Ideas for building houses in The Sims 3. Chalet style

Date: 19.11.2014

Ideas for building houses in The Sims 3. Chalet style

Text by: Nika

Lots by: Ellle

Part 1 "What is style "chalet" about?

For me, as an inexperienced person who is just starting to acquaint with the fascinating and multifaceted art of interior design, the word "chalet" sounded like a breath of breeze, something "French", romantic, with a touch of light flirting. And what a big surprise it was for me when I learned that from all of the above only word "French” applies to the truth. And now I want to share what is revealed to me.

Style "chalet" originated in Savoy - the ancient province of south-eastern France. It turns out, "chalet" originally meant not the style of the interior. Translated from French, word "chalet" means "house of the shepherd."

As a rule, these were houses of mountain shepherds. But even when the shepherd was not at home or he moved with the herd to another place (if the mountain meadows became depleted), and built there a new house, anyone could ride out the bad weather or just relax there because there houses were never locked.

And as these houses were built in the mountains, where there were a lot of pine trees and stones so these houses were built of solid pine logs and planks and stone fragments of different size. Ever-present fireplace - the only source of warmth in the house was necessarily laid out of stones. To save warmth in the houses they covered the wooden floors with skins and rugs made of wool, felt and roughly spinning flax. Similar blankets covered their massive wooden beds.

Sometimes they built two-storied houses. This was necessary to make bedrooms in a dry place - because sometimes in winter one-storied houses were covered with snow almost to the roof so the walls became wet. If they built a two-storied house the first floor was always made of stone, and the second - of solid pine logs.

Ceiling and floor slabs were made of thick, cut down with an ax pine boards. On the second floor they were laid at an angle to each other - under the sloping roof.

Furniture for a house like this was made of pine too. Rough, massive but very solid. To make the seats soft they covered them with combed hair of animals and then upholstered them with skin of the same animals. In the corners they dried herbs which were used to treat cold or wounds, as long as they fill the house with a special aroma of nature. Generally these houses smelled of trees and herbs, were strong and warm. Everything you need and nothing more.

Centuries passed and all what was dictated by the necessity of life became the style of interior. And now "chalet" is a very popular style of interior in the northern countries. And today in the world where natural materials are increasingly replacing with plastics and other synthetics, natural and simple-mindedness of this style has gained a special demand.