features of one-story housing construction (including Scandinavian ones) - safety and accessibility of movement in all rooms for children and elderly people.
Scandinavian style house projects with a terrace
The terrace is not only an additional area, albeit not for all-season use, but also a wonderful architectural decoration of a Scandinavian house - this design brings revitalization to the severe laconicism of buildings of this style.
If you look at the projects of one-story houses in the Scandinavian style, it should be noted that the terraces, for the most part, also have a lot in common. They are not covered with an additional canopy. They are located under one of the elongated roof slopes, and they are lowered quite low in order to maximally protect this open part of the structure from precipitation.
Terraces have a wooden (less often metal) fence with a height of 70-80 cm, which practically merges with the edge of the roof (sometimes the distance between them is less than 50 cm). At the base there is a wooden flooring, steps for the descent are required. Stationary furniture is usually not installed.
Modern options for wooden houses in the Scandinavian style are not limited to this type of terrace, which naturally diversifies projects and makes them more attractive. The Scandinavian house has a separate exit to the terrace. In modern buildings of this style, it can be combined with the general one. Columns are not typical for Scandinavian terraces. Although in the Russian interpretation of the style, such options are possible.
The advantages of houses with a terrace:
- interesting architecture;
- additional area that can be used for various purposes in the warm season;
- the opportunity to spend more time outdoors.
Helpful advice! When choosing or planning a house with a terrace, it is necessary to take into account the degree of its protection from precipitation, which it will be exposed to all year round. Reliable protection will preserve the aesthetics and integrity of this design.
Scandinavian style house facade decoration
The Scandinavian facade of the house is easily recognizable among the wide variety of exterior design methods. Most of all he is distinguished by minimalism, simplicity and modesty both in the choice of materials and in the used colors. The uniformity of the outer surface of geometric shapes, the use of light shades are most characteristic of this style.
As a decoration for a Scandinavian-style house, a board is most often used. Variety can be brought about by its vertical or horizontal arrangement. It should be noted that only one method is used for a single building. Such facing is nailed with nails, the caps of which are quite noticeable. The board is covered with a primer and 2-3 coats of paint. In addition to the aesthetic focus, boarding allows you to create a ventilation layer that helps to retain the heat and performance of the layers that make up the wall panels.
The color scheme of the facade finish is presented in beige, gray, blue, white shades. There are also black Scandinavian houses. The roof is covered with tiles or sheet metal, which can be brown, red-brown or blue.
Modern designers have significantly expanded the possibilities of decorating the facades of houses in the Scandinavian style (the photo is a confirmation of this). The emergence of new building materials makes its own adjustments. For modern buildings, facing bricks, plaster and even certain types of siding are used.
Large windows in solid wood frames and a door in the same style are the hallmarks of the Scandinavian house facade.
The exterior of the Scandinavian house is simplicity, brought to perfection, the absolute absence of non-functional elements, rigor, which ensures presentability and aesthetics.
Distinctive features of the Scandinavian interior of country houses
Decorating the interior of a home in a Scandinavian style is available to almost everyone who wants to do this. This direction is characterized by the following stylistic requirements:
- the filling of the premises should correspond to the lifestyle of its owners;
- only functional furniture;
- the obligatory presence of large areas of white;
- wood flooring, preferably with a preserved wood structure;
- the presence of 1-2 bright objects in the form of a large outdoor flowerpot with a flower, a wall painting, a printed bedspread, a decorative clock, etc.;
- on the floor only woven or woven carpets.
Inside the house in the Scandinavian style (the photos clearly demonstrate this) is a free and bright space, from which it breathes with cleanliness and comfort. Fragments of a contrasting black or dark gray shade on a white background can become an interesting combination. Bright yellow details will perfectly complement the interior.
The premises of Scandinavian houses are often open, without partitions, therefore, an important point in the design is rational and aesthetic zoning. It can be achieved through different sizes or colors of furniture, as well as with floor mats, lighting.
If the house is built of timber and the internal walls have not been treated, it will be advisable to paint the floor in a light gray color. You can fill the interior of a house from a bar in a Scandinavian style with white using the corresponding surfaces of furniture, carpets, textiles.
Helpful advice! When decorating a Scandinavian style, do not purchase furniture with white leather or woven upholstery. Due to constant use, even with effective products, it will cause a lot of hassle with constant cleaning.
An important part of the interior: the presence of a Scandinavian staircase in the house
A staircase is a significant part of any interior, so its choice should be approached carefully and thoughtfully. The main requirements for this internal design are:
- safety;
- an acceptable ratio of the size of the room and the stairs;
- compliance with style.
The stairs in the interior of Scandinavian houses are characterized by decorative minimalism and simplicity. For the manufacture of this element, as well as for construction in general, natural material is recommended. Usually stairs are made of wood, glass and metal can be used for rigidity and fencing.
Three types of stairs are used in housing construction:
- screw (steps are arranged in a spiral);
- marching (consisting of several flights);
- bolt (steps are attached to the wall with bolts).
