Inspiration Gallery #14: Chalet Chic

Last night I drove my kid to and from volleyball practice in what most people (who aren't Canadians*) might call a small blizzard.  By the time we arrived home, there was six inches of snow in my driveway waiting for my attention.  Joy.  But out there shoveling in the stillness, with nothing but my own breathing in my ears and the scraping of the shovel and the snowflakes taking their leisurely time drifting to the ground for company, I took a moment to appreciate all the loveliness of winter.  Gawd I love the snow, even sometimes** when I'm knee-deep shoveling it.

While I just enjoy the peacefulness of the season, Daryn gets all misty and nostalgic for skiing.  For the love of skiing.  It's been more than a while since he hit the hills with any kind of ferocity, but this kind of weather ~ all this fresh powder! ~ makes him wistful and starry-eyed about strapping two toothpicks to his feet and throwing himself off a mountain.  I don't share his love of skiing (reference my description in the previous sentence for the gist of my personal feelings on the matter) but I DO have a healthy respect for après ski.  I looooove après ski, especially in beautifully designed, beautifully decorated ski chalets.  So in celebration of the season and of the new snowfall, this Inspiration Gallery is dedicated to all things chalet chic.  Enjoy the tour!

It's the roaring fireplace that plucks my heartstrings. That, and those funky little stools with the deer legs. This traditional chalet living room just screams "hot toddy" and "woolen socks". All over, love.
via here

The view is spectacular through those windows, but it's the spare furnishings, apex ceiling and natural references that make this room work, and work beautifully.  I could happily not-ski here for weeks at a time!
image by Peter Bennetts, via here

How much do those exposed wooden beams, that fireplace and those linens call to me? Like 9-1-1.
via here

Mid-century modern isn't a flavour I usually associate with ski chalets, but the string-backed chairs and curvilinear coffee table allow the spectacular view take centre stage, while the boxy couches compliment the windows. The fur throws are just the icing on a sweet, sweet cake.
image by Francois Halard, via here

It's not your traditional ski chalet but it definitely works. The clean lines, sleek furnishings and neutral colour palette are restful and comforting, while the pops of colour in the dining chairs and artwork add life to the quiet space.
image by Peter Sellar, via here

The stone fireplace and beamed ceiling are du rigeur for a chalet, but the bold, deep grey on the walls and iron accents give it more character than a traditional chalet. White furniture keeps it crisp while pops of red add additional warmth.
via here

More of a lodge than a chalet, and definitely a villa rather than a single-family home, this venue still offers everything you might want in ski-vacation-decor: low-slung, comfortable furniture, moody lighting, furs and fine appointments, and windows that go on forever.  I {heart}.
from here, via here

Last but certainly not least, this uber-modern chalet is uber-stylish. Black shelving, drapery and accessories add drama, natural wood walls and ceiling keep the room grounded in nature, and the orange couches? Well, THEY are the showstoppers. The cardboard "taxidermy" above the fireplace is the perfect touch of levity to ensure this glamorous room doesn't take itself too seriously. Now I just have to figure out how to get there ASAP ...
via here

* I also consider this to be a blizzard, though I don't intend to denounce my citizenship any time soon.  Many subscribe to the "great white north" version of our national identity; I do not.  I love snow, but mostly from the comfort of my toasty warm house, and I'm not ashamed to admit it: I have no pride around this issue that I'm aware of.  I get cold in temperatures above zero degrees, I don't drink Labatt's beer and I am sort of afraid of beavers!  I AM CANADIAN!!

** "Sometimes" might be an overstatement. "Once or twice" is probably more accurate.