RENOVATION AND LAYOUT OF A MOUNTAINSIDE LOG CHALET

The Agence Amevet interior architecture bureau carried out complete renovation of a log chalet. And it was no mean task. In the words of the owner himself: “What Pierre-François Amevet and his team did inside my chalet is a remarkable success. And yet it was anything but straightforward. The chalet is made of logs and absolutely nothing was straight!” »

When acquiring this property, this same owner fell head-over-heels for the location. He was also charmed by the building’s structure. Built using an ancestral construction system, this log chalet offers quite a few advantages: durability, environmental friendliness, trueness to character, projecting the kind of image often attached to the homes of American backwoodsmen.

Though the owner was keen to preserve the site’s soul, he was nonetheless in search of a much more contemporary style. To reconcile these seemingly incompatible objectives, our interior architects created a new ambience taking account of the full complexity of this renovation.

Agence Amevet found this project especially rewarding, forcing us to apply our whole gamut of technical expertise and seek innovative solutions. Our interior architects had to deal with many issues, mainly due to working with timber, a living material that is constantly shifting. For instance, since it was built, the height of this chalet has decreased by 60 centimetres—two whole feet. This variable therefore needed to be factored in when installing linings and partitions or when running service mains (electrical, sanitary, etc.).

In this project, Agence Amevet called on craft contractors who were highly qualified to execute very specialized works. Some examples:

• Rubbing down (light sanding) of the logs both inside and outside to obtain a bleached finish.
• Creation of bespoke metal furnishing and fixtures (stairways, guardrails, furniture, etc.).

The renovation was also designed to cater for the owner’s epicurean demeanour. Last but not least, Agence Amevet assisted the owner in his choice of furniture and in the realization of headboards, curtains, decorative cushions, etc.

A fact worth noting is that Agence Amevet was able to build a team consisting of its own craft contractors as well as other craftsmen provided by the project owner. “One thing I really appreciated during the project was the flexibility. The teams were a perfect mix,” observes the owner, before concluding: “Agence Amevet’s strengths are its attentive listening and excellent understanding, its many inputs and high-quality contributions, its staggering ability to adapt to constraints without ever neglecting the overall project consistency. »