51 Degrees luxury thermal retreat in Switzerland

This stunning luxury resort property called 51 Degrees is nestled high in the mountains of Leukerbad, Switzerland has been interior designed by Marc-Michaels Interior Design Inc. This world-class exclusive getaway retreat hotel, spa and private residences features stunning snow-capped valley views of the mountains and trees. Leukerbad, a quaint resort town of only 1,400 is located in Wallis, Switzerland. It has been known since the Roman times for its thermal waters that pour out at 51° Celsius, or 124° Fahrenheit. The concept of the project is to celebrate the famous water both inside and out, starting with the project architect, Michael Graves, building the envelope in harmony with the site and surrounding village.

The interior design embraces a water theme throughout. Private residences enjoy their own personal spa features in each suite. This getaway retreat showcases stylish and contemporary interiors, with an elegant color palette against natural materials such as reclaimed oak, translucent white quartz, charcoal green slate and smoke grey granite. Expansive and airy floor plans reflect modern living tastes, a spirit which is reflected in the oversized proportions of the rooms as well as in the expansive windows in every room opening onto the magnificent Alps.

The residences are generous in size and limited to just 30. Fabulous for entertaining and serene living, the mountain homes offer 137-225m² of opulence. The elite residences are available in one, three and four bedrooms, kitchens with state-of-the-art Gaggenau appliances and high-tech quartz composite worktops, bar with wine refrigerator and generous terraces or balconies. Blending seamlessly into the alpine environment, the elegant homes boast panoramic views of the mountains and valley.

This is the world’s first development featuring indoor and outdoor thermal spas, with water from deep mountain springs tapped directly into each private residence. Each residence has its own dedicated, unlimited supply of Leukerbad’s fabled thermal water and mineral salts.

Each master suite has its very own personal spa facility, with an indoor-outdoor soaking pool, a steam room and an indoor master bathtub, all of which are fed by dedicated water lines directly from the thermal spring. Most sublime of all is what is probably the best bath in the world. Made of heavy, dark wood and situated next to both the suite’s fireplace and the folding glass wall with its majestic view of the Alps, the massive free-standing soaking tub is the ultimate indulgence.

One of the more decadent indulgences is the sumptuous moon bath, an oversized soaking tub set into the Concetto stone slab on every terrace. Designed for either solitary or social use and accessible from both the master spa suite and living area, and equipped with Jacuzzi water jets, this larger tub can accommodate up to six people. With the outdoor fireplace close at hand and surrounded by history’s most fabled mountains, the outdoor soaking tub is the perfect way to relax.

There will be an impressive array of luxury amenities awaiting residents, including a 5-star hotel, 900m² spa with treatment rooms, fitness studio and pool, restaurants, wine bar, private lounge, private wine cave, screening room, game rooms, children’s club, panoramic lobby/salon area, branded boutiques, doorman, ski valet and expert concierge services.

Luxurious Chalet Spa Blanche in Verbier

Feast your eyes on this luxury ski chalet packed with fabulous spa facilities, high tech gadgets and sumptuous furnishings. Chalet Spa Blanche is a delightful timber chalet that blends in well with the alpine scenery, nestling in the smart Swiss resort of Verbier. This residence combines a bright, high tech contemporary interior with a traditional wooden chalet design. Everything about it is hyper-luxurious, from the Bose sound system and home cinema room to the mirrors that turn into TV screens at the touch of a button. With four bedrooms, the chalet can accommodate up to nine people.

In the living room, located on the top floor, the central fireplace adds to the room’s very modern feel thanks to its mantelpiece decorated with mirrors. It has a hearth that is level with the floor. The living room, with a superbly equipped open-plan kitchen, opens onto a large covered terrace furnished with magnificent sofas and a table that can seat up to 10 people. Zen artwork and sculptures enhance the magnificent design of the chalet. The chalet has the exclusive use of the spa, with treatment room, sauna, steam room, plunge pool, hammam and a fully-equipped gym area, offers a large bay window overlooking the terrace with a large jacuzzi with “swim against the current”.

Rates start from $33,011 per week, from here.

All four beautifully furnished bedrooms have en-suite bathroom facilities and two of the bedrooms can connect.

The chalet is equipped with a lovely cinema and games room with a dart board and European billiards table.  The fabulous wine cellar adds a superb finishing touch.

Out on the enormous covered balcony, you can round off the evening on comfy chairs with a warming Cognac, looking out over the twinkling lights of Verbier. You might even be tempted to slip into the huge swim spa on the decking below.

Timber holiday houses in Leis, Switzerland

A beautiful timber residence in the mountainous region of Leis, Switzerland has become available to rent. For the first time ever, Peter and Annalisa Zumthor are opening up one of their cozy holiday homes in this quiet hamlet to the public, enabling them to rent The Unterhus for weeks at a time. The owners, Peter and Annalisa Zumthor describe their project: “In 2009 we built two timber houses, the Oberhus and the Unterhus, in the hamlet of Leis, just over 1,500m above sea level in the community of Vals in Grisons. From 1 December 2012 onward we are letting out the Unterhus for vacations. A third timber house, the Turmlihus, will soon complete this little ensemble. The Turmlihus will welcome its first guests in autumn 2013. We are very much looking forward to having guests in our timber vacation homes in Leis.”

