Modern Alpine look

” Chalet style and country house Alm “

Cottage charm in your own home: With distinctive elements such as fur, tree trunk slices and coarse wood, the Alpine look radiates rustic cosiness. But how can one interpret the furnishing style in a contemporary, not too rural way? From materials to furniture concepts, we will show you how a modern Alpine look is successfully implemented and at the same time radiates the warmth that we remembered from the last visit to the alpine pasture.

From solid wood to cowhide: living like in the mountains

Lush green meadows, an idyllic wooden hut on a rocky outcrop and tinkling cowbells in the background: many of us visited the Alps for the first time with our parents in childhood and are still enchanted by the spectacular mountain landscapes, the cosiness and the feeling of a stopped time. In addition, a hearty snack and the homemade cake of a friendly family who runs their alpine hut in the same traditional clothes as their parents and grandparents – what could be better? The good news is: with comparatively little effort, the lifestyle of the high mountains can be transported to your own apartment.

The focus of the furniture, also called Alpine Chic, is on solid wooden furniture: characterized by cracks, signs of wear and rusted fittings, they convey a warm atmosphere with a natural fragrance from the robust dining room table of the “living room” to the stool. Natural fabrics and textiles are also indispensable: whether it’s pillowcases made of knitwear, a cowhide in front of the fireplace or a warm felt blanket – the feel must convey a feeling of security when it’s freezing outside and a snowstorm. Also the matching decoration, characterized by the mountain world, should not be missing: tablecloths with checkered patterns, a deer antlers on the wall, bright edelweiss flowers and heart-shaped motifs complete the soul of the alpine look.

A modern touch in alpine country house style

Despite all the rural idyll and cosiness, the alpine look tends to come across as too dark and a little stale in its most rustic forms. For all those who want more brightness and contemporary accents, the look should be interpreted as a modern country style. This starts with walls, floors and ceilings before the furnishing even begins: classic, white ceilings instead of dark, oppressive wooden beams and lighter wooden floorboards on the floor create a cheerful, but still natural atmosphere. In addition, a modern Alpine look manages to stylishly integrate furniture made of teak and other lighter woods into the ambience. Our tip: If you choose furniture for the country house style with alpine charm, you should always consider tradition and modernity in parallel. A buffet cabinet for the exhibition of the best porcelain, for example, is a conventional piece of furniture from scratch, but acquires a contemporary aesthetic due to rounded compartments and a medium brightness (for example, made of teak wood).

A modern alpine look is also characterized by the selective use of traditional decoration. The more numerous the check patterns, hearts, hunting motifs and other Alpine-look home accessories are to be found, the sooner the atmosphere of a 19th-century mountain hut comes up. If you like it modern, you should use these elements visibly, but in moderation.

Sheep, cow and Reindeer: Cozy skins for cuddling

This is especially true for one of the most important components when setting up in the alpine look: skins. Soft and cuddly, they make the home cozy and spread a secure sense of space, especially in winter. In front of the fireplace, in the armchair, on the sofa – even a comparatively modern country style offers limitless possibilities for laying out the skins. Different types have to be differentiated: while the sheepskins and lambskins popular in Germany are characterized by their soft character, cowskins cut a good figure on benches, armchairs, in the living room and bedroom.

Our insider tip: For more variety, the reindeer skins popular in Scandinavia, which are available in a wide variety of colors, should also be tried out. Their sensitivity makes them unsuitable for use on the floor, but all the more pleasant in the seating area.

Furs make an important contribution to the principle that we emphasize in every country house style: natural materials must dominate. Paired with other fabrics and textiles, for example a soft felt cushion, a winter heating bottle made of merino wool or knitted hearts as window decoration, the skins bring a pure alpine feeling to every apartment in the world.

Heavy, coarse and robust: wooden furniture

Since alpine chic is a special form of country house style, country house furniture is ideally suited for furnishing in a mountainous charm. From the endearing corner display case from the Gründerzeit to the Art Nouveau secretary made of light brown softwood, everything is possible that shows natural grain and a few unevenness. Even very ordinary country house furniture undergoes an alpine transformation in no time when it is paired with the right decoration: a coffee table on cowhide or a soft cushion with a check pattern on the dining chair evoke memories of the last holiday in South Tyrol. However, in order to create a modern Alpine look, the wood colors and designs must not be arbitrarily put together: while the original traditional Alpine hut gains its sympathy through a certain chaos (similar to the English country house style), the modern variant should rely on reasonably uniform furniture. For example, if you use a large wardrobe made of light wood in the bedroom, the rest of the furniture (bed frame, bedside table, etc.) should not be designed in dark or very different wood tones.

Alpendeko: The mountain world in your own home

Like hardly any other furnishing style, Alpine chic thrives on loving decoration. Principle number one is: leave everything natural and create a connection to the mountain landscape that surrounds a typical alpine hut. Hunting motifs such as deer antlers on the wall are just as welcome as playful elements, ranging from bows and cowbells to heart shapes, which can appear practically anywhere. Whether on the key chain of the front door, as a pattern on the couch throw or in the form of lovingly crafted straw decorations: there is warmth on the alp, which is expressed with the symbol of love.

A special role is played by alpine floral decoration, which, depending on the season, belongs to the decor in dried or fresh form. In autumn and winter, for example, we recommend a bouquet of dried flowers in the reddish-purple color spectrum, while spring and summer should be characterized by fresh flowers. Above all, the Edelweiss, but also red Pentecost cloves, the silver chamomile and sweet bell flowers in mini format fit perfectly. If you like it particularly expressive, enrich the decoration with bright blue autumn gentian or bring dachwurze into your interior. The latter even inhabit barren rock regions – another inspiration for their interior: bowls and other objects made of natural stone are an excellent match for the modern alpine look. Take a look at nature and let yourself be inspired!