For Scandinavian wooden houses, the last two options are suitable. The most common type is marching structures. The steps are made of wood, the fence can be of the same material or metal or glass. The boltsevo staircase looks great in small rooms, it seems graceful and light. The main shades are the preserved natural color of the wood or white, light gray, beige.
Stairs with a glass railing will organically complement the interior of rooms where there is a lot of unpainted wood. Glass is used durable, often transparent. Such designs look lightweight and do not take up much space.
The location of the stairs is chosen angular or along the wall as far as possible from the entrance. This position allows you to maintain one of the style requirements - the availability of free space. In large rooms, a staircase is sometimes installed in the center. In such cases, with its help, traditionally open premises of the first floor are zoned. The area under such a structure must be used.
Before deciding on the type of stairs, it is worth looking at photos of Scandinavian houses of one and a half and two floors, where this structure is already presented as part of the interior. This visualization method will help to avoid mistakes.
Great budget option: Scandinavian-style country house
Today, almost everyone strives to have a dacha, as it provides an opportunity in their free time to take a break from the bustle of work, to relax. If funds allow, it is convenient to order construction. A Scandinavian frame house can be an excellent option.
The technology is available even for DIY construction. Materials, if there are technical possibilities, can be prepared independently, and they are also easy to order. Wall cladding should be chosen depending on the planned seasonality of stay: lightweight construction - for spring and summer use, wall cake with insulation - for all-season stay.
However, even with a limited amount of funds, you can purchase a rustic small house; in the Scandinavian style it is easy to arrange it during the renovation. The sequence of styling an old building can be as follows:
- Whitewash the old plastered walls. It is not worth aligning the fragments with a putty, since the surface structure will be different. It is better to use the original material used for plastering.
- Remove the paint layer from the floor, revealing the natural structure of the wood, cover with a colorless protective layer.
- The inner side of the window frames can be made light gray. This will enhance the styling.
- It is better to sheathe the facade of the building with a board, which subsequently should also be covered with paint. For the Scandinavian style, the unity of the exterior and interior design is extremely important.
- Replace decorative external window frames with wide and massive rectangular frames. The combination of shades of the facade can be as follows: the walls are light gray, the frames are white.
- If necessary to strengthen the foundation, it can be overlaid with natural stone. It is recommended to cover the roof with iron.
Helpful advice! When buying a country house, you should not rush to get rid of inherited furniture. Roughly knitted tables, benches, chests, with appropriate restoration, can be an excellent addition to the Scandinavian interior.
Scandinavian style in landscape design: inexpensive expressive simplicity
It would be wrong to start describing Scandinavian landscape design with how to decorate the adjoining territory. To preserve as much as possible the natural conditions among which the house was built - this is the primary task. A particularly careful attitude to vegetation in the northern regions has made such an embodiment of style ideas a priority. If we talk about the features of Scandinavian landscape design, then it is worth highlighting the following:
- in front of the entrance to the house, small recreation areas are placed, covered with gravel;
- flower beds do not have fences;
- vegetation is planted in green oases;
- lawns with wildflowers;
- small vegetable gardens, greenhouses;
- hedges perform the function of fences.
Decor items, like all elements in the Scandinavian style, also perform a specific function. Tubs filled with water decorate the site and serve as a water supply. In ceramic pots, placed around the site, plants adorn. A driftwood, a wheel, a fragment of an old wooden structure serve as a decoration and a hanger at the same time.
In the photo of Scandinavian-style country houses in the design of landscape design, imitation of nature, adherence to its laws is clearly visible. Therefore, you can observe flowers planted along the house and not decorated with a separate flower bed. Greens grow freely on the site, including even under the benches. And instead of benches, there may be just a roughly processed log.
Scandinavian style houses: projects, photos, prices
Modern projects of Scandinavian houses differ in many respects from classical ones.The emergence of new materials, the construction of private houses in the Scandinavian style in milder climatic zones unwittingly made adjustments to the traditional architecture and the layout of buildings. Modular structures have emerged, where there is a block for a bathhouse, a garage, and workshops.
Quite often, you can find in the photo on the Internet projects of houses with a basement, a wide porch and arched windows, an open protruding balcony, the fence of which has decorative elements. A sidewalk plot can be a large area, laid with paving slabs, decorated with a fountain.
Scandinavian Finnish houses are in great demand, they are offered by almost all organizations involved in construction. The cost largely depends on the number of storeys of the house, size, basic building material and finishing method.
The price of an average wooden house with an area of 132 m², made on a strip foundation, covered with tiles, without a garage will be 3.5 million rubles. The cost of the project is 21 thousand rubles. A two-storey house made of the same material with an area of 199 m², without a garage, will cost 5 million rubles. The project price of such a house is 30 thousand rubles.
In addition to wooden buildings, houses made of foam blocks, ceramic blocks are also offered. A small building of foam blocks of one and a half floors (with an attic) with an area of 110 m², covered with metal tiles, without a garage is offered for 1.5 million rubles, the project - for 17 thousand rubles. A house made of ceramic blocks with an area of 130 m², with a metal roof covering, on a strip foundation, with a garage will cost 3.5 million rubles. The cost of the project is 24 thousand rubles.
