Peak View
Interior Architecture| Switzerland
Defining the Brief
This duplex chalet with its separate studio apartment is located near the Petit Village on the sunny hillside of the Wiesti area. Reaching this location requires a little extra effort but the rewarding views day and night make up for every deep breath, so much that you do not want to go out for dinner and rather cook in while enjoying the illuminated village at your feet.
The unique set up of the two connected but separate apartments now allows accommodation for 12 guests in 5 bedrooms. The entire property was gutted back to the concrete walls. Everything was replaced including all windows and doors, flooring and bathrooms, kitchens and staircases, walls were moved and windows closed to allow much better flow and use of every inch of space.
Dating from year 2000, the building is neither a truly old nor fake old chalet, therefore to introduce warmth and coziness we worked with stained oak rather than reclaimed wood. Colourful fabrics and artworks complement the otherwise restrained palette of dark wood and cream walls.
INTERIOR ARCHITECTURE
Open Plan Living
On the ground floor the main apartment has three bedrooms and two bathrooms and features a large open plan kitchen, dining, sitting area. The heart of the duplex is the round bay window which offers enviable views over Zermatt , in full sunshine all day and straight sight of the Matterhorn. This rotund panorama view was maximized with new triple glazed solid oak slimline full glass windows. The existing antique stone fireplace was turned around to face the seating area. Access to the master suite on the floor above is via a newly designed floating steel staircase with a minimalist glass balustrade.
The drawback of such open plan arrangements is how to zone the vast area and create usable wall spaces. To this end, we built a bookcase to delineate two seating areas and reconstructed and straightened the hitherto kinked walls of the first bedroom and bathroom. These walls now offer the necessary structure for the floating staircase and a large sliding door wardrobe. The combination of timber cladding and cream linen wallpaper make this open plan space cozy, textured and welcoming.
INTERIOR DESIGN
Colour Palette
It is not a science how to start a colour palette for a new project. There is luck, intuition, family tastes, inspiration from artworks or surroundings. In this case we discovered a fabric from a new spring collection which is textured and woven from at least eight colours and everyone fell in love with. This combination set the tone for the open plan space which is now dominated by the pairing of lilac, lavender, purple with shades of green from granny smith apple, moss, seafoam to dark olive. Interspersed with pops of blue and copper browns, these colours combine beautifully with the cream linen walls, dark oak cladding and black steel stairs and structural columns.
Kitchen Design
he chalet features two kitchens , one in the main apartment and one for the studio. Both are open plan and we worked closely with our joinery company who built every unit bespoke to our dimensions. We struck a balance between functionality – with highend appliances– and aesthetics – cabinetry arranged in sizes tailored to achieve symmetry. The new island offers seating for four stools and we closed a very unnecessary kitchen window at the rear which now allows a full row of ceiling high cabinets. The doors are fitted with laminated ribbed glass with metallic fabric inbetween, a discovery from Maison Objet and made by Bisson Bruneel. The worktop is a leathered local green natural granite called Andeer.
INTERIOR STYLING
Sleeping Beauty
Chalet bedrooms are often small, grey and lack storage. The bedrooms we have created for our guests are a sanctuary of comfort, enveloped in textured linen walls, fabric clad headboards and fitted with generous wardrobes. Beds by Treca Paris offer heavenly sleep and each rooms has a distinct Colour scheme where everything is coordinated from rugs, wallpaper, curtains, artworks , headboards and wardrobe doors, cushions and even bespoke colored bedlinen in luxurious thread count. Each room is designed to offer a desk which can function as a vanity or a WFH space.
The original concept featured a raised platform bubble bath with views over a central bed out to the mountains. The ensuite and dressing facilities were all open plan within a large master area. It was modern but we changed it around. The bed now faces out straight and sits close to the window offering the most direct view. We introduced a wall which holds wardrobes and frames the dressing spaces.
True Luxury
If you want to spoil your guests who come to stay at a holiday home then think about what they might appreciate. It’s the little details they notice, where thought, planning, coordination and effort has been made. True luxury is to consider the little details, anticipate your guests needs, what they touch, smell where they can store toiletries, hang coats, and hide suitcases.
Luxurious bedlinen , fluffy towels and comfortable bathrobes will make a big impression. The bed legs were all designed at a height to allow suitcases to be stored underneath. Bedside tables are wide and deep with drawers to hide clutter, reading lights offer hotel comfort, selected artworks personalized for each room and all relating to winter themes add creative flair and luxury to each room.
The Mater Suite
As a studio we mostly design in 3D perspectives because these will allows us to eke out the best possible interactions between spaces and shapes. Clients appreciate these visuals which we render but they don’t need to be photo realistic, our aim is to inspire and create but leave the wow effect for the final realization. No more so than with this master suite which exceeds everyone’s dreams.
The original concept featured a raised platform bubble bath with views over a central bed out to the mountains. The ensuite and dressing facilities were all open plan within a large master area. It was modern but we changed it around. The bed now faces out straight and sits close to the window offering the most direct view. We introduced a wall which holds wardrobes and frames the dressing spaces.
The ensuite bathroom was moved and can now be closed off with a sliding door. Roof windows were relocated with considerable effort in order to position natural light to the desired locations. A sauna now takes the place of the bubble bath which offers greater value for the new owners lifestyle. Who doesn’t look forward to a hot stretch after a day in the freezing cold.
Is it real?
The luxurious look of wood and marble is appealing but the maintenance involved is onerous especially if you are wanting to enjoy a holiday home, lend it to friends and not worry too much about writing instruction lists. Lucky then that we can now recreate the most deceptively real looking surfaces with man made materials.
In order to achieve harmonious balance and continuity throughout the entire property we used wood effect tiles which means we can also lay rugs with no concern for the underfloor heating. This flooring can be mopped and forgives muddy wet boots and dogs. The bathroom floors are all limestone porcelain and the walls clad with marble effect porcelain. It feels great to enjoy luxury without any worries over maintenance.
INTERIOR ARCHITECTURE
The Studio
Originally this was one large open space which was not cozy and lacking in storage. The key to the castle was the redesign of the staircase. Working with the specialist staircase manufacturer we saved one square meter on the upper floor which now offers a steeper more compact climb allowing for a generous wardrobe downstairs and gave us the depth we needed above to build the required walls for a walk in wardrobe leading to the ensuite. The bathroom itself is compact but sized just right to allow a shower and a bath and a double vanity unit. Nestled under the sloping roof it used to feel cramped but cutting out a large section of the roof and replacing it with a maximum size glass ceiling gained considerable height and to everyone’s surprise opened up a glimpse of the Matterhorn.
Introducing walls rather than eliminating them has created valuable zoning , storage and wall space for art. The original ceilings were sandblasted and stained dark to match the new oak cladding. Two double beds are fitting into cabins under the roof which can be closed with curtains, thus leaving a pretty dining space.
Bespoke Joinery
One of the hallmarks of our studio’s skill is the spatial transformation by creating luxurious bespoke fitted furniture. Working in collaboration with local craftmen, the existing spaces have been unrecognizably transformed to integrate lighting, curtains, safes, sliding doors, heated mirrors, recessed vanity cabinets and ample room for clothes, books and all the vast range of accessories that go with outdoor activities, everything has been planned for avoid clutter at all times.
