Designer Lighting Italian Chalet Style

Most Alpine retreats follow a fairly classic design pattern; lots of wood (which has usually gone a bit orange), red and white gingham curtains and little pots of flowers that just seem to get in the way.

And then there is the Hotel Svizzero, a three star hotel in Courmayeur, Italy. Drive through the Mont Blanc Tunnel and it’s about five minutes down the road. This ski resort has a reputation for being rather chi chi but it this hotel is anything but and it was the decor that immediately caught my eye.

Built after the Second World War as a typical Swiss chalet and since expanded into a hotel with a separate self-catering chalet, all the wood used is reclaimed from old Alpine residences as are is the stone and the flooring.

But, aside from the atypical decor, it was mainly the lighting that caught my eye. The owner of the hotel, Ludovic said it was all made by his wife: “Her head is in the clouds and all she thinks about is making and designing,” he said. “Every day when I get up the furniture is in a different place. She made all the lights for the hotel.”

See what you think.

Notice also that the wood isn’t that familiar orange. Ludovic said he used wood that is usually kept for outside and didn’t sand it but kept it in its natural state so that it remains a very on trend grey.

These next lights were interesting. They are simply made from chicken wire with a napkin draped over the top and I really can’t decide if it’s a quite brilliant idea or a little bit Blue Peter. What do you think?

At least you could change the napkin depending on your mood and the rest of the room.

Then there were some very pretty lights made from jam jars.

Or, returning to the stick theme, what about this furry one?

Then we come to some of my favourites; lampshades made using wool.

Or this? I love the base of this one, which was in a bar in the town.

This bar, the Caffe della Posta, also had rather fabulous stripy walls too.

Finally, this knitted shade stool on the hotel reception desk. It reminded me of Melanie Porter’s work, although I wouldn’t have hung all the ornaments on it, and also of Zoe Darlington, who uses vintage fabrics to make her very modern lamps which I call vintage punk.

And we finish with a simple macrame shade, which I also rather loved.

So there you have it. Do you love them or loathe them. Are you tempted to have a go at making your own lampshades?

I should add that I was inspired to this post by Zoe Brewer at My Interior Stylist, who posted about the more traditional Alpine Style that she found when she went skiiing in Austria. Here’s the link so you can compare and contrast the two styles of decor.