Features of Czech architecture

Czech architecture is as distinctive as its culture, history and traditions. It attracts everything: eclectic style, outstanding design, bright facades and unusual roofs. Czech-style houses today are a sign of the delicate taste of their owners, a way of self-expression. Especially to the taste of such buildings will appeal to creative personalities looking for inspiration in the space around them.

Exterior of a typical Czech house

The country house of the average Czech family can hardly be called standard. You can find it out by the following features:

• asymmetrical shapes;
• symbiosis of several types of facade decoration;
• the use of warm sunny colors;
• installation of window frames of complex shape;
• multi-pitched high roofs covered with tiles.

For Czechs, the number of storeys of cottages is of great importance. As a rule, they prefer to buy and build buildings on 2 floors, less often in 3. At the same time, the entire area of ​​the house, including every corner, is useful for them.

The last floor is always designed with an attic, in the ceiling of which there are windows that open up a view of the sky.

Often the crown of the whole building is the tower, thanks to which the building looks like an illustration for a fairy tale plot.

Roof colors tend to tend to darker shades:

• Brown;
• Red;
• Dark red.

Brighter tones are less common.

As for the interior, the solutions used in it do not obey any rules and are so diverse that they make it possible to realize any creative fantasies. You will not find strict lines and dull colors here.

The work of Czech architects is facilitated by the fact that they can combine non-standard ideas of their clients, complementing them with their own vision of details in completely different and unexpected styles. Therefore, in one room you can meet not only modern shapes and textures, but also elements that have long become antiques.

As for the Czech capital, urban planning experts call it an encyclopedia of stylistic trends from different eras. The city is a vivid proof that the emergence of hi-tech architecture here was predetermined historically: buildings built in the direction of functionalism and constructivism at the beginning of the twentieth century testify to this.

The modern architecture of Prague is distinguished by the use of open engineering equipment, fasteners, metal and glass elements as decoration. Vivid examples of this are the Dancing House and the Golden Angel (complex on Smichov).

Features of building houses in the Czech Republic

The construction of houses in the Czech Republic during the socialist era was not distinguished by a variety of design and the use of technological innovations. However, Czech citizens are used to counting money, so today even old buildings are being modernized.

One of the latest trends is the insulation of walls and ceilings with special heat-insulating materials, which allows you to significantly save on heating. At the same time, in their desire to save money, the Czechs not only adhere to the norms adopted in the EU, but also significantly tighten them.

As for the houses built over the past couple of decades and those that are being built now, the building laws in the Czech Republic oblige them to comply with all the requirements of domestic housing construction. The designs of such buildings are based on two principles:

• the use of energy-saving technologies;
• reliability of absolutely all supporting structures.

As a result, the streets of the country's settlements are filled not only with beautiful buildings, but also with reliable, economical structures.

Czech houses and cottages are usually very well planned. They are characterized by spacious rooms, fireplaces, attics, winding staircases.

A few decades ago, multi-storey buildings were erected from panels, expanded clay concrete, bricks - the choice of material depended on the number of floors (usually there were 5-9) and the scale of the project as a whole. The number of entrances in such buildings was usually planned from 3 to 5.

The advantage of using expanded clay blocks in the construction of houses was their environmental friendliness and the possibility of using them in a region with any climate. Besides:

• external walls did not require finishing;
• the design was durable;
• the construction process was not complicated;
• the service life stretched for decades.

However, today panel houses are a thing of the past, despite the fact that they were built extremely quickly and were a good solution to the housing problem.

Today, most of the buildings in the housing stock in the Czech Republic are built from:

• aerated concrete;
• bricks;
• wood.

Brick is the most popular material. It is used both for the construction of high-rise buildings and for the construction of cottages. The downside of brick is that it is not a heat-saving material, so the house from it will definitely have to be insulated.

Aerated concrete is an analogue of expanded clay concrete. It is lightweight, durable, and capable of absorbing moisture. But for small houses no higher than two floors, a tree is more suitable. Its advantage is its aesthetic appearance. Wooden houses usually do not require any interior or exterior decoration.

