We create beauty with our own hands. Do-it-yourself beauty in the country (57 photos): landscape design in country style, minimalism, Scandinavian, exotic style and high-tech Show off your hobby

When decorating a home, it is difficult to find the right balance between functionality, comfort and style. No matter how much money we spend on decent furniture, the rooms are always missing something and as a result they don't look anything like the perfect apartments we see in magazines.

Sometimes the situation can be solved with the help of small tricks that take only a few minutes of your time and do not require any money at all. Read the following tips to find out how you can make your home more stylish and inviting with minimal effort.

1. Take care of the front door

We should not forget about front door, even if you live in an apartment building, as it is she who creates the first impression of your home. Take care of her just like you would interior doors. Put out some flower pots, hang a seasonal wreath or decorations, update your license plate, or paint your door a bright color.

2. Arrange objects according to the rule of three

As in many areas and disciplines, the rule of three is heavily used in decorating and styling. The trio of items looks visually more appealing and more balanced, especially when it comes to size, height and materials.

Start small and decorate little corner in your living room or table. For example, put a vase of flowers, a basket of books and a clock. You will see how cute and cozy this composition looks. But do not oversaturate the room with such decorative trifles, otherwise the effect will be misread.

3. Lay out carpets in several layers

Lay a small, thick rug on top of a larger, more neutral rug. This is also a great way to check how you feel about bold experiments in the interior, and such a design move will make the room more comfortable and stylish. Thanks to this tip, you can divide the space into zones or make accents on the necessary places.

4. Arrange books in alternative ways

A vertical or slightly inclined stack of books is canon for classic interior. The alternative placement speaks of a bold and contemporary style. Try alternating shelves, arranging books either vertically or horizontally. Horizontal lines will break the pattern of vertical lines and draw attention. You can put it on the shelves with books additional items. Just make sure the order is random, as the rigid layout is very conspicuous.

5. Display things that have a story to tell

This advice is a little more complicated than it sounds, because not every person wants to showcase objects dear to their hearts and realize that no one else but themselves is impressed with them.

In order to grab people's attention, your favorite things need to stand out from the crowd. environment and immediately catch the eye. Don't forget that you don't have to cross the ocean to find an item worth telling others about. As long as you have a precious memory associated with a thing, you can captivate your guest with this topic.

6. Make a cute thing out of an old bottle

The next time you have beautiful bottle from under alcohol, milk or perfume, do not dare to throw it away. Save it and use it as a container for liquid soap or a vase. Alternatively, fill it with beads and tie a bow with twine. But first, soak the bottle in warm, soapy water until all the labels come off easily. The transparent vessel looks very stylish and futuristic.

7. Dust often

Nothing kills style like dust. Maybe you only cleaned yesterday, but the dust will quickly find its way back. Take a closer look and find the surfaces on which it is most visible in daylight, and be sure to wipe these places between “general cleanings”. So you can enjoy clean air and not to worry when guests unexpectedly arrive.

8. Arrange the flowers randomly

When you receive bouquets, place them somewhere in the corner of the room, and never in a central place. Bonus points if they are field or garden flowers. Random placement creates the feeling that flowers are an integral part of your home, and you are not trying to show off or impress others with them.

9. Move furniture between rooms

We are used to moving things within the same enclosed space and it is not natural to move furniture from room to room. In fact, things may look much better in a new space, or they may serve more functionality. When you don't have the time or budget to buy new home furnishings, the most fast way to freshen up any room of your house is to rearrange the furniture.

10. Store white towels in the bathroom

This is a personal choice for everyone, but the white color of the towel gives a feeling of freshness and cleanliness. Plus, having more than one towel in your bathroom adds a touch of relaxed hospitality and attention to detail.

11. Always keep a few books on your coffee table.

Books instantly add style and serve as entertainment for guests. Be sure to put your favorite book and a few works of different genres. You can put only books or mix them with magazines and photos. This is the perfect place to apply the rule of three and combine books with decorative elements and small objects.

12. Serve water in a pitcher

Whether you drink tap water or bottled water, keep it in a jug. There is nothing cuter than putting it on the table during lunch with the family or dinner with guests. If it is a transparent jug, you can add slices of cucumber or lemon to the water.

Leave the pitcher on your bedside table to humidify the air and add some style points at the same time.