To rent one of the Zumthor Ferienhäuser holiday homes, prices range from CHF 3,500 to CHF 4,800 per week, from here.

A tiny hamlet of around 20 people, Leis is a remote community set in the soaring mountains of Vals, south-east Switzerland. During the winter months, the area is doused in thick snow with opportunities to ski or gather round the fire of Leis’ only inn, whilst in the warmer seasons two families tend the mountain meadows.

The timber-clad Unterhus property has four-and-a-half rooms and sleeps four to five. With a total area of 150 square meters, it extends over three floors with the top floor advertised as ‘an enclosed viewing platform with a balcony facing southwest’. Floor-to-ceiling windows on two sides provide uninterrupted views across the mountainous landscape, also viewable from the southwest-facing bedroom on the middle floor.

There are two bedrooms to choose from, one with a king-size bed and the other with two generous single beds which can be pushed together to form a double. A writing desk and day bed occupy the study which can be used as a workspace or additional bedroom, and the lounge on the top floor features a traditional wood-burning soapstone stove for added warmth.

The Türmlihus, which will take in its first guests in the autumn of 2013, has three-and-a-half rooms and sleeps four. With a total area of 128 square meters, it extends across three floors. Both houses have furniture and designer lighting. The kitchens are fully equipped, including an Italian coffee machine, steamer, fondue set, and raclette grill. Each house is fully equipped with all of the modern electronic amenities one could possibly need.

Luxury Chalet Norte nestled in the Swiss Alps

Chalet Norte is an exceptional luxury ski chalet in Verbier, Swiss Alps, Switzerland. Though commanding uninterrupted, breathtaking views over the whole resort, the chalet is incredibly private and a real retreat. Norte is the epitome of elegance and opulence, carrying a regal feel and style up its spiraling staircase from the entrance, all the way up to the beautiful living room. Perfectly placed halfway up the property is the vast wellness area, housing an inviting pool. Not many chalets provide a pool with a view, but floor to ceiling windows at Chalet Norte allow one to feel perched on the mountains edge.

Found throughout the property are numerous works of art, which decorate this incredible chalet to the highest degree. Its luxurious decor and furnishings come courtesy of one of London’s leading interior designers, and floor to ceiling windows provide a constant reminder of the beauty of your surroundings. The chalet staff complete the experience with exceptional service matched only by a 5 star hotel and a traditional twist, not commonly found elsewhere.

Chalet Norte has yet more to offer with a beautiful private cinema, perfect for those winter nights and a wine cave which houses top quality wines to suit all tastes, complete with a peephole window to the depths of the pool. Quite simply, the chalet has everything. Completion was only in 2011, so this truly is a new chalet but with a commanding presence one would expect from a chalet which has seen many a guest come and go.

Magnificent Chalet Trois Couronnes in Switzerland

Nestled into the mountainside, with spectacular views of the resort and surrounding scenery, Chalet Trois Couronnes is a private Alpine Estate in Verbier, Swiss Alps, Switzerland. This masterpiece finished in 2012 has been lovingly created by a team of highly skilled craftsmen, architects, art connoisseurs and interior designers from across Europe. As you turn the key in the ornate wrought iron lock of this luxury ski chalet, you immediately sense that you are entering a truly special and unique property. Stepping into the vast reception and banqueting hall with vaulted ceiling, complete with exquisite antique furniture, superb art gallery and glass wine cellar, confirms this, and yet, you have barely touched the surface.

Venturing deeper into the three buildings of this exceptional chalet, you can’t help but be blown away by the array of stunning authentic features. The chalet is adorned with antique pieces, fine art, gothic fireplaces, forged iron chandeliers and natural stone fountains and washbasins, old wood paneling and floors and ceilings from the 18th and 19th century. The impeccable attention to detail and quality and the adoption of local historical construction techniques translate into an authentic mountain experience.

The entire ground floor of the chalet’s middle building houses a fantastic spa area with pool, hammam, sauna, relaxation area, and terrace with incredible views and an outdoor hot tub. A 19th century, glass encased lift takes you to a lavish master bedroom, with open fireplace, luxury en suite bathroom and private balcony. Seven other luxury en suite bedrooms, each with unique features and plush furnishings are spread across the three wings, in addition to a massive living area, cinema room, wine cellar and Carnotzet and has underground parking for 8 vehicles. The chalet utilizes solar and geothermal heating and is the largest `Minergie` eco-friendly chalet in Verbier.

To stay at this decadent retreat, nightly rates start at $9,704, from here.

