Through The Keyhole

By amie henderson

La Maison de Montriond is one of those buildings that you’ll stand outside of, likely for quite some time, wondering what on earth it’s like inside. Well we can tell you, as we’ve been inside; several times in fact. The 18th century facade hides a staggeringly beautiful contemporary home with spectacular features including a vast, open plan living space, a spa and wellness suite, a floating wine cellar and a private boudoir. La Maison de Montriond is a sight to behold and on the pages that follow, I’ll introduce you to the team that brought the project to life.

“We’d been searching for the right property for many years, and finally we'd found it! La Maison de Montriond dates back to 1749, and occupies a central position in the heart of the village. Even in its dilapidated condition we knew we wanted to breathe life back into this grand building, and create a mountain home for family and friends to enjoy. With the team we assembled to help us, it really felt like we were partners, all working towards the same vision. The finished home is testament to the high quality, dedication and creativity of the artisans in the valley. I really wish we could find a reason to work with them again! !”

The Owners: Lynn & Duncan Graham

“This is first and foremost a traditional and iconic village manor-house (maison de maître); it’s certainly not a chalet! We therefore needed to work delicately and sympathetically on its restoration. Over the centuries the building had been extended in several different styles; our radical approach was to remove all but one of these additions, allowing the home to regain it’s authentic proportions. New apertures were created, to allow natural light to enter and to offer views of the famous Pointe de Nantaux; but all the while protecting the integrity of the building.

We then regrouped the recovered floor-spaces, which allowed us to design a discrete new building for the rear of the plot, on the site of an old mazot (granary). Here the design is contemporary so as not to compete with the main building, and a tunnel connects the two properties. I’m often asked about the central staircase of this property. It’s positioned within a glass-filled void that runs up through the centre of the property - as you enter you feel sucked up into the living space. I think this is my favourite element of La Maison de Montriond.”

The Architect: Hervé Marullaz of Architectures

“I have loved this beautiful building since first arriving here 20 years ago, and always dreamed of helping to bring it back to life! We had exceptional clients, and their philosophy matched our own - to restore the exterior of the property to its former glory, whilst creating a suitably gorgeous, spacious and airy family home within. I worked with the familiar shep&kyles design palette - old-wood, glass and metal accents; but always mindful that it's not a typical savoyard ski chalet but rather an alpine townhouse, which the interior feel had to capture and enhance. Hervé and I had a fabulous time working with the build team, especially our talented carpenter Claude Tavernier and glass specialist Thierry Jolivet, on features such as the glass walkways and the glass floor separating the open wine cave from the swimming pool below. Claude’s renovation of the roof and the Juliette balcony at the front of the property are particularly outstanding.

The interior style needed to reflect the heritage of both the building and our alpine region - to be opulent yet cosy, elegant yet welcoming. I also had the opportunity to design my first “boudoir” (and discovered that the origin of the word comes from the French verb “bouder” meaning to be sulky!). This is my favourite spot, a beautiful opulent retreat with hand-printed wallpaper, velvet chairs and gold birdcage table lamps! I adored this project, and am incredibly proud of our contribution to the restoration of this iconic alpine property.”

The Interior Architect: Kyles Garrett of Shep&Kyles Design

A team of highly skilled local artisans helped Lynn and Duncan realise their dream at La Maison de Montriond. They are particularly grateful for the hard work of Claude Tavernier of Comfort Bois, Sylvain Anthonioz of Energelec, Jean-François and Pierre Lanvers, Thierry Jolivet of Vitrerie Jolivet, Didier Plagnet of Plagnet Maçonnerie, Christophe Marcellin, Jean-Luc Favre at Compagnons du Feu Altitude, Manu Strijker of Chalet Parquets & Stores, Michel Ferrandis of Ferrandis Peinture and finally Nicolas Bondaz from Bondaz Frères Paysagistes.