13. Paint some things the same color as the walls or trim.

Most often, things in the apartment do not fit together well due to different style, colors and finishes. Paint some pieces of furniture the same color as the walls, or match the curtains/carpet/cushions to match. This will create a certain unity of space. Such items should be scattered throughout the room, not too close to each other. There is no need to repaint everything - even a small dose will help create a harmonious composition.

14. Keep napkins on the table even if you don't eat anything.

This may seem counterintuitive, but it actually creates the illusion of cleanliness in the house and order in the family (especially if you have children). Doilies are also a great way to add color and pattern to your kitchen decor. They can be inexpensive, plastic, rubber or paper. You can also make napkins with my own hands by cutting the fabric into small squares. The main thing to consider color scheme.

15. Decorate the house with variations of the same element

Choose one type of product that you have enough. For example, fruits and brighter color, all the better. You can also use some kind of vegetable or simple elements that are found in nature, such as rocks or wood.

Put them in a vase or bowl and put them in a prominent place, but not in the center. The goal is to attract attention, so the vase should be of simple shape and common material.

16. Group candles

Collect all the candles you have and arrange them in small groups throughout the apartment. The living room is the first place. Lighting candles in groups is much more effective than individually, as they provide more light, which is ideal for an evening with guests.

When shopping for candles, avoid flashy designs and scents. Best of all - white classic candles, which are ideal for grouping.

17. Add houseplants

Plants not only bring freshness and color to a room, but are also an important decorative element. Place them near large pieces of furniture or use them to fill in empty corners. Small plants can be mixed in the composition, guided by the rule of three.

18. Remove some accessories

If you are a fan of small knick-knacks, decorative items, art, carpets, pillows, your home most likely resembles a folk art museum. Minimalism in home interior looks much better than the abundance of unnecessary things. Try removing some accessories, replacing them, adding something else until you are happy with the result. It is best to decorate the house with one kind of decorative items. It looks stylish and cozy.

19. Keep a small blanket on the couch

A light blanket not only creates coziness, but also allows you to add textures and colors to a fairly flat or neutral room. If you only want to add one bright touch, make sure that the blanket is not neatly folded, but casually thrown over the back.

20. Arrange baskets around the house

The basket is a lifeline when you need to clean up the mess before guests arrive or move things from room to room. They seem much more expensive and exotic than they really are. Baskets can come in different sizes and shapes, but they should be made from the same material or have a common color so as not to create too much chaos. They can become a completely unique and loud spot in your room's neutral space. If the interior of your house is made in light colors, pick up baskets of darker shades, and vice versa.

21. Store Food in Containers

This is The best way organize the space in your kitchen and add a stylish touch to the interior. Store cereals, spices, cookies, and other foods in containers. Glass containers look nice, but they can be expensive. Use inexpensive options. The point is not to have the whole set. The key is to keep the containers in the same material and color to create a clean and organized look in your kitchen or pantry.

22. Hang things on the walls

Many people avoid decorating walls because they don't have enough money for expensive art. But you don't need fancy pictures because anything can be art as long as it makes you feel. Hang magazine pages, photos, and your own drawings in random order to add dynamics to the wall. From time to time, change the images to update the interior a bit.

23. Show off your hobby

Feel free to openly show off your hobby. First, it will be a topic for interesting discussions. Secondly, you can hang the results of your work on the walls, or randomly place them on shelves or just leave them on the floor. It is guaranteed to add uniqueness to your home.

24. Use unnecessary things in unexpected ways.

Whether it's a fireplace, an old piano, large furniture, appliances, empty corners... Place books, vases, plants there, and unnecessary items will instantly turn into stylish elements interior.

25. Let your home reflect your personality.

Most of the stylish houses are decorated with photographs of their occupants. But the houses from real life, in which interesting personalities live, are filled with things that the owners like. Musical instruments, books, old cassettes ... After all, the simplest and most reliable way to make your home more stylish is to add more information about who you are and what you like.

Take the time to make your home not only stylish but also the most favorite place on the ground!

