Scandinavia House

The houses made of turfs in Iceland are prominent house-plans during the Norse epoch. The ancient Icelanders used clever earth construction strategies for such houses. They have very strong foundations that are made of huge stones. These serve as the floorings while safeguarding them from flood or soil erosion, thus preventing the houses from rotting and preserving their quality.

The beams and posts of these houses are made of hard wood. Notches and pegs clamp them together. Meanwhile, the pillars that rest on the stones support the beams on the ceilings. The expanse of the beam is the breadth of the hut. Inside, the beams form a giant cross while the ridges form triangular structures that support the mass of the ceilings which are composed of layers of branches. To produce water-proof roofs, turfs and barks of birch tree are placed over the branches. Lastly, the whole roof is covered with grass that binds the whole structure together. Until such time the grasses have fully grown, the houses resemble hills.

The walls are made of turf blocks. These are light-weight, cork-like materials cut into cubes almost thrice the measurement of bricks. The houses' walls are thick enough to keep the dwellers warm and strong enough to withstand heavy rains.

It just so happened that a friend of mine reminded me of renovating my house. Yeah, I am not good at designing the interior of my house, and I would not want to pay for one. Although my place is not that cluttered, I admit, it does look horrible. So far, the latest project I made was Spring house painting. If you could see my house, it painted red all over but that was just the exterior. Inside is, well, a mess of multicolored walls. Hey, that is still my haven, so I deserve some respect.

Anyway, talking of renovation, I came across the idea of adopting the Finnish summer house design. I get to learn about it one Sunday afternoon when I incidentally bought a house designing guide to look for renovation ideas. You might be wondering just why I got interested over these summer houses. Aside from containing a cooling system, the overall design of the house seems splendid enough to blend to just any season. Actually, wood and glass materials are used in constructing the summer houses. Wood permits air to penetrate the house while preserving the cool temperature inside. Unlike concrete, the temperature in summer havens are not too cold. I particularly liked that since I prefer a cold but humid summer. At the same time, glass windows (and even the roofs can be incorporated with glass) allows light to enter the house. That will help me save money for electricity.

Last time, I talked about the Scandinavian home style. I hope you still remember that I prefer that style because of its simplicity with an air of rural atmosphere. However, if you are living in a far country, let us say the United States, you might be struggling to find the appropriate materials for your home style.

Well, you will be happy to know that there is a website dedicated to Scandinavian home needs. I am talking of www.genuinescandinavia.com. It is literally a one-stop shop for all Scandinavian house needs. When I say all, I mean everything from pillows to ceramics. One thing that fascinated me about the site is that the owners thereof is not based in Scandinavia. The owners established their business in Colorado. Their Icelandic cultural heritage greatly influenced in the creation of the said business. They guarantee affordable prices for the best Scandinavian home products they could offer their customers.

As I have said all sorts of materials are offered by the site. Their online catalog includes cloths, decors, kitchen ware, ceramics, furnitures, and so much more. If you are not interested with the Scandinavian home style, you may as well purchase your choice of decor that suits your house. They have provided consumers the widest choices of home needs for all occasions. The products they sell are imported from Scandinavia.

Who says I have to go to the Scandinavian region to get a glimpse of Scandinavian house design? I have just laid my eyes on its unique and elegant design right within one of the busy streets of the famous City of New York. The recognizable and innovative design makes it distinctively Scandinavia.

The design's materials and abstract details are reflective of building styles and traditions of Scandinavia. I went to this place upon an invitation from a friend, and I must say that even the interior design is truly Scandinavia. This project was spearheaded by the American Scandinavian Foundation to further strengthen the ties between the US and the Scandinavian countries.

Almost all designs from the first floor up to the last floor are in relation to Scandinavian designs. There is a Scandinavian cafe on the first floor, a multi-purpose hall or area on the next floor and galleries, learning centers, and conference halls from the third floor up to the last floor. There are no trademarks with stylistic designs to manifest various philosophies that are commonly shared. Perhaps, when I design a house someday, I will incorporate some interesting Scandinavian house design.

As an interior designer, I often suggest to my clients different home styles inspired by the countries around the world. Lately, I introduced one of my clients to the Scandinavian home style. This design dates back to 18th century.

The Scandinavian style is simple, yet, elegant. It is safe to say that such style is more of the rural type. Everything, from the ceilings to the floors are painted with light colors to produce the illuminating effect, thus the house looks brighter during daytime. The windows also play a major factor, since they must be unfussy to prevent the light from being blocked as it enters the house.

As for the furniture, I advise home owners to use those that are made of wood. Should seat pads be desired, I recommend that they be covered with checkered fabrics. The best part of the Scandinavian style is seen on the floors. This style requires wide bare boards that are roughly finished to bring out the rural effect. They could also be painted off-white or simply treated with lye or oil. The walls should have the same design as the floors. As for the lighting, brass or dull gold sconces complete the style.