Houzz Tours
Houzz Tour: A Chic and Cosy Penthouse in Val d’Isère
A complete renovation transformed this Alpine apartment into a warm, welcoming yet practical family haven
Jorge Grasso et Associés architects had been responsible for elevating this residence so the penthouse would overlook the valley, so the team were pleased when the penthouse owners asked them back to complete the renovation. ‘It was a great chance for us to be able to carry this project all the way through,’ explains a member of the team managed by interior designer Jorge Grasso.
It was an extensive project, with the interior designer directing everything from the carcass through to the cutlery. The owners had clear ideas, and the designer listened to their wishes, but he was given free rein to let his creativity run – or should that be slide in this snowy mountain spot – up and down the penthouse. The result is a stylish but cosy holiday home for a French family.
Houzz at a Glance
Who lives here The penthouse is the holiday home of a large family living in the South of France
Location Val d’Isère in the French Alps
Size Almost 3,000 sq ft, with the addition of a guest studio
It was an extensive project, with the interior designer directing everything from the carcass through to the cutlery. The owners had clear ideas, and the designer listened to their wishes, but he was given free rein to let his creativity run – or should that be slide in this snowy mountain spot – up and down the penthouse. The result is a stylish but cosy holiday home for a French family.
Houzz at a Glance
Who lives here The penthouse is the holiday home of a large family living in the South of France
Location Val d’Isère in the French Alps
Size Almost 3,000 sq ft, with the addition of a guest studio
This chalet-like penthouse has a glorious wall of windows overlooking both the village and the slopes beyond. The owners wanted a warm, cocooning atmosphere, so the walls have been clad in cerused (or limed) oak, a typical material in mountain homes. ‘Here, the originality lies in the fact that the wood is on the walls, rather than on the floor,’ explains the designer. The elevated fireplace was clad in lauze stone by a local contractor.
Having lived in England, the owners wanted to give their interior a British feel. A thick silk carpet features throughout the apartment, while the curtains, hints of pink and the classic chesterfield are all ‘English touches completing this British feeling’.
All the structural work on the flat resulted in several technical ducts the designer needed to incorporate. Here, the ‘wall’ behind the pink sofa has been used as a natural divide between the living room and dining room. ‘We turned a technical constraint into a decorative feature,’ the designer says.
Again because of raising the penthouse, the ceiling was covered in metal beams. So the designer created a suspended ceiling with faux wooden beams for a more authentic look.
Again because of raising the penthouse, the ceiling was covered in metal beams. So the designer created a suspended ceiling with faux wooden beams for a more authentic look.
The Elisee horse-shaped console is a decorative reference to one of the family’s great passions – equestrian sports.
Elisee console table, Ibride.
Elisee console table, Ibride.
The dining table sits in its own area behind the living room, but is still open to the big front windows, creating an intimate but light space.
The building has a dedicated place for skiing equipment, but the designer included an area in the penthouse where the family can get ready for the slopes, featuring a hidden drying cupboard and a bench.
The kitchen features a central island with independent ceramic hobs and a retractable extractor fan. ‘We never stopped communicating with our clients, listening to their every wish,’ says the designer of the features in the almost exclusively professionally equipped kitchen.
The kitchen, made of cerused (or limed) oak, blends well with the mountain spirit of the rest of the apartment. ‘This is a space for preparing meals rather than eating them,’ explains the designer. The kitchen was custom-designed by the agency and made by a carpenter.
The apartment includes five bedrooms – or rather five suites, as they all feature their own bathroom and landing. Each room has its own unique atmosphere, according to the personality of the family member.
The headboards were custom-made, as were most of the elements, both integrated and freestanding. ‘We had a 10ft old leather chesterfield sofa made especially for the family,’ says the designer.
The headboards were custom-made, as were most of the elements, both integrated and freestanding. ‘We had a 10ft old leather chesterfield sofa made especially for the family,’ says the designer.
This colourful room is the refuge of the youngest family member. The headboard was covered in green fabric and was designed this way ‘to get around technical constraints by transforming them into structural elements,’ says the designer.
The parents wanted these rooms to be adaptable, so they’re furnished with twin beds so they can all accommodate an extra guest if necessary.
Headboard fabric, Rubelli.
The parents wanted these rooms to be adaptable, so they’re furnished with twin beds so they can all accommodate an extra guest if necessary.
Headboard fabric, Rubelli.
This is the youngest daughter’s bathroom. The units are robust lacquer, and the walls and floor are covered with Bisazza mosaics.
This boy’s bathroom features a coral pattern, also made of glass mosaics.