LIVING
CHALET «CHARLIX»
Das Refugium des Reformators
Mad about wood When the actual owners first set eyes on this traditional Swiss chalet a decade ago, it was all but a ruin. Undeterred, they lovingly restored it – the result is a welcoming family home and a refreshing new take on Alpine chic. Surrounded by lush pastures in summer and ski slopes in winter, this ruggedly beautiful house stands in splendid isolation in the remote Chalberhöni valley above Saanen in the Bernese Oberland. The charming chalet sits beside a narrow road leading nowhere, proudly turning its back on the fashionable ski resort of Gstaad, a mere ten-minute drive away. Not that the owners were looking for a chalet of their own: while renting a holiday home further down the valley, they stumbled on the house while walking with their children Charles and Alix. Their curiosity was aroused by a small “for sale” sign. And their curiosity got the better of them ... Miraculously, the house had remained more or less unchanged since it was built in 1607 by a prominent Catholic from Saanen who withdrew to the Chalberhöni valley to escape the turbulence of the Reformation. Because it is a listed building, before even the date carved on the façade could be cleaned, a special permit from the Swiss government in Berne was required. There was neither electricity nor heating; the building had to be insulated, and the roof had to be retiled entirely in the traditional manner. The owners, who run a successful interior design business in Geneva, were concerned that the restoration should remain completely invisible and that the chalet’s timeless character be preserved. This meant lavishing attention on details that are not immediately apparent, but which nevertheless contribute to the charmingly rustic atmosphere of the house.
058
Winter 2009/10
links Eines von mehreren Schlafzimmern im Hause OBEN Jedes Detail fügt sich harmonisch in den Raum, wie dieses Objekt aus hörnern, das über einem alten Sofa hängt unten die Hausherrin dekoriert ihr refugium mit LIEBE UND stilsicherheit