Winter classic. Bleached Pine Cones and Other Pine Cone Ideas

Everything related to pine cones is more than relevant for me now) Sister Melissa collected a whole bag of them for me, knowing how I lamented last year about their absence. I found an idea that really interested me: bleaching bumps in liquid household bleach or bleach. I’ll definitely try it one of these days and share my impression) In the meantime, I suggest you look at a few ideas on using cones to decorate the autumn and winter interiors. Below you will find two photos of a master class on creating Christmas trees from cones. Happy viewing)

First I want to show you this fabulous house, I really liked it. The house is made of cardboard, with decoupage imitating wood, and the roofs pitched roofs here from pine cones

And these cones are not bleached, but covered with gold spray paint. A very stylish option, suitable for any interior, for any furniture, it will look great both in the living room and in the office, even put it on a safe) By the way, you can buy a safe and any metal furniture in the PROmets store. Here is waiting for you the widest range safes, which are divided into several categories: burglary-resistant, fire-resistant and so on. For your convenience, the website of the online store has a unique search system for the specified parameters, including: price, size, weight, type of lock, type of key, presence or absence of a cash box, warranty and manufacturer... Wow!)

But I will definitely make such deer!

The white buds are more aesthetically pleasing, but not as rich as the gold variant. And although ... depending on what kind of interior is in the house

And this is how bleached cones look, before and after. And yet ... it turns out that a closed cone can be placed in the oven, and it will open. I didn't think about that...)

I would like to present to you my design work. personal plot which brought me great pleasure.

When ordering a landscape project, great importance has a mutual understanding of the customer and the contractor from a half-word. In this case, such mutual understanding was almost at the subconscious level. A young family, my neighbors, built a house. One winter, at a friendly tea party, as if jokingly, a neighbor offered me a job. As if jokingly, I agreed, only warned that I would demand the strict implementation of all planned ideas. They shook hands and parted ... until spring.

In the spring, a neighbor reminded me of our contract, I had to quickly get to work and make a project.

I noticed a long time ago: when you do work for a person who impresses you, the work goes easily and quickly. A few days later the project was ready and agreed with the neighbor.

The plot area is 5 acres, the house is quite impressive in size, leaving not much space for all sorts of designer stuff. Moreover, the hostess of the house categorically demanded to allocate part of the territory for a garden.

Part of the plot in front of the house we made in classical style, having arranged a raised flower bed, in the design of which a stone was used. Conifers, roses and stonecrops were planted in the flowerbed. It will be necessary to work more on the design of the flower bed, since I didn’t really like its summer version. But this is already a task for the fall and next spring.

The material for the fence was stone. The neighbor, like me, has a weakness for stones, and not only for precious ones. Near the house such a strategic reserve that you can build not only a fence, but also the Great Chinese wall. The owner took over the masonry, he really likes this work. He picks up stone with stone with such rapture that it reminds me of a child putting together puzzles. Therefore, the completion of the construction of the fence can be expected in the distant future.

The territory behind the house was decided to be decorated in country style. This is where my design imagination went wild!

The highlight of the program and the main decoration of this part of the site was the terrace. The material for it was wood. The terrace is adjacent to the back wall of the house. The kitchen door and window open onto it, which is very convenient for the hostess when there are guests. A large oak table and beautiful comfortable benches were placed on the terrace.

The interior of the terrace in a rustic style can be estimated from the photo. Many old things from rural life were used to decorate it. All of them have taken a worthy place, and sometimes even a rather unexpected application.

Lush petunias in containers and unusual pots successfully complemented and decorated the terrace.

A beautiful, rather unusually arranged flower bed was placed in front of the terrace, which is guarded by a dwarf. I think she turned out great.

An unusual sandbox house was arranged for a little girl, where she plays for hours.

After righteous labors in the garden, the hostess of the house can sit on a bench (which, by the way, was also made by the owner of the house with his own hands) and soak up the rays of the sun leaving the horizon. The terrace turned out great. And how nice to sit on it on a warm summer evening!

Our collaboration did not end there. Planned for next year:

a) construction of an outdoor fireplace. It will be located next to the terrace, in the place where the firewood is now;

b) a fence made of birch poles, such as a bench. It will separate the garden from the rest of the territory. In the garden, a scarecrow should take its rightful place;

c) arrangement of a lawn and an artificial reservoir and an alpine slide;

d) arrangement of a flower garden at the entrance area.

Lots of work. The kind of work that brings pleasure, you can do all your life.

Each owner wants to make his summer cottage special and unique. But there are not always unlimited material possibilities for expensive landscape design. This does not mean at all that stylish, modern and original country beauty with your own hands is impossible. With a minimum of costs, it is quite possible to create a paradise for relaxation and get the maximum pleasure not only from the result, but also from the creative process.

Getting to the design, it is advisable to immediately decide on the style of the proposed decor. To keep up with the latest trends in landscape design, and choose an original and unusual garden decor, let's pay attention to the options for the latest popular styles of country decor.

