Wellness Retreat
Nina and Dan simply brought our dream vacation rental to life perfectly. Working with them was outstanding from the very beginning—very professional yet personal. They put their heart and soul into making our ideas a reality. A huge thank you. We’d love to work with them again anytime!
— S. Döbelin
The Challenge
Two adjacent apartments are to be combined into one. In the smaller 1.5-room apartment, we will create a new entryway and a master bedroom with an en suite bathroom. Another request was that we create enough storage space for ski gear and a seating area in the entryway.
The living and dining area, along with an adjacent bathroom and a bedroom, are to be retained in the floor plan but redesigned. Since the building was constructed in 1972, all supply and drainage lines may be replaced. In addition, the acoustics should be optimized.
Ultimately, the overall look speaks for itself: a pleasant living environment in natural tones, with harmonious materials and indirect lighting.
This is what the kitchen and living room looked like before.
Initial sketch of the kitchen and living area.
During the renovation…
...and after.
The Idea
The entryway, with its generous depth, is intended to serve as the central hub for storage and utilities. The location of the opening was quickly determined, and the width of the passageway was specified by the structural engineer. The existing fireplace in the new master bedroom will be removed to make room, and a stylish solution is needed to separate it from the bathroom—without significantly reducing natural light. At the same time, the wet room is to be generously sized and feature a steam shower for the homeowner couple. Diagonally placed cabinets will meet the need for storage while maintaining a sense of visual lightness. The living area should serve as a place of comfort for the family of four, featuring a new fireplace with wood storage and seamless integration with the kitchen.
First sketch of the master bedroom…
… and the final implementation is here.
The implementation
In the entryway of the former 1.5-room apartment, there was an existing kitchen; we repurposed the room’s depth, various utility connections, and ventilation access to create an accessible utility room within the coat closet. At the same time, the coat closet—which features a built-in seat—now houses a washer-dryer combo, the steam generator for the steam shower, and the new heating manifold. Accessibility is ensured by flaps in the side walls of the closet.
In our opinion, another eye-catching feature is the partition cabinet separating the master bedroom from the bathroom, which we’ve enhanced with a translucent skylight made of bronzed glass. An indirectly lit round mirror, two countertop sinks, and freestanding faucets set on a continuous oak shelf lend the en suite bathroom a sense of elegance and spaciousness.
Bathroom with a translucent skylight made of bronze-tinted glass.
Natural light enters the bathroom from the master bedroom through the skylight.
Two countertop sinks and freestanding faucets on a continuous oak shelf.
View from the shower.
By visually opening up the kitchen area to the living room, we created an interesting space for integrated living and dining. Seating for eight people at the dining table was a must. So we found a solution that incorporates a new kitchen island with built-in seating. To ensure that the spacious, monolithic island stands out while not appearing too bulky, we chose light, understated materials that, combined with copper elements, bring a cozy warmth back into the space. Comfort was not compromised; instead, custom-made upholstered seat and backrest elements were used to create a round, comfortable seating island. Furthermore, the recirculating air system is the best choice for living up to the role of the home’s host.
We deliberately wanted to highlight the tile work in the guest bathroom in contrast to the en suite bathroom, letting the matte white and copper finishes speak for themselves. The tile patterns designed by Patricia Urquiola have an elegant and timeless look. Here, too, the indirect lighting creates a relaxing bathing experience.
The guest bathroom features matte white and copper finishes.
Copper adds a touch of warm elegance to the guest bathroom.
A timeless tile pattern by designer Patricia Urquiola.
The pendant light is reminiscent of ice crystals.
The additional wall and ceiling structures reduced the living space, but we made up for it with light-colored finishes and the right lighting.
The dimmable main lighting in the living room is located within the wood paneling. And above the dining table, the pendant light resembles ice crystals.
To add the finishing touch and ensure privacy, we chose soft, semi-transparent linen curtains. Overall, we created a cozy, alpine retreat designed for relaxation.