Luxurious Heinz Julen Loft in Switzerland

The Heinz Julen Loft is a spectacular Manhattan style loft in Zermatt, Switzerland. The wooden chalet was built in the Swiss Alps, combining floor to ceiling glass windows, steel, textured concrete and wood in a unique style of architecture by designer Heinz Julen. The 3,229 square foot (300 square meters) loft was Heinz’s private home where he hosted many rock-star parties and is now available as a luxury catered vacation rental sleeping up to six people. Close to the Omnia Hotel lifts and the heart of Zermatt village, this is the perfect ski retreat.

The main loft living area has a suspended and illuminated table which can be raised and lowered from coffee table, to dining table, to ceiling height; the latter creating a large party space. In one corner you can play on a baby grand Steinway piano, while in another you can sink into a large sofa and gaze simultaneously at the stunning view over the village and at the crackling fireplace set into the glass wall.

From this level a metal staircase leads up to the mezzanine, with a chill-out area, free standing Jacuzzi bath, cozy dining alcove, a kitchen and cantilevered bar area. As you walk on this floor you will notice that the floating feeling it creates is due to it being made entirely of opaque glass with subtle inset lighting.

Overlooking the main loft area, there are two double en-suite bedrooms, one above the other. The third, master bedroom is very private with its own landing, featuring a free-standing bath with wood-slatted massage cover, an island bed on a rotating floor, his and her bedroom sinks, a separate shower room and water closet, a walk-in wardrobe, a sofa, and a TV set into the glass window.

This fabulous loft retreat in the Swiss Alps can be all yours, with rates from $483 – 1,360 per person, per night, from here.

Luxurious Chalet Zermatt Peak in the Swiss Alps

Chalet Zermatt Peak is a luxurious designer chalet in the center of Zermatt, one of the most sought-after ski destinations in the Swiss Alps. The experience starts at the entrance, tunneled into the rock, reminiscent of an ultra-cool Bond villain’s lair. Even the ski room has stylish ambient lighting and a surround sound TV system. Up the lift to the vast open plan kitchen, dining and lounge areas with double height roof and exposed timber beams as well as floor-to-ceiling glass windows, accentuating the space and light, making the most of the jaw-dropping panoramic views over Zermatt to the Matterhorn. The main living area boasts an amazing view of the village backlit by its designer feature-fireplace. Located just off the lounge is a library / study area.

The chalet offers 684 square meters of internal luxury living space with an additional 137 square meters of external terraces and balconies. The property also boasts internal and external kitchens that can be used for entertaining all year round. There are five double bedrooms, all with en-suite designer bathrooms and dressing areas with the master bedroom featuring a large private indoor Jacuzzi. The furnishings and finishing touches throughout the chalet are superb, with walnut floors, Brazilian stone and Italian Marble and Murano crystal chandeliers.

The glass-walled private wellness area is spectacular and the centerpiece is the large indoor/outdoor Jacuzzi pool which extends out to the external terrace. Relax in the Finnish (dry) or Swedish (wet) sauna and steam room, work out in the gym, or try out the relaxation and massage area and rinse off in the power showers. The external wellness terrace incorporates a relaxation area with external kitchen and dining area offering alfresco dining all year round. Other features include a walk-in wine cellar, ski room with floor-to-ceiling glass walls combined with ambiance lighting and a professional preparation kitchen.

The chalet can sleep up to 15 people with a combination of adults and children, comfortably providing for up to 10 adults in 5 double bedrooms with en-suite bathrooms. Prices ranges from $2,022 – $3,371 per person, per night, from here.

Modern-rustic chalet perched in the Swiss Alps

This picture perfect chalet, The Lodge, is owned by Sir Richard Branson, perched high in the Swiss Alps in a forested area above the town of Verbier, Switzerland. The nine-bedroom chalet is decorated with a mix of modern and rustic alpine décor, clad in a cream and Swiss-chocolate color motif. The two Master Suites on the top floor feature open fireplaces and private balconies from which to survey the spectacular views of the Swiss peaks. Rooms can be reserved individually, hotel style, but preference is given if you book the entire facility.

After an active day on the slopes, there’s plenty for guests to do back at The Lodge to relax and unwind. There’s the in-house spa where guests can treat themselves to a treatment or use the gym or take a dip in the indoor pool or Jacuzzi. The Lounge allows guests to snuggle up in front of the fire with a good book or, for those looking to let their hair down, take to the Party Room! The Party Room has a pool table, a bar, a wine selection, game consoles and a 50” plasma screen. With access to 400 km of land, house staff and an activities director to help co-ordinate your days, this chalet is truly an unforgettable experience.

To stay at this incredible chalet, nightly rates start from $823 per night, from here.

Train station transformed into an impressive home

An impressive reform has turned a former train station into a dream house by owner and architect Antonie Bertherat-Kioes in Gstaad, Switzerland. The House is in an idyllic location, surrounded by six Lakes, valleys filled with black spruce, rocky peaks and green meadows. The architect turned the old 7,534 square foot (700 square meters) generator station into the perfect holiday chalet for her family of