Popular Landscape Design Styles

How to make a cottage beautiful with your own hands, without the services of expensive specialists, and is it possible? Popular garden design trends allow you to create a miracle with a minimum of costs even without special building skills.

Rustic style can be found in almost any country house, but you want something original and modern. And if you try to refresh your knowledge of geography and design a site in the style of a corner of our Planet, which you dreamed of visiting, but, unfortunately, it was not possible?

Variations on the theme "country" or, we travel without leaving home

Depending on the architecture country house and the relief of the site, you can choose a rustic style in the spirit of a particular country.

What features are characteristic of the most popular and fashionable:

• Exquisite "Provence" - distinguished by sophisticated simplicity and characteristic lavender, blue scale with all shades white color. The use of natural materials is welcome - wood, stone, sandstone.

Advice. The French countryside is characterized by the use of a wide variety of antiques.
What is not creative in the country with your own hands - an old sideboard, converted into a flower bed and painted in white and blue tones?

• Cowboy ranch - decor features are emphasized by attributes from the life of the shepherds of the Wild West (horse harness, old wooden wheel, bright flower bed in an old wooden cart or barrel). All farmers in South America preferred white and brown colors, played with contrast. Style features - deliberate simplicity and functionality;

• Warm breath of the Adriatic - Mediterranean style is characterized by the use of natural light stone or warm sandstone in landscape decoration. They can be laid out paths and bases of arbors. As the main accent, you can use a statue or a decorative antique stone fountain. An abundance of tropical greenery or stylization “under palm trees” and evergreen cypresses is welcome;

• Making a cottage with your own hands in the Slavic style does not present any difficulty at all. It is enough to erect a wattle fence decorated with bright sunflowers and inexpensive ceramics and break several round flower beds with bright summer flowers.

Advice. For beautiful decor any old utensils painted in bright, cheerful colors will do, which can serve as a universal flower bed.

Design in the style of minimalist Asian countries

Great popularity in last years enjoy the design of the landscape in a very symbolic, restrained simplicity and deep content of Japanese and Chinese style. Interestingly, for all its simplicity and uncomplicatedness, this decor requires careful consideration of every detail.

This design is ideal for sites located in the southern regions or for gardens with poor sandy or clay soils. Japanese gardens are ideally located on an uneven, hilly landscape, which can be interestingly beaten in an original composition from improvised materials, the price of which is minimal.

Filled with meaning and peace beautiful cottage do-it-yourself Japanese-style necessarily implies the following elements of the landscape:

• A dry stream is water, one of the four main elements of Eastern philosophy, so it must be present in the design of the garden. But if it is not possible to organize a small pond or fountain, then the way out is a dry stream. This composition is performed on a surface covered with river sand, imitating ripples on the surface of the water using wavy lines.

Advice. A dry stream or pond looks very interesting in combination with evergreen trees decorated in the spirit of Bonsai.

• The rock garden is an exciting creative activity in hot weather. summer days. The stones in the garden are arranged from left to right, according to the principle of any artistic composition, and the architecture of the garden depends only on the author's imagination;
• The main principle of the Japanese style is asymmetry and sinuous lines, merging into a single harmonious composition;

• Country houses from a block of containers can be easily styled as an oriental pagoda in restrained brown and white tones;
• A hedge or an arch for climbing flowers made of bamboo will emphasize the style features;
• All lines in the design of fences, paths, flower beds and lawns are distinguished by the absence of strict symmetry and rectangular shapes. Welcome, ovals, circles, intricately curved lines.

Advice. Plants for oriental garden do not require special care, as it is basically conifers trees and shrubs, ideally evergreen (pine, spruce, cypress, juniper).
Herbs - calamus, rosemary, all plants with small white-blue or light pink flowers.

Simplicity and naturalness of harsh Scandinavia

If the owner of the site prefers the strict simplicity of the classics, appreciates comfort with minimal use of decor, then the style of harsh Scandinavia will suit you perfectly. Especially this design will appeal to people who do not have the opportunity and time to take care of the site for a long time.

