Swiss Chalet Style
Do you like the Swiss Chalet style? This style has become popular throughout the world for country cottages, rural homes and mountain resorts. Learn here the main characteristics of the Swiss chalet style and who knows may be one day you will built a Swiss chalet of your own?
Swiss Chalet houses are typically square or rectangular in plan, two-and-a-half stories high, have low pitched roofs with front gables, and wide eaves supported by decorative brackets. Some houses were built entirely of wood. Others are brick, stone, or stucco with wood upper floors, or brick with stucco upper floors. On early chalets, wood siding—both vertical and horizontal—is ornately carved and often painted. Also characteristic is a decorative treatment of boards integrated with siding material that appears to expose post-and-beam construction. The ends of rafters and purlins (structural members that are part of the roof support system) are generally exposed and are sometimes carved and painted, Front porches were often featured on later examples of the style, which are otherwise less elaborate than the highly decorative earlier homes.
The windows are decorated by colorful flower beds in the summer, which gives Swiss chalets a very cheerful and pretty look. The Swiss are patriotic and also love to hang Swiss flags on their houses. You can also put a Swiss flag to signify the Swiss origin of the architecture and your nation's flag to signify your patriotism. The flags will give your chalet an even more of the Swiss touch.
Below is a diagram of a classic Swiss chalet and its main characteristics.
