Photo: Reto Guntli (Reto Guntli)
Better mountains can only be mountains
Interior chalet photo
This truth is known even in those countries where songsVladimir Vysotsky is not popular. For example, in Switzerland. This country is home to world-famous Alpine resorts - it would seem that locals are not surprised by anything but snow-capped peaks. But, wanting a change of scenery, many of them go on vacation to the French Alps. A striking example of this is the story of a native of Geneva, Sylvia Mirabeau, 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 couple from buying an apartment in Megeve - an equally famous resort on the other side of the French border. Sylvia has childhood memories of 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 at the same time they tried to buy something here, but could not find anything suitable. "The local architects are real slaves to tradition. "They don't accept anything other than old-fashioned chalets with tiny rooms!" Sylvia complains. Finally, the couple got lucky: they found an apartment with a good layout, located in a recently built chalet. The two-story apartment consists of a spacious living-dining room and three bedrooms, each with its own bathroom. A huge balcony facing the sunny side and protected from the wind by a protruding roof serves as an outdoor dining area in good weather. For Sylvia, this apartment is a place where she can switch off from the hectic rhythm of city life and spend days on end reading, drawing, writing...
A novel with a sequel
The interior design was given to the designerCarlo Rampazzi, known for his passion for bright colors and daring mixture of styles. (The love of shock is manifested in everything, for whatever it takes: whether it's the design of private houses or the development of models for Colombostile and CRANDSV furniture.) The landlady of the apartment offered him only one requirement: "I do not need interior in a rustic style. There are no unpainted shops and stoves with tiles! "She left all the other details to the discretion of the designer. The taste of Rampazzi Sylvia trusts completely: their "novel" 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 result was so pleasing to the hostess that she instructed Carlo to transform the living room as well, and then all the other rooms. They were followed by a country mansion of spouses in the mountains. And now - an apartment in Megeve. "My first thought was to add exotics to the interior - something that you do not expect to see in the chalet: for example, Chinese vases or brushes for calligraphy," recalls the designer. Specially look for exotic items was not required. Sylvia has long been collecting paintings by contemporary Chinese artists and decided to transport part of the meeting to a new apartment.
The discreet charm of cashmere
In this project, Rampazzi departed from hisfavorite techniques: there is no riot of colors, no spectacular "theatrical" furniture. "I wanted to make the interior elegant, warm and cozy, like a cashmere sweater," says the designer. The apartment has many unusual objects, but they do not "shout" about themselves: to appreciate their originality, you need to take a closer look at these things. Most of the designer's finds are concentrated in the living room-dining room. A small modern fireplace is covered with silver leaf. Its cold shine contrasts with the warm shade of the stone tiles on the floor. For this same room, Rampazzi designed an amazing chest of drawers with a crack in the center - as if from a lightning strike. The inner surfaces of the "crack" are gilded. A traditional Indian opium table is covered with artificially aged leather. Carlo learned the technique of processing it from his friend Olga Berluti, a famous Parisian shoe designer. Some details are repeated throughout the apartment, giving the interior a sense of integrity: yellow walls, light linen curtains and leopard-print carpeting. To finally banish the "village" spirit that the owner hated from the home, the wooden beams, ceiling and wall paneling were covered with silver-gray paint. Rampazzi selected a color scheme for each bedroom, in accordance with the tastes of its owner. Sylvia chose a warm ochre-mustard shade. In her daughter's bedroom, the headboard, bedside table and lampshades are covered with a Scottish tartan. The son's room is decorated in muted brown and gray tones. The effect of habituationSo, the customer's requirement is met: there is nothing popular or rustic in the interior. At the same time, the atmosphere of the house is ideal for rest and relaxation. It is pleasant to return here after skiing or long walks in the mountains. “There’s just one problem,” laughs Sylvia. “I like it here so much that it’s becoming harder and harder to force myself to go back to the city!” Below you’ll find detailed