Scandinavian dacha do-it-yourself landscaping:

• Strict correct geometry of flowerbeds and lawns, a rigid delimitation of the recreation area and the garden;
• A minimum of plastic, metal modern decor attributes;
• , mostly coniferous;
• Paved smooth paths, covered with gravel or decorated natural stone gray tones;
• As the main accent, you can use an alpine hill of stones or one large boulder stone;

• Instead of wooden fences and fences, live green hedges of evergreen shrubs are used, which are made in rigid geometric proportions with sharp corners;
• How can you decorate a cottage with your own hands in the Scandinavian style - set up a small garden of unpretentious heather with one square or rectangular flower bed.

Advice. The northern latitudes are characterized by planting flower beds not in flower beds, but in pots or flowerpots, which is due to the harsh climate.
Such plantings can be easily brought to a warm place with the onset of cold weather, and it is much easier to care for them.

original exotic

Traveling to distant hot countries for the weekend is real in the Moscow region and on Sakhalin. Enough to create a Garden of Eden on suburban area in an exotic way.

It is quite easy to do it yourself:

• Materials that are always at hand - stone, crushed stone, sand, dark wood (can be darkened with stain), intricately curved roots and branches covered with varnish, African do-it-yourself dolls or totems of wild African tribes;
• Vegetation and flower beds should be arranged in tiers, as in a real jungle, giving preference to climbing vines and bright exotics, for which you still need to rent a diesel generator for a summer residence for the winter;
• Fences and metal fences are excluded, only live, lushly flowering thickets that form randomly;
• Home-made figurines of bright southern birds and unusual animals are welcome, which can be created from an ordinary piece of wood or even straw;
• Color combinations are bright and contrasting.

Important. The exotic style of decor does not accept strict lines and "traces of domestication" of nature.
Only the natural habitat of the jungle.

Unstoppable, rebellious high-tech

A modern, fast-paced and technological style of decor that will appeal to people under thirty, and children will simply delight in it. This design also does not recognize any rules and restrictions, but has its own nuances.

How to decorate a cottage with your own hands in a modern fashionable and outrageous style:

• The combination of the incongruous - the combination of the most unexpected materials (plastic - glass - wood, metal - stone - an old computer case, tin - glass);
• As a main accent, you can at your leisure invent your own metal architectural composition from tin scraps, and build a fantastic lunar landscape around it;

• Plants should also be modern. Unusual shape of leaves, bent trunks, preferably cold blue and white shades of flowers;
• There is practically no limit to experiments in this direction.

Important. Cannot be combined modern direction decorated with rustic accessories or romantic carvings.
Only unexpected asymmetric lines and original designs.

Where to start creative needlework for a summer cottage with your own hands, and what criteria for choosing a design style should be guided in a particular case.

• In order for the decor to look harmonious, it is important to think through the whole design concept in detail, for this a preliminary plan is useful - a sketch. On the plan, you can optimally arrange all the objects, depicting the whole picture as a whole;
• When choosing a design option, it is important to take into account the terrain, soil composition and average temperature regime in the region. Depending primarily on the relief, the design style is also chosen. Almost any design is suitable for flat terrain, but for a plot on a hillock, it is better to choose a decor in Japanese or Mediterranean style;

• To make the garden look harmonious, there is a technique “choosing the main axis”. We need to direct the viewer's gaze to the object we need or central element compositions. For this, the center of the composition is chosen, for example, a fountain or a sculpture, and with the help of paved paths, borders and hedges, we direct attention to the center;

• Symmetrical paths, flower beds and decor items allow you to streamline the overall composition. Symmetry is most often used in classical English version site design;
• The undesirable shape of the site, for example, narrow, can be visually corrected. If plants of the same shape and color are planted along a straight path, the site will appear wider. If bright, colorful plants are planted at the end of the alley, they will appear much closer and this will also widen the alley;

• Don't be afraid to experiment. Sometimes it is the lack of funds for the purchase of expensive decor that allows you to create true works of art from improvised means, as seen in the photo;
• When choosing a style, it is important to focus on natural features that can be emphasized.. For example, a small pond can become the center of the whole composition. Even a summer cottage located on a slope can be played like a Sicilian ranch, with spectacular Mediterranean-style terraces.

Advice. If a certain design style is chosen, then it is worth sticking to it without mixing decor options that are opposite in meaning.
For example, in Japanese garden wattle with ceramic caps will look ridiculous.

Conclusion

There is nothing more pleasant than to become a real Creator and Creator on your six acres. There would be a desire, and a family vacation will become much more interesting if each of the household members takes part in organizing the living space in the country. The presented video in this article will introduce the reader to some original ideas in landscape design.