The tradition of decorating houses with carved wooden frames and other decorative elements did not arise in Russia out of nowhere. Initially, the carving had a cult character. The ancient Slavs painted pagan signs on their homes designed to protect the home, ensure fertility and protection from enemies and natural elements. It is not without reason that in stylized ornaments one can still guess the signs denoting the sun, rain, women raising their hands to the sky, animals or a bizarre interweaving of vegetation. Subsequently, the religious meaning of wooden carving was lost, but the tradition of giving an artistic appearance to various functional elements of the facade of a house has remained to this day.
In almost every village, town or city you can find amazing examples of wooden lace. Moreover, in different areas one can observe completely different styles of decorating houses with carvings. In some areas, predominantly solid carving is used, in others it is sculptural, but mostly houses are decorated with sawn or otherwise slotted carvings, as well as its variety - overhead carvings.
In the old days, in various regions of Russia, carvers used certain types of carvings and ornamental elements. This is clearly visible if you look at photographs of carved frames made in the 19th and early 20th centuries. Certain elements of carving could often be seen on all the houses of one village or village. In another village, the motives of the carved frames could have been completely different. The farther these settlements were from each other, the more the carved frames on the windows differed in appearance. The study of ancient house carvings and platbands in particular provided ethnographers with a lot of material in the study of migration flows and trade relations in our country.
In the second half of the 20th century, with the development of transport, printing, television and other means of communication, ornaments and types of carvings previously characteristic of one region began to be used in others. A widespread mixture of styles began. Looking at photographs of modern carved frames located in one locality, one can be surprised at their diversity. But maybe this isn't so bad? Modern cities and towns are becoming more vibrant and unique. Carved frames on the windows of modern cottages often incorporate elements of the best examples of wooden decor.
Colored shutters are a very beautiful window design option that came to us from Southern Europe.
Colored shutters are suitable for both wooden houses and plastered stone houses. This is a universal way to decorate windows.
For colored shutters to look beautiful, they must be sharply different in color from the wall, contrasting with it, as in the photo on the left. The blue shutters contrast beautifully with the chocolate walls and are supported by blue accessories. And if the walls of your house or cottage are painted in a light neutral color and there are several windows in a row along the wall, God himself ordered to decorate them with colored shutters, painted in different rich, but not too bright colors.
Put the shutters on the windows. Designs and functions
There are several designs of window shutters:
- Single leaf;
- Double-leaf;
- Folding
- Combined (shutters-blinds);
- Roller shutters (roll);
- Internal shutters.
Single-leaf shutters are installed on small windows. On one side, their canvas has a hinged fastening. Closing is done using a lock or locking latches installed on the inside of the sashes.
Single leaf wooden shutters
Double-leaf metal and wooden shutters for windows are the most common. Thanks to the symmetrical arrangement of the canvases, these structures look better than single-leaf ones. They are locked from the inside (on casement windows) or from the outside with a lock (on fixed windows).
Double-leaf wooden shutters - “classics of the genre”
Folding structures are used to protect large window openings. They consist of several doors that turn on hinges when closing and opening.
Folding shutters - an option for a large window
Blind shutters protect windows well, but do not allow sunlight into the room. Therefore, in recent years, combined designs (blinds) have become popular. The rotating mechanism of the slats allows you to adjust the light flux without opening the sash. This solves two problems: natural lighting of the premises without compromising the protective function of the shutters.
Shutters with rotating slats
More often than adjustable designs on the market, there are options whose plates do not rotate.
Shutters with fixed-rotating shutters
Roller-type structures (roller shutters) came to us from Europe. Today they are extremely popular not only among owners of shops, warehouses and offices, but also among summer residents.
Compactness, reliability and aesthetics. These three factors attract the attention of homeowners to roller shutters. A significant disadvantage is the price of these structures. It is higher than that of swing ones.
Relatively recently, internal shutters appeared on the market. They are used to decorate the interior and regulate lighting. The level of protection of the premises from penetration of these structures is minimal.
Let's say a few words about the main functions of shutters. There are several of them:
- Protective;
- Decorative;
- Energy saving.
The first priority is to protect the building from intruders. In this regard, shutters are more reliable than grilles. If installed correctly and using quality materials, they are much more difficult to break than cutting off window grille anchor pins. In addition, the shutters completely block the view of the room. The lattice, on the contrary, does not interfere with viewing the contents of the country house. It is also important that the shutters protect the window glass from direct impact with a hard object. The efficiency of the grid in this regard is much lower.
The decorative functions of shutters cannot be questioned. They are especially pronounced in wooden structures decorated with intricate carvings and figured ornaments.
Wooden carved shutters will not leave anyone indifferent
Not every person is skilled in wood carving. But any home craftsman can make beautiful sashes using an ordinary board and a jigsaw.
A minimum of materials, a little imagination, effort and original shutters are ready
Metal window shutters are not as expressive as wooden ones. However, when using forged decor they look beautiful and aesthetically pleasing.
Energy-saving features also cannot be ignored. It is no secret that the main heat loss from premises occurs through windows and doors. Closed shutters significantly reduce heat loss. The level of energy saving of these structures can be increased by insulating the doors with mineral wool or polystyrene foam.
There are two materials used to make window shutters - wood and metal.
These days, decorative shutters are made not only from metal and wood, but also from metal-plastic. This material reigns supreme in the field of door and window systems.
