design et al are delighted to announce that White Elk Interiors have been shortlisted for Ski Chalet Award in The International Design & Architecture Awards 2019.
White Elk Interiors was tasked with creating a modern and minimalist ski chalet with an abundance of storage, a Chef’s kitchen, spa-like sauna room, open-concept kitchen/dining zones and a large bar and après ski area for groups of upwards of 50 people. The existing floor plan layout was expected to remain as the clients were fond of this; in particular, the way that the master bedroom wing was separate from the guest rooms via staircases on either side of the main level. A small and completely non-functioning kitchen presented challenges, as did the six separate stair cases splitting apart three levels throughout the home.
The clients asked White Elk Interiors for a dedicated office space that would allow for zero clutter, as well as a new laundry and powder room on the lower level that involved utilizing an existing closet space. The original home was heated with electric baseboards so new energy efficient heating was requested along with a state-of-the-art sound system that was to be zoned throughout. All surfaces were to be low maintenance, hard-wearing and easy to clean and the overall aspect was to be light and bright but warm and comfortable.
A mezzanine was constructed from the end of a staircase landing to form a new, open-concept home office that overlooks the recreation room below. The clients can work from home and enjoy abundant natural light and a fireplace view. On the lower level we utilized an existing walk-in closet to create a bathroom complete with a compact laundry. A redundant hot tub/sauna room was remodelled to create a luxurious infrared sauna and adjacent shower. Despite its three levels and six sets of stairs, the home has excellent flow. By keeping a roaring gas fireplace in the dining area and adding a wood burning fire to the lower living room along with new insulation, zoned hydronic heating and Haiku fans, we were able to guarantee warmth throughout.
This chalet is situated at the base of Blue Mountain Ski Resort in Ontario, Canada. Large windows and patio doors on both levels offer stunning views of the escarpment and surrounding treed, natural environment. The use of local, repurposed cedar and knotty pine boards pay homage to the area.
Images – IMAGEOBSCURA