Feeling a kinship with your interior designer is surely the first step to a successful project – and the owners of this apartment in a ski resort town didn’t have to look too hard to find a connection with their designer, Kate Walker. “The apartment in question was one that my fiance and I had looked at purchasing. So, I had an intimate knowledge of the interior, and of the potential,” says Kate. “We didn’t have the chance to purchase the apartment, so the joy I derived vicariously by being able to deliver the owners their dream ski home was immense.”
In addition, the homeowners’ tastes and vision for the property aligned perfectly with Kate’s own. “It was definitely a passion project,” she says.
Designing a weekender is an opportunity to have fun with interiors. When it’s not your permanent home you can be bolder than you otherwise would while, in theory, skimming over some of the dull practicalities. In that sense, this project was a unique challenge because the ski-mad owners use it full-time for a large chunk of the year, living and working here for weeks on end, with their young children. “It was very important for us to design a home away from home that wasn’t just a weekender,” explains Kate.
As well as the holiday home essentials, the owners also needed a WFH space that would be flexible for them and the children. To solve this problem, the largest bedroom was turned over to the kids and reinvented as a bunk room-meets-rumpus room, giving the family another living space for the children to play in. Meanwhile, the parents have their choice of workstations. Built-in desks in bedrooms and a dining nook that can turn into a spacious desk allows freedom with their work.
The residence didn’t skimp on the storage, either. “With my experience of alpine life, I know what skiers require in terms of ski gear storage,” says Kate. “It is very bulky and requires specific care with adequate drying cupboards.” The bedroom storage is abundant – there’s no living out of a suitcase here. Lockable cupboards also mean the owners can lease out the apartment, if they so desire, without removing their own gear.
They wanted a boundary-pushing space, with pops of colour and playfulness. “The whole apartment envelops you with colour – sultry blues, inky charcoals, purples, oranges, chartreuse, navy and hot pink,” says Kate. The result is delightfully contradictory: cocooning yet invigorating, luxurious but ultimately warm and welcoming.
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“We carefully designed every square inch of the hallway with custom joinery, so while it is a transitional space with ample storage, it also feels and looks so beautiful with artwork, lighting and an absolutely stunning runner,” says Kate. The runner is made of 50 percent New Zealand and 50 percent British wool.
It’s hard to imagine a more homely space than the children’s room to curl up in on wintry nights. The joinery and ceiling painted in Dulux Jimbaran Bay help to create an embracing effect. Though primarily a sleeping space for the kids, the whole family can gather here to watch TV or play games.
Storage features in every bedroom to ensure the family has plenty of room to stash essentials. In the main bedroom, Kate mixed patterns with the ikat bedhead in Pierre Frey Pitaya fabric balanced out by cushions in Ralph Lauren’s Dudley Glen fabric and tartan-patterned carpet.
With the homeowners working from the apartment, Kate integrated desk spaces into each of the bedrooms. In one of the home’s bedrooms, an Arch vanity chair from Snelling Studio serves as a boudoir-worthy office chair. The warm hues link back to the bedhead in Lee Jofa Leyland fabric.
A palm leaf mirror contrasts with the elegant fireplace in Côte d’Azur marble in the living room.
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