Houzz Tours
Houzz Tour: A French Ski Chalet Brimming With Texture and Warmth
What began life as a concrete shell has become a super-stylish ski chalet, peppered with tactile surfaces, organic textures and warm colours
Sitting right on the main street in Val d’Isère, France’s famous Alpine resort, this spacious chalet is any keen skier’s dream. But an amazing location is not the only string to this home’s bow. Thanks to its elegant design, which uses a mix of textural and contemporary materials for a stylish, softly masculine feel, it is irresistible to interiors buffs, too.
Nicola O’Mara, of British company Inspired Design, headed up the transformation, which was completed in 2009. ‘The owner wanted a more contemporary feel than the typical twee Alpine look,’ she says. So that meant no gingham or skis propped up in the corner! ‘Instead, we concentrated on using rich, soft tweeds and woollen fabrics combined with metal, timber and glass.’
Nicola began work on the chalet when it was at the planning stage, redesigning the architect’s original drawings so the configuration would perfectly suit the owner and his lifestyle. It took almost two years to complete the work, with Nicola popping back and forth to oversee progress. Now, in addition to a large, flowing living space, the property has four bedrooms, all with en suites, a boot room, a study so the owner can work here, a cinema and a sauna. ‘Rooms were designed so he can easily have visitors to stay; even whole families with children,’ says Nicola. ‘The owner now happily works, lives and entertains in his chalet throughout the whole ski season.’
Houzz at a Glance
Who lives here A single professional
Location Val d’Isère, France
Interior designer Nicola O’Mara of Inspired Design
Size 4 bedrooms, all with en-suite bathrooms
Nicola O’Mara, of British company Inspired Design, headed up the transformation, which was completed in 2009. ‘The owner wanted a more contemporary feel than the typical twee Alpine look,’ she says. So that meant no gingham or skis propped up in the corner! ‘Instead, we concentrated on using rich, soft tweeds and woollen fabrics combined with metal, timber and glass.’
Nicola began work on the chalet when it was at the planning stage, redesigning the architect’s original drawings so the configuration would perfectly suit the owner and his lifestyle. It took almost two years to complete the work, with Nicola popping back and forth to oversee progress. Now, in addition to a large, flowing living space, the property has four bedrooms, all with en suites, a boot room, a study so the owner can work here, a cinema and a sauna. ‘Rooms were designed so he can easily have visitors to stay; even whole families with children,’ says Nicola. ‘The owner now happily works, lives and entertains in his chalet throughout the whole ski season.’
Houzz at a Glance
Who lives here A single professional
Location Val d’Isère, France
Interior designer Nicola O’Mara of Inspired Design
Size 4 bedrooms, all with en-suite bathrooms
The chalet overlooks the main road through Val d’Isère and a long balcony at the front offers bird’s-eye views over this lively street. ‘It’s on the second floor, so you can look down on all the action,’ says Nicola. ‘During the ski season, the road is closed and lit with fires at night. There’s always something going on there, from carol singing to bands playing.’
Texture is a key ingredient of the chalet’s interior, bringing tactile interest and a touch of masculinity to the rooms. You see this clearly in the fireplace, which sits at the heart of the home and can be viewed from both sides. ‘The chimney breast is flanked with split stone,’ says Nicola, ‘and the hearth is black granite.’ The chairs and coffee table are from Andrew Martin.
‘We used a lot of wool and leather in the chalet,’ says Nicola. ‘It helps contribute to the sumptuous, masculine, but also cosy feel that we were creating.’ The sofa and stools are from John Sankey.
The fireplace sits at the centre of the living space, with two seating areas on one side (shown in the previous two pictures) and a formal dining space beyond, where up to 12 people can gather around the long table for dinner.
On the kitchen side of the fireplace there is another intimate seating area. ‘It’s close to where you come in,’ says Nicola, ‘and works as a little après-ski area, where you can sit and warm up with a glass of wine.’
‘There is always something going on down on the street,’ explains Nicola, ‘so this is a lovely place to sit with a coffee.’ The balcony also has views of the men’s downhill ski slopes beyond, used during World Cup Alpine ski racing.
The chalet has been designed to cater for every kind of event, from big dinners with lots of guests to a relaxed meal with a few friends. This small dining space is more intimate than the formal dining area. ‘It’s an informal spot, just right for breakfast, and handily next door to the kitchen,’ explains Nicola.
The apartment started out as a concrete shell, to which Nicola and her team added numerous wooden beams. ‘Some are structural,’ she explains, ‘but others are used simply to house lighting and electrics.’ The kitchen units are made bespoke from heat-treated timber. ‘The wood has a rougher texture,’ says Nicola, ‘with the grain more visible and slightly raised.’ The worktop is granite, but again has the texture Nicola loves. ‘It feels a little like orange peel,’ she says. ‘It’s speckled and slightly bumpy.’ The appliances are from Miele.
‘The back of the chalet is slightly darker than the front,’ says Nicola, ‘so we used pale fabrics and woods in the rooms on this side.’ The bed is by Hypnos and Nicola sourced all the bed linen from The White Company. The bedspread is silk and the rug, with its textural pattern, is reminiscent of a snow scene.
Read about incorporating wood into your home
Read about incorporating wood into your home
Zoffany fabrics in rich red give the twin bedroom a warm feel. Pale pine has been used to clad one wall here for a natural, organic look.
The owner’s bed fits into a recess, with storage built around it. ‘It’s a bit different to the other, guest bedrooms, which all have headboards,’ says Nicola. ‘There are shelves for the owner’s books and photos, too, so it’s more personal.’ Nicola had sheer linen panels made for the windows to create privacy without blocking out too much light.
Bespoke bunk beds built into this guest room, which also contains a double bed and has an en-suite, make it the perfect family space. ‘The owner wanted to be able to put up friends with children easily,’ says Nicola. ‘These bunks are a great solution and don’t eat up too much space.’ Curtains pull across, too, to ramp up the cosiness for the kids sleeping inside.
See more stylish bunk beds
See more stylish bunk beds
Natural materials, deep colours and luxe touches feature throughout this chalet, including in its bathrooms. ‘The shower is tiled with slate and we had the granite shower tray made bespoke,’ says Nicola.
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