Chalet des Cimes

Overview

A new alpine chalet stepped into a mountainside plot above Samoëns, where the traditional gable is kept but the detailing is entirely contemporary. A textured concrete lower storey holds the slope and shelters the entrance, with a stone-paved approach between boulder retaining walls and a backdrop of pine forest and snow-capped peaks. Above, a single steep gable is clad in vertical timber, its roof overhang drawn out to cover a balcony enclosed by a slim black railing, behind which the living space opens almost entirely to glass. Inside, the vaulted ceiling is lined with exposed rafters and warm timber panelling, so the living and dining room reads as one generous space looking out to the mountains. A timber-lined ski room with a bench, cubbies and hooks beside the glazed entrance door keeps the alpine kit away from the rest of the house, and the bedrooms follow the same quiet palette of oak, cream and dark metal framing.