In suburban areas, where the central water supply is a rarity, the main source of water is an ordinary well. And since it is usually built in plain sight, becoming a noticeable element in the country landscape, I want the structure to look harmonious against the general background. Decorating and giving the design an aesthetic appearance is easy. The main thing is to decide on the style and materials, because the design of the well in the country should be based on the design of the rest of the buildings and the site itself.
What types of well designs are there?
In Russian dachas, two types of wells are most often found: Russian and shaduf.
You can learn more about how to make a well with your own hands from the material: //diz-cafe.com/voda/kolodec-svoimi-rukami.html
Russian well
This type is a shaft from which water is raised to the surface using a drum fixed on poles. A chain with a bucket is attached on it, and on the side there is a handle for winding and untwisting the chain.
In a Russian well, water is drawn from a mine by winding a chain onto a drum
Shaduf design
Shaduf is a less common type of well, although in past centuries it was on almost every Russian compound. It is used in cottages where groundwater is located close to the ground. It is a shallow mine, from which water is taken out using a crane. Very rarely abyssinian wells are found in summer cottages.
You can learn more about the device of the Abyssinian well from the material: //diz-cafe.com/voda/abissinskij-kolodec-svoimi-rukami.html
In shaduf, water is drawn using a well crane
Rustic well design
Before you make a well in the country, figure out what you will complete it with: the design of the house or the style of the site. It happens that the owners will build a wooden cottage in the Russian style, and the landscape will be created in Japanese. In this case, start from the location of the well: if it is close to the house, create a design similar to the main structure. If hidden in the garden, then “enter” it into the general picture of the landscape.
In rustic styles, traditional materials are wood and stone, so it is logical to add them to the design of the well. So, the head (the part of the well that is above ground level) can be made of a whole log in the form of a canopy or a house. A quadrangular or hexagonal design is well suited to simulate a log house. In the canopies, only the lower part and the racks can be wooden, and on the roof it is better to use the material with which the cottage is covered.
The well head in the form of a log is most convenient to do in a quadrangular shape
If the cottage is made in the form of a Russian tower or a hut with carved shutters, then the well can be given a fabulous appearance by making racks of dried and peeled bark trunks, and sitting on a bench next to a carved cat, bear and even Babu Yaga.
The figures give the well a mysterious appearance, and they can not only be put on the head, but also seated near the structure
Around the head, you can lay out a cobblestone platform and plant "village" flowers in a circle: petunias, marigolds, zinnias.
If the cottage is built in the style of a chalet, then there should be more stone in the decoration. In this case, the head is decorated with round cobblestone, pouring it in a circle with concrete mortar.
The Alpine style of the chalet is characterized by buildings in two tiers: the lower one is made of stone, the upper one is made of wood
The design of the well in the oriental (Japanese-Chinese) style
Oriental styles are often found in summer cottages, because the harmony and minimalism of the landscapes greatly impress outdoor recreation. A rock garden, a dry stream, fountains and waterfalls, Chinese lanterns ... Is there a place for a well in such an environment? There is, moreover, a well in eastern cultures plays an important role as the keeper of an energy source that nourishes human forces with its purity and transparency.
Dragons and a peculiar roof are the hallmarks of Chinese culture
The Japanese are very scrupulous about water, so a well in the Japanese style necessarily provides a canopy that protects life-giving moisture from dust, foliage and the "evil eye". In the Chinese style, figures of mythical creatures that will guard the well are welcome.
Materials in oriental styles are only natural: wood, large stones. The roof has a peculiar shape, torn at the edges and most often is finished with soft tiles, repeating the bends of the roof structure.
Minimalism and the presence of large stones are indispensable attributes of the Japanese style.
In the design of the cottage well in the east include plants. They should be evergreen and mostly coniferous. A very good option - mountain pine, juniper, different varieties of thuja.
Also, material on the use of coniferous compositions in landscaping of the garden will be useful: //diz-cafe.com/ozelenenie/xvojnye-v-landshaftnom-dizajne.html
The use of modern materials in decoration
If the cottage is framed with siding, decorative plaster and other modern materials, then it makes no sense to create an old well, because it does not fit into the general landscape. In this case, bring modernity here, lining the concrete ring of the head with tiles, and making the roof of a sheet of polycarbonate. Racks fit iron, with elements of hand forging, and if there is no blacksmith nearby, then you can lay out red brick.
The polycarbonate roof will look harmonious against the background of a visor or carport made of the same material
Well-images for any landscape
Very often in the cottages you can see well-images that do not have a pronounced stylistics, so they are suitable for any landscape.
Sea well
Such a well is very appropriate next to the bathhouse. The basis for the racks and the roof may be a tree, but it must be braided with twine or thin rope. The head is made of wood, which is artificially aged to give the appearance of the remains of a ship battered by the seas. Anchors, figures of sea animals are nailed down from the boards, shells are hung. The bucket is replaced with a beer barrel, and the handle is turned into a helm.
The shape of the beer barrel is a good option for a well located near the bath
Well Mill
It is usually made of wood, in the form of a windmill with four blades. Some craftsmen manage to make the blades moving with a big wind. A window inside the head, where the bucket is hidden, is located on the rear side, and the structure itself is turned with blades to the central path of the cottage.
The well in the form of a mill is usually turned face to the busiest part of the site
Well-house
The shape of the miniature house, made of stone and covered with cheerful bright tiles, looks good in the barbecue area. It complements the composition created by the stove, barbecue, tandoor and other attributes of a good rest. In addition, it is convenient to have drinking water near the cooking place.
Near the stone well-house, you can "settle" funny gnomes
When thinking about how to beautifully design a well, you should not rush in search of expensive materials. Use what remains of the main construction.
- A bag of cement has been preserved - plaster the concrete ring and cut a brick pattern over the wet mortar. When everything dries up, paint it with red-brown paint, and you will get a medieval antique well.
- There is ceramic tile left - break it into pieces and make a mosaic around the head, and the area around the well with broken brick or a flat acute-angled stone. It will turn out an interesting eclecticism.
If some side of the well didn’t work out very well for you, cover it with a flowering shrub or tall plants (cannons, weaving roses, etc.). Do not be afraid to fantasize, because each well is beautiful because it is individual.