Metal-plastic shutters - reliable, beautiful, durable
Unlike wood, metal-plastic withstands weather conditions. At the same time, we are practically indistinguishable from it in appearance.
Traditional English window design style
Of course, this method of decorating windows is only suitable for brick houses and cottages - even on plastered walls, such classic English windows no longer look so beautiful; they are best combined with brick - both red and gray.
It turns out especially beautiful when the design of the windows rhymes with the design of the entrance doors, as in the photo on the right.
Use dark, rich colors to decorate windows in the English style - burgundy, marsh green, brick red, dark brown, walnut, dull sea green. But be sure to combine them with white. The double-glazed window profiles should be white, and the window and door frames, the door and the decorative flower box under the window should be in dark, rich colors.
We will return to the traditional English style later, but for now, look at these photos - maybe this is your option?
Why are shutters needed?
While everything is clear about the decorative function, not everyone knows what practical benefits shutters provide. Therefore, first of all, let’s look at why they are needed, in addition to decorating the house:
| Insulation | Closed shutters can limit the access of cold and wind to the windows. For example, they can be closed at night when there is severe frost outside, and thereby reduce energy costs for heating the room. The effect will be especially noticeable if this decorative element is hermetically sealed. |
| Safety | Doors on the windows protect the house from unauthorized access when you are away from the country house. If safety comes first for you, then you should install metal shutters on your garden windows. |
| Sun protection | This feature will be useful for night owls who go to bed late and wake up much later than sunrise. Shutters darken a room much better than curtains or blinds. |
But, of course, doors are installed primarily to decorate a country house. For example, wooden carved shutters can transform any country house. And if it is also made of logs or beams, then such decor can give the dacha a Russian style.
Advice! To give the doors more color, they can be painted. True, for this you need to involve a specialist in the work, or have the makings of an artist.
In the photo - painted carved double-leaf shutters
Window decoration in Provence style
- this is a big and fertile topic, which is simply a pleasure to write about - the Provence style is so positive and there is so much positive energy in it. Yes, in our latitudes, few people think of building a house or cottage in the Provence style, but this is quite a good idea.
Just look at what Provence style windows come in - maybe you want something like that?
In the photo on the right there is an all-white window that enlivens the typical Provençal figured painted flower box.
In the photo on the left is a typical Provence style house with small windows in the most popular pastel yellow design. In the photo on the right there is a white and blue solution + the facade of the house is decorated with flower pots - a very common occurrence in window decoration in Provence. By the way, the window through which you can go out into the garden is called the “French window”.
Carved window frames in a wooden house
These elements can differ significantly from each other: they are mainly divided by the type of thread, shape and installation method, and material.
- Blind - this type of thread does not provide through holes when creating a pattern. The ornament has a high relief: this is done so that it becomes noticeable even from a great distance. This method of making platbands usually does not require the presence of small parts, but allows you to create figures, portraits, and complex compositions of large size.
- Openwork slotted carving. In this case, the background of the picture is completely selected. To create an ornament, through holes are drilled. This method is most often used if patterns for platbands are created at home. The pattern can have different shapes, for example, be flat or embossed. In this case, the thread is divided into geometric. oval and contour. Each type has its own nuances in the manufacture of the product.
- Overlay thread. Using glue or nails, individual structural elements made using the through-hole technique are attached to a smooth board. Quite often the base is painted in a color that contrasts with the shade of the patterns, which makes the decoration more vibrant.
- Volumetric sculptural carving. This type of carving is the most complex and can only be done by experienced craftsmen. In this case, patterns and figures will be separated from the main background, but not cut off from it.
Beautiful window frames in a wooden house
Original window decoration in Latin American style.
If you like Latin American style, and if you want to show off originality in the design of your home, cottage, or cottage, why not think about brightly colored walls and windows?
Thank you to Latin America for the fact that we have the opportunity to use the brightest colors in home and garden design and not look tasteless. No other style in the world will offer you such beauty, energy and sunny mood in window decoration.
To decorate windows in Latin American style
, you need to paint the walls of your house or cottage in a bright color - red, orange, yellow, bright blue, green, blue. Paint the frames or order double-glazed windows in another bright color. And if this is not enough for you, feel free to paint the trim or shutters in a third bright color!
Nuances of creation
You can get beautiful window frames in a wooden house only if you have a suitable stencil. You can buy it at a hardware store, cut it out from a magazine, or print it out after finding a suitable picture on the Internet. The template is best made from thick cardboard; fiberboard is also suitable.
The stencil can depict absolutely any pattern that the master or home owner liked. Most often, various combinations of geometric shapes, animal figures, and flowers are used for this. No one will forbid you to mix different styles and patterns.
Main functions
The need to close windows arises for various reasons, so you need to approach the choice responsibly. In one case, it is enough to hang wooden shutters and paint them beautifully, in the other, there are no options other than installing metal shutters on the windows.
Shutters perform two functions: decorative and protective.
Decorative function - when it is necessary to comply with a design decision in the design of the facade of a building or so that the windows do not stand out from the general style of the house and site.
The protective function is not only to provide shelter from the wind, hot sun and retain heat in winter, but also to prevent burglars and hooligans from entering the house. By choosing durable metal shutters for your garden windows, you can leave the house unattended for a while.
It is best to opt for window protection that will combine several functions at once. The many types of designs and variety of materials used for manufacturing make this easy to do.
