French Farmhouse Turned Ski Chalet

The Ski House of the Day is a gorgeous farmhouse renovation at the base of the ski trails of La Clusaz in Haute-Savoie, France.  The farmhouse was originally constructed over 100 years ago.   The current owners, a couple of life-long ski enthusiasts, fell in love with the charm of the area, and the potential of this quaint farmhouse; and they have transformed it into one of the most inviting and elegant ski houses imaginable.  This luxury farm conversion ski house is called Chalet Patagonia and is a real stunner:

The first thing to notice is the setting and the mountain backdrop around this house:

(La Clusaz looks like a fun place to ski).

 Inside, this house combines quaint, antique farmhouse charm with elegant European luxury everywhere...with things like its stone flooring which came from Italy, and the old beams which came from an ancient Swiss hall.

Upon entering, there is a small rustic kitchen just inside the door on the ground floor, where hungry skiers can prepare lunch as soon as they step through the door...

 ...and can warm up in front of the incredible ceramic stove while they're at it:

The ceramic stove came from Austria...I just love it!

Upstairs is the beautiful open-concept main living area with piles of fur cushions, leather armchairs, and woolen fabrics to make it skier-friendly and comfy:

 ...with an irresistible central fireplace:

...a most inviting dining area:

...and a second, more elegant, kitchen (with the perfect apres-ski refreshments on the counter!):

This beautiful chalet has five bedrooms and four bathrooms, with one more impressive than the next:

 Check out the adorable kids bunk room...I love the built-in bunks and those sturdy little stools (and, hey, I have a pair of vintage children's skis exactly like that hanging on the wall!):

As if all of that weren't enough, feast your eyes on this outdoor (wood-fired) hot tub in the snow:

Does it get any better than this authentic hot tub?

The owners of Chalet Patagonia have done a masterful job turning an old farmhouse into an absolutely spectacular elegant-rustic, antique-modern ski house!  I think it is simply gorgeous.  Ooh, la la!

Chalet Christine

The Ski House of the Day is Chalet Christine in the French Alps ski resort of La Tania.  The chalet sits among the pines just above the gondola which can be accessed by skiing down through the trees, or walking across the bridge that connects to the village.  La Tania, a pedestrian village, was originally created for the 1992 Albertville Olympic Games, and is now a popular alternative to the more exclusive resorts that share the mountain area.

The Chalet Christine is a traditional alpine style log cabin built out of Russian pine.  I love the warmth of the  logs, the wood beamed ceiling and the beautiful wooden floors in the living room area (good thing there's a ski room on the first floor to remove the ski boots!):

The long dining room table looks like a nice place to enjoy some French cuisine...and of course French bread.  (Something that caught my eye about this catered chalet is the unlimited table wine during dinner).

This chalet has plenty of room for a big group in its 14 bedrooms!  So cozy with all the logs:

So what does this chalet look like when it's full of skiers?  Check out this video tour, which includes a walk through the chalet, the view from the snowy third floor balcony, a ride up the gondola, and the skiers view from the slopes (...or skip to about 25 min. into the video if you just want to see some great steep couloir skiing there).

Chalet Christine looks like a really nice chalet in a really great ski resort.  Magnifique!

The Tiny Grande Studio

Tomorrow starts December...so with only 25 shopping days left til Christmas, the Ski House of the Day is the Grande Studio, a small ski apartment in La Grande Terche/St-Jean d'Aulps.  As with Christmas presents, good things come in small packages.  It's a tiny and compact space and almost as basic as it gets...but it packs a punch because the skiing is at the spectacular Portes du Soleil, and the gondola is just a short 100 meter walk away!

The apartment starts with a living area that has a pull-out double bed:

...the kitchenette is tiny, but looks pretty complete:

...and the basic bunk-room can sleep three:

But here's the real reason I picked this house today...take a look at the incredibly cute Christmas Market right at the base of the slopes:

Pick up all my Christmas gifts while waiting in the lift-line...that's my idea of Christmas shopping!  (I think I just might need that third bunk to stow all my shopping bags of gifts though).

It's a tiny, basic ski house, but with skiing in the French alps, and a Christmas shopping experience like this, I think it's pretty grande indeed!

Chamonix Eco-Farm

With World Environment Day coming up in a few days, the Ski House of the Day is one that embodies the spirit of sensitivity to our environment;  it's the Eco-Farm in the Chamonix Valley of France.  The Eco-Farm is located in the French Alps village of Les Houches (the first of the ski villages after you exit the tunnel under Mont Blanc).

