This Verbier Ski Chalet Fuses Modern Design With Rustic Mountain Style

There is no shortage of luxurious mountainside hotels in Switzerland, but if having your very own bolthole to retreat to after a day on the slopes in the winter or a mountain hike in the summer is the ultimate goal, there just might not be a better spot than Verbier. The chic Alpine village, the largest of the ski areas in the 4 Vallées, is known for its jaw-drapping views and legendary off-piste skiing, making it an ideal destination for adventuresome skiiers with a penchant for the finer things in life.

Interior designer Alessia Mainardi, who grew up in northern Italy but is currently based in London, is no stranger to crafting sumptuous and personalized spaces for her globe-trotting clientele, be it a ski home, a beach villa, a city residence, a private jet, or a yacht. When a longtime client tapped the designer to transform the interiors of a 20-year-old ski chalet they own in Verbier, the primary challenge was time. Mainardi tells Robb Report. “In holiday mountain areas, work is restricted to certain months—April to July and September to December. Missing the December deadline would have meant the client missing the entire ski season.”

Mainardi previously worked with the owners on homes in London and France, so her intimate familiarity with their style and taste streamlined the process and served as a solid jumping-off point for this project. Mainardi is known for her clean and contemporary compositions with a strong focus on textural, ultra-luxe materials sourced primarily in Italy, and her goal was to bring in elements from previous projects but combine them with distinctive elements of a classic Swiss chalet. 

The cozy residence, an apartment withing a chalet-style building, spans just 1,100 square feet with three bedrooms and three bathrooms, along with living and dining areas, a chef’s kitchen, and terraces from which there are magnificent 270-degree views. Though it’s a small footprint, the most was made of each space through strategic choices, like floating vanities, soft lighting, and materials such as glass, while a defined sense of place was created with the integration of natural materials such as aged wood floorboards, wood-clad ceilings and walls, and, in the lounge, a rusticated stone fireplace that evokes the rocky peaks of the surrounding mountains.

Mainardi says that the secret to balancing contemporary design with traditional chalet style is selecting materials that harmonize with the rustic materials and avoiding overly white or bright tones. As such, Mainardi incorporated contemporary bronze finishes from Joseph Giles, cabinetry from Linea Design with appliances from Sub-Zero, Wolf, and Gaggenau, and for the furnishings, she selected bespoke Jim Thompson gray velvet chairs, mohair rugs, and an antler chandelier from Restoration Hardware. Other elements sourced in Italy include marbles from Salvatori; faucets from Cea Design; upholstery fabric from Antonio Crippa; tables from De Padova; and chairs from Cassina.

“Designing a chalet requires a focus on coziness and warmth,” she says. “Materials play a crucial role, as every surface is clad to create a snug, inviting atmosphere that complements the winter environment. For this chalet, we extensively used marble in the bathrooms and kitchen to add a touch of luxury. However, the standout feature is the use of Johnstons of Elgin wool cloth with padded backing to cover all the walls. This material not only adds tactile softness but also enhances sound insulation and warmth.”

The bedrooms and bathrooms each feature a slightly different design but include plush elements like headboards covered in De La Cuona velvet and curtains from Pierre Frey. One guest bedroom doubles as an office with a custom desk and a Murphy bed, but perhaps the best part of the residence is the terrace overlooking all of Verbier.

Click here for more photos of the Alpine residence.