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Mountain-made Simplicity

Traditional mountain chalet in Verbier, Switzerland

Belgian antique and art collector, designer and aesthete Axel Vervoordt wanted an old traditional mountain chalet to restore and provide a quiet family retreat from their business lives in Antwerp. No such house was found so after finding a piece of land high up the mountain above Verbier, in Switzerland, with perfect unimpaired views of the valley he began to formulate a building plan. All the materials, including stone were to be salvaged, the design to be in typical Valaisan tradition with a stone-built lower story and foundations and a wood framed structure for the upper floor. Old building techniques were employed and the roof is covered in local flat stones known as lauzes. So successful was his desire for a house that appeared both inside and out to be over 100 years old that even those with local knowledge are surprised to find it was created recently. The interior is utterly simple, furnished with carefully chosen old 'mountain-made' furniture (17-19th century) from various regions of Europe. Two overscaled Vervoordt designed sofas and modern beds are almost the only sign of the 21st century along with a single enormous glass window framing the views from the upper floor living room. Everything about this inspired creation spells out the Vervoordts love and affinity with handmade objects of all sorts - of patina, age and rustic, functional beauty.