The Eco-Farm is a carefully restored 230 year-old French Savoyarde farmhouse that is just a short two-minute walk to the ski lifts.  (Here's a look at a ski slope at Les Houches):

In the Eco-Farm, as much as possible of the original structure was re-used in the restoration (timbers, wall panels, floor, and stone), and specific attention was paid to an exhaustive list of environmental issues during the process....such as the use of Fermacel (a recycled product) instead of plasterboard, the use of re-claimed/recycled local wood items, windows with double-glazing throughout, eco-light bulbs, energy-saving appliances, deep section roof insulation, and much more).  The restoration took the owners five years to complete...and the result is Chamonix's first environmentally friendly ski chalet!  Among the Eco Farm's most impressive eco-credentials is its geothermal heating system (cutting the normal consumption by two-thirds) with 3 km of underground pipes and a heat pump to extract stored warmth from the earth.  Supplemental heating is supplied by carbon-efficient wood fireplace inserts.  In addition, there is a rainwater capture system (two 6,000 L tanks) here that recycles rainwater (and presumable snow melt, too) for flushing toilets, washing clothes, and summer gardening use.

The house is not only extraordinarily eco-friendly, but it's also stunning and brimming with charm and luxury, too!  The living room is gorgeous (by the way, I love that sleigh coffee-table!)...

...and that energy-efficient fireplace insert offers an inviting view of the cozy fire:

This beautiful kitchen is a really interesting mix of gleaming new stainless steel energy-efficient appliances alongside the rustic farmhouse woodwork and hand-crafted wooden cabinets:

The Eco Farm has five bedrooms, including a beautiful master suite:

Perfect for apres-ski, the Eco Farm even has a sauna:

...and a magnificent outdoor hot tub:

Check out the view from the balcony of the Eco Farm...wow...with an environment as spectacular as this, it's no wonder they work so hard to protect it!

According to huski.com, the Eco Farm has had an energy assessment done on it and has received a top A rating for energy efficiency,  a noteworthy accomplishment and something very rare for a chalet in an alpine environment.  I give it a top A rating for its luxury charm as well!

Unique Tree House in the French Alps

Here's an entirely different kind of ski house, one that's actually up in a tree!  If you're a skier who searches out places to ski in the trees, here you can spend the night in the trees as well.  It's the charming Treehouse of Saint-Jean d'Aulps, a village in the Alpes in southeastern France.

It's a totally unique one-room Treehouse (about 10 ft. X 15 ft.), perched up in the trees.  If you're there for the backcountry skiing, you might be tempted to climb the tree to get in, but you'll find the snowy access ladder pretty convenient too.   Fortunately there's a ski-locker because, although inviting, space is pretty tight inside.  The one-room Treehouse contains a tiny but complete kitchenette in one corner, and a bedroom area (and tiny bathroom) alcove tucked into the opposite corner.

As you would expect, there's a (realtively) large treetop deck with a birds-eye view of the mountains, and a tree growing up through it.

Even though it's really compact, there is an unexpected measure of luxury (for a treehouse) too...it appears to have a heated towel rack (!), an espresso maker, a set of wine glasses, wifi, etc.  No bad for a treehouse!

Skiing in the village of Saint-Jean d'Aulps is at either La Grande Terche (uncrowded, with lots of off-piste skiing) or l'Espace Roc d'Enfer ("Hell Rock"!).  These ski areas are part of the Portes du Soleil (a group of 14 ski areas in France and Switzerland served by a single lift pass).  In addition to great skiing, this small village has some interesting places to see including an 11th century abbey;  and as for the locals, there is a higher than average percentage of English-speaking residents.
And since we're talking about a tree-house, if you're not skiing and you want to hop through the trees from branch to branch this village is the place to do it -  check out what they're doing at nearby Indiana Parc.

The Ski House of the Day is the unique, charming Treehouse in the trees of Saint-Jean d'Aulps.

Valentine from the French Alps

Since today is Valentine's Day, here's a Valentine for you...the Ski House of the Day is "Chalet Valentine", located in the exclusive Belvedere area of Mirabel, in the French Alps.  Mirabel was the site of the women's alpine skiing events during the 1992 winter Olympics (Albertville).  Chalet Valentine is in a beautiful setting within walking distance to the lift;  in fact you can watch the gondola pass by.  Belevedere Travel describles Chalet Valentine as "seriously luxurious."  With a romantic corner fireplace, a private indoor sauna, a private outdoor hot tub, romantic bedroom furnishings, views and more, Chalet Valentine seems like a nice Valentine indeed.



There are even Valentine hearts carved into the railings on the deck:





Just add your own champagne and chocolates (and skis of course)...Happy Valentine's Day.

Chalet Mary in the French Alps

The Ski House of the Day is Chalet Mary in the French Alps.  It's located in Courchevel, playground of the rich and famous.  Courchevel is part of Les Trois Vallees (largest linked ski area in the world) and has been referred to as the best ski resort in all of Europe - if you can afford it.  Stunning and inviting, Chalet Mary is a perfect combination of old world charm and newly built rustic elegance.


It contains re-purposed wood beams, slate and local stonework, and a design that confirms my wildest imagination of a ski house in the French Alps.  



As much as I love skiing, there is one thing that I really miss during ski season...and that is swimming.  So, imagine my delight in discovering this:



That's right, this ski house has its own indoor swimming pool!  Just imagine skiing the French Alps by day, and returning to swim in your own indoor pool by night!  C'est magnifique!