BUSINESS

THE LE MAYEN

A SWISS DESIGNED MASTERPIECE INCORPORATES LUXURY AND EXQUISITE FINISHES IN A SLOPESIDE MODERN DAY CHALET.

Jeremy Fischer has been building homes since he founded Ivan Stanley Fine Home Builders in 1997. When he says, “I’ve never seen anything like this before,” he knows what he’s talking about.

Over the last year, Fischer and his crew have become intimate with “Le Mayen”, a Swiss-designed 7,595 squarefoot, six-bedroom. six-bath masterpiece home located on the last available site in Timber Trail, a ski-in/ski-out luxury subdivision in the Peak 8 area of Breckenridge. “If you compare this to conventional American construction, it almost makes what we do look like second rate,” Fischer says. “There is nothing else like it.” Most of the materials, from the centuries-old reclaimed wood and Norwegian natural stone slates to the handcrafted fixtures and handmade forged hardware were imported from the Swiss Alps.

While eight-figure homes are commonplace in neighboring mountain town communities like Vail, Aspen and Telluride, Le Mayen will command a record-breaking listing price for Breckenridge at $18,999,000. “Every room is a 10 out of 10,” says Michele Hart, Broker Associate for Slifer Smith & Frampton, the leading independent real estate brokerage firm in Summit County and exclusive real estate partner on the project. “This house is going to blow everything else away.” Hart, who is the co-listing agent with Jim Schlegel, traveled to Verbier to visit Chalissima’s warehouse and to better understand the inspiration for the house. “I wanted to see it from the source – this rare Swiss craftsmanship. It’s incredible,” she says.

The showcase home was conceptualized and designed by the Swiss group Chalissima, 60 architects and designers and over 100 carpenters and technicians with over 60 years of luxury construction experience in Switzerland and have been growing in Colorado and other US locations since 2016. Chalissima has curated an assortment of rare reclaimed wood unlike anything in the world, with an inventory of more than 5 million board feet stored in a 120,000-squarefoot warehouse in Switzerland. “Our specialization is alpine design in the purest tradition with some modern and creative adaptations,” says Bertrand Vaudan, Chalissima CEO.

Vaudan says this house is inspired by the traditional Swiss Alpine mayen, the chalet style mountain cabins that date back almost 300 years, some of which still exist or are dismantled and harvested for wood. A far cry from a cozy cabin, this modern interpretation includes a large spa with an ornate Turkish steam room, game room, wine cellar, and three levels of outdoor living. “We integrate modern and contemporary design details and features influenced by the various European design styles that are slightly different, and perhaps richer than the American design style,” Vaudan says.

The home features intricate handcrafted detailing reminiscent of the Swiss Alps, from the Norwegian natural stone roof tiles and elaborate hand carved wood detailing to the hand-painted stenciled walls in the bedroom suites. Reclaimed hardwood is generously used on walls and floors, with vaulted ceilings flanked by heavy timber support beams, timber framing unlike anything Fischer has seen before.