THROUGH THE
keyhole Chalet la Bergeronnettes is tucked away on one of Morzine’s most charming back lanes. It’s the alpine home of Emma Pocock, one half of acclaimed international interior design agency Turner Pocock. I’ve passed this beautiful building hundreds of times over the years and I distinctly remember its condition, pre-renovation. When Emma invited me inside for a peek, I couldn’t help myself…
Emma, when did you buy Chalet La Bergeronnettes and what condition was it in? We bought the property in autumn 2014 and it hadn’t been touched for 40 years. I would say it was in two halves; the ground floor flat with its front door onto the lane outside and a first floor flat, which was accessed via an external staircase around the side of the building. In the first floor flat we discovered a huge attic with three locked rooms. We could never get into them during our viewings but we took a punt and ended up gaining a whole floor up there with two extra bedrooms, a bathroom and a study area. How did you balance the original features of the building with the need to renovate? How long did it take? I’m an interior designer and architect by profession, so I was very clear about what I wanted. We meticulously planned the project and designed the interiors through that first ski season so we were ready to go with our project manager Olaf Ademec (of Alitosa) by the end of the 2014/15 winter season. We ended up having to replace the roof and remove every wall and floor; at one stage you could stand in the cave and see the sky three storeys up - which was terrifying! We tried to keep all the big original beams in the house and we kept the outside looking exactly the same… it actually needs some work now!
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resort information through the keyhole // // © oreli b
