Piano nobile is a specificness of baroque architecture. The first floor was architecturally highlighted: representative rooms (e.g. saloon, ballroom) placed there have much higher ceilings than those of the rooms on the ground floor or on upper floors – this is shown by the sizes of the windows. Mostly it has a balcony above the entrance which frequently runs all the length of it.
Typical alpine houses, charming both in winter and summer
Be brave and choose color window frames outside also instead of the common white, brown or anthracite
When not the walls of the house but the roof gets a brighter color
Provence style has a continuous popularity since years all over the world. Maybe it captures people with its calming effect.
It contains the essence of French country style. Houses were commonly built of freestone, they became the integral part of nature with their unplastered walls. There are shutters on windows, since the interiors have to be protected from strong sunshine. This makes the heavy curtains unnecessary, commonly only cotton voile curtains are on the windows. Frequently French doors are on the ground floor instead of windows. The patio has an outdoor room function. Since the weather is nicely warm, most of the meals are kept here also. The table is placed in the shadow of a pergola or a bigger tree.
The thick walls protect the house from extreme warming-up. Doors and windows are remained open, this way the cool breeze can blow through the inner rooms also. Walls have light painting. The floor is terracotta or stone paved in the community spaces and bathrooms, there are old wooden floor in the bedrooms. The mood is given by the shabby elegance of wooden furniture and old household objects. It is an important fact, that all of these are original pieces which served generations, so they weren’t made by paint-and-wear technique. They descend in the family or are flee market finds. They can be put on their place after a careful cleaning. Wrought iron accessories and small furniture are common also. These are frequently light colored (off-white, cream, green). The most significant furniture items in the kitchen are the sideboard cabinet, the huge solid wood table and the stone fireplace. Everything was made by hand all over the house from natural local materials. The domination of neutral colors is broken by muted shades (blues, greens, pinks and purples). Nature shows itself in the decoration also. Lavender is the first in the row of flowers, but wildflowers are beloved decorating elements as well.
Ask for help of an interior designer for creating Provence mood in your home.
An old fashioned weather vane may be useful for the nowadays treacherous weather also
If we have space and opportunity to make a spectacular backyard patio
It’s kind to name our house
So-called mudroom is a common room in houses with garden in many countries. It is a useful area which helps to separate the inner parts of the house from the outdoor dirt.
The mudroom is placed near the backdoor of the house. It’s worth to create one in the case of a lifestyle in which intensive garden works, animal welfare and walking on the neighboring fields or forests has an important role.
Since it is for getting rid of dirt and mud here, it is important to make it easily cleanable. The floor has tile pavement: it is covered with ceramic tiles, bricks or natural stones. Walls are covered to dado level or at least painted with washable wall paint.
There is enough storage space (hangers, shelves, boxes) for the took-off dirty clothes, boots, umbrellas etc. Commonly it is staffed with a sink also where not only hands can be washed but even the freshly picked flower bouquet can be arranged. It is common among dog owners that this is a built-in washing basin where the pet can be washed after a long walk, before the dog enters the house with them.
Let’s treat it as a real room. It should have a window and proper lighting. Don’t neglect its furnishing, the design, it should be connected with the other part of the house.
If there is not enough space for a separate mudroom, it can be jointed with other rooms, for example, the back part of the laundry room. If the house has only one entrance door, the windshield at the front of the hall can have this function. If there is an entrance from the garage, one of its corners can be used for this also.
Ask for help of an interior designer for creating your country house.
Decorative front door canopies against rain while open-close the door