Distinctive features of the Czech style in the interior The interior in the Czech style is distinguished by its versatility and the ability to combine incongruous things. It is far from minimalism and is well suited for country houses and cottages. It will be appreciated by those who prefer vintage, eclecticism, handmade with ethnic elements.

The direction in which Czechs prefer to decorate their homes is called "boho" or "bohemian style".

Today we are used to referring the word "bohemia" to creative personalities. But even at the beginning of the last century, it was used as a characteristic of travelers and refugees from Central Europe.

Translated from French, bohemien sounds like "gypsy". In interior design, this style means everything that is colorful, flashy, inappropriate to each other, belonging to different directions.

The best quality boho can be considered the ability to combine absolutely any materials, colors, decorative elements. And this is a great opportunity for self-expression for those who want to emphasize their individuality. This style is very suitable for decorating a bedroom, living room or children's room.

Finishing solutions

To decorate a house in the Czech style, only natural materials are required. And the main criterion for their choice is environmental friendliness.

It is better to give preference to two types of textures:

• the cloth;
• wood.

As auxiliary elements, you can use iron, ceramics, stone. Moreover, in the case of a limited budget, Czechs can even use materials that were in use, but always of natural origin.

As for wall decoration, in such a house in one room you can easily find ceramic tiles and decorative plaster. Moreover, the latter will not be brought to an ideal state, but will be left with irregularities and roughness.

The floor is always covered with wood, stone or tiles, and on top - numerous rugs.

Choosing a color palette

The most popular colors in 2021 remain:

• Orange;
• blue;
• Red;
• lemon and all yellow varieties;
• all shades close to the color of the grass.

The Czechs also consider coral and turquoise to be pleasant. If it suddenly turns out that you have overdone it a little with variegation, you can add white to the general palette - it will act as the background and slightly dilute the riot of colors.

Furniture

The design project of a 3-room apartment in boho style will also differ in the original selection of furniture. For all rooms, you will have to purchase exclusively wood products. At the same time, the simplest furnishings and furniture from palaces, which have long been considered antiques, will perfectly fit into the apartment.

No less chaos can be observed in the mixing of stylistic trends. For example, a leather sofa can coexist with country-style wicker armchairs and a strict table, more typical of a Scandinavian home.

The main thing is to adhere to the rule: no hi-tech and items with chrome details. The more handmade, the more chances you get closer to boho.

The most difficult room is the kitchen. After all, here all the newfangled technical solutions will have to be hidden under a special finish, otherwise you will have to say goodbye to the boho style. It is better to choose open cabinets, and dishes - bright, uplifting.

The bedroom is a place where you can let your imagination run wild. An obligatory element is a large bed on legs with carved headboards.

But the living room should become a mini-museum. All modern elements will be useless here. A luxurious sofa, poufs, a million pillows - this is what you need to choose for this part of the house.

Light and textiles in the interior

Textiles are the backbone of a Czech house. Here you can always find many rugs, pillows, tapestries, bedspreads and other things that create comfort. Layering of colors, textures and fabrics gives the accommodation a relaxed atmosphere.

All this must be adorned with ethnic prints. Preference is given to Arabic, Moroccan, typical for Central Asia. According to the Czechs, all this looks harmonious and promotes relaxation.

You will need massive fabrics. No weightless curtains - only velvet, brocade, silk, satin.

But the light for such a house needs to be chosen soft and natural. For this reason, the layout of the house should provide for large windows through which the maximum amount of sunlight will enter the rooms.

Electric lighting should not hurt your eyes. For these purposes, lamps in an oriental style with fabric lampshades are very useful.

Decor and decoration

But you can decorate the interior without any restrictions. This will help you:

• lamps and figurines;
• souvenirs;
• framed photographs and paintings;
• DIY crafts and antiques;
• magazines, books;
• everything that pleases your eye was bought or donated as a fond memory, token of attention, or just for the soul.

All this can be placed on windowsills and shelves, folded in bales on chairs and tables, and hung on the walls.

If you are a traveler, you have a great opportunity to express yourself by decorating your home with things brought from different countries. If your vocation is needlework, there is enough space in the house to place napkins, macrame, herbarium, embroidery.

Summing up

Before you start decorating your home in a particular style, it is very important to know how a modern Czech house differs from a traditional one.

Video: Bedroom interior in Czech style