Axel Vervoordt Reimagines a 1980s Swiss Chalet as a Calm Alpine Home

AD100 designer Axel Vervoordt renovated a 1980s chalet in the Swiss Alps for clients he has worked with for decades. The home uses antique woodwork, ancient stone, and reclaimed materials to create a serene, authentic atmosphere with strong ties to its alpine setting. Key spaces include a primary bedroom with a salvaged Swiss coffered ceiling, a dining room with a custom walnut table, a hallway with antique Turin stone flooring, and an indoor pool framed by reclaimed stone slabs.

The chalet occupies a prominent site with uninterrupted alpine views. Vervoordt collaborated with Swiss firm Comina Architecture over roughly three and a half years on a home of almost 10,000 square feet. Existing terraces were enclosed to add interior space, all while navigating local planning rules and limited seasonal building windows. The same clients had earlier commissioned his work on an 18th-century European castle and a Côte d’Azur seaside house.

Historic materials define the rooms: reassembled 18th-century Swiss ceilings, 19th-century pine paneling, 16th-century granite, Luzerne stone, and bleached oak. The office features sliding antique walnut doors and a desk built from 18th-century walnut planks. The indoor pool is bordered by reclaimed Turin stone slabs.