Helpful advice! When choosing a project for a Scandinavian house, you need to take into account the geodesy of the site. Features of the terrain can affect the quality of the building and its further operation.
The optimal solution: turnkey Scandinavian style houses
The possibility of building a turnkey Scandinavian house is a good solution to the housing issue. And there can be no question of any overpayment. If, for the sake of experiment, we calculate the cost of building a house similar to the one offered on a turnkey basis, the price will be 20-25% higher. By purchasing a ready-made house, you save on payment for the project, the materials are purchased by the company at lower prices, since regular suppliers always make a discount. The remuneration of the specialists of a complex brigade is always less than that of individual professionals.
You must pay extra for making changes to the proposed standard project. However, the construction company will satisfy minor wishes related to design design without additional funds. For example, the Scandinavian-style home decoration chosen by the customer in the photo can be used when fulfilling his order, otherwise without deviating from the standard project.
Buying a turnkey house has a number of undeniable advantages:
- a complete picture of the future construction: the proposed photos of projects of Scandinavian houses reflect both the external design and the interior;
- material costs are fully determined before the start of construction;
- work progress can be monitored;
- this saves a lot of time.
Helpful advice! To get a real idea of the future of housing construction, it is worth asking the company's managers to show a similar or maximally similar, already implemented project.
Scandinavian houses: reviews of builders and residents
The simplicity of the technology for building Norwegian-style homes raises a lot of concerns. Moreover, the opinions of professional builders are much more optimistic.
“In order for a frame house to last for decades, you need to purchase a solid tree and sheathe it using technology. The air gap is of great importance for cladding. She keeps warm and saves materials. I have been building for seven years, I myself already live in such a house. Made with double insulation and electric heating. Dry, warm. Yes, we pay a lot in winter, but the comfort is worth it. "
Evgeny, Voronezh
“If the house is in a humid area, it is better to process the timber every year or every other year. It is not cheap, but it will last for a long time. The tree does not crack from moisture changes. And it's funny to hear about rodents. Mice start up in warm internal voids. And where are they in the Scandinavian house? In the minvat, no one will definitely start. In general, even in the ventilation ducts of the concrete high-rise buildings of the mouse ... "
Alexey, Krasnodar
There are reviews with serious doubts:
“Not a single tree can stand outdoors for more than ten years, except perhaps an oak. However, it will surely crack somewhere. House for a day. How can you not understand this? They bribe with the speed of construction, and nobody cares what will happen next. "
Dmitry, Omsk
But most of the reviews are still of this kind:
“We have been living for the third year, nothing has been settled anywhere, everything is perfectly smooth and reliable. Not a single door even sagged. I have already stopped worrying and examining. It is very comfortable in winter, in summer, because of the windproof film, it seems to me that the house cools down for a long time. But this is just an observation. Air conditioners keep the right temperature. My family is happy. "
Irina, Volgodonsk
“Not very comfortable with panoramic windows. At first there were curtains - ugly, now the blinds are vertical. Better, but still many. You can't keep the windows open - it's uncomfortable. Otherwise, everything is gorgeous. No more disappointments in a year and a half. "
Olga, Solnechnogorsk
“What can be more beautiful than a tree? Log buildings in the villages have stood for a hundred and fifty years, they are being bought up for summer cottages. Created without a single nail. And with modern fasteners, nothing, in principle, can fall apart. I don’t worry about longevity. We will receive the keys in a month. It turns out to be a beautiful and reliable home. "
Denis, Serpukhov
Acquiring a Scandinavian-style house: psychology to help
Almost everyone likes Scandinavian houses. They are neat, light and pleasant. However, it is impossible to recommend everyone to buy such a home. The purchase or construction of a house is an extraordinary and significant event. Psychologists believe that only 12% of the total number of buyers are ready to change their living conditions. The rest either endure or get used to problems.
To determine for yourself whether Scandinavian minimalism is suitable, whether it will become comfortable, psychologists advise you to pay attention to the following:
- If, in the course of studying a project you like, there is a desire to add, replace, remake something, it is worthwhile to figure out whether this style really satisfies.
- A one-story Scandinavian house seems to be a modest acquisition - the path of choice is definitely wrong, you should look for a different style among houses.
- If after the first inspection of the proposed property there are still doubts and uncertainties, you should come again in a few days. The assessment will be much more definite.
Helpful advice! When choosing a house, in no case should you be guided by the desire to somehow look in the eyes of others. The feelings experienced will be fleeting, and the conditions will remain for a long time.
House in the Scandinavian style purchased, decorated, furnished. Further - a happy and comfortable stay in it for all household members. After a while, you will want to change something, update. It is only necessary not to get away from the style, mixing in this case is a loss of charm and originality.The purity of light shades, refined simplicity and rationality should remain essential features of the interior.