Chalet interior: photo in detail

Photo: Reto Guntli

Only mountains can be better than mountains

This truth is known even in those countries where the songs of Vladimir Vysotsky are not popular. For example, in Switzerland. World famous alpine resorts are located in this country – it would seem, something, but the snow-capped peaks of local residents are not surprising. But, wanting to change the scenery, many of them go to rest … in the French Alps. A striking example of this is the story of Sylvia Mirabeau, a native of Geneva, and her husband, a successful banker. Although they already had a country house in the vicinity of the famous ski resort of Gstaad, this did not prevent the spouses from purchasing an apartment in Megeve, an equally famous resort on the other side of the French border. Sylvia has childhood memories associated with this alpine village: as a child, she often came here with her parents, and for the last few years she and her husband rented an apartment in Megeve. And in parallel they tried to buy something here, but could not find anything suitable. “The architects here are true slaves of tradition. They recognize nothing but old-fashioned chalets with tiny rooms! ” – Sylvia is indignant. Finally, the couple were lucky: they found an apartment with a good layout, located in a newly built chalet. The two-storey apartment consists of a spacious living-dining room and three bedrooms, each with its own bathroom. The huge balcony overlooking the sunny side and protected from the wind by a protruding roof serves as an outdoor dining room in good weather. For Sylvia, this apartment is a place where you can disconnect from the intense rhythm of city life and read, draw, write for days on end …

Novel with the sequel

The owners commissioned the interior decoration to the designer Carlo Rampazzi, known for his passion for bright colors and daring mix of styles. (Love for shocking is manifested in everything, no matter what he undertakes: whether it is the design of private houses or the development of furniture models for the Colombostile and CRANDSV brands.) The owner of the apartment put forward only one demand to him: “I don’t need a rustic-style interior. No unpainted benches and stoves with tiles! ” She left all other details to the discretion of the designer. Silvia trusts Rampazzi’s taste completely: their “romance” has been going on for ten years. It all started with the fact that Rampazzi designed one of the rooms of her house in Geneva. The hostess liked the result so much that she instructed Carlo to transform the living room, and then all the other rooms. They were followed by the spouses’ country mansion in the mountains. And now – an apartment in Megeve. “My first thought was to add something exotic to the interior – something that you don’t expect to find in a chalet: for example, Chinese vases or calligraphy brushes,” recalls the designer. There was no need to specifically search for exotic items. Sylvia has been collecting paintings by contemporary Chinese artists for a long time and decided to move part of the collection to a new apartment.

The discreet charm of cashmere

In this project, Rampazzi moved away from his favorite techniques: there is neither a riot of colors, nor spectacular “theatrical” furniture. “I wanted to make the interior elegant, warm and cozy, like a cashmere sweater,” says the designer. There are many unusual objects in the apartment, but they do not “scream” about themselves: in order to appreciate their originality, you need to take a closer look at these things. Most of the designer finds are concentrated in the living-dining room. Small modern fireplace covered with silver leaf. Its cool sheen contrasts with the warm shade of the stone tiles on the floor. For the same room, Rampazzi designed an amazing chest of drawers with a rift in the center – as if from a lightning strike. The inner surfaces of the “crack” are gilded. A traditional Indian opium table covered in artificially aged leather. Carlo’s technique was taught by his friend Olga Berluti, a famous Parisian shoe designer. Some details are repeated throughout the apartment, giving the interior a wholeness: yellow walls, light linen curtains and carpeting with a leopard pattern … To finally expel the “village” spirit hated by the hostess from the dwelling, wooden beams, ceiling and wall cladding were covered with silver-gray paint. For each of the bedrooms, Rampazzi chose his own color scheme – in accordance with the tastes of its owner. Sylvia chose a warm ocher mustard shade. In her daughter’s bedroom, the headboard, bedside table and lamp shades are upholstered in plaid. The son’s room is designed in muted shades of brown and gray.

Addictive effect

So, the customer’s requirement has been met: there is nothing rustic in the interior. At the same time, the atmosphere of the house is ideal for rest and relaxation. It is a pleasure to come back here after skiing or long walks in the mountains. “There’s only one problem,” Sylvia laughs. “I like it here so much that it’s getting harder and harder to force myself to go back to the city!”

Below you will find detailed patterns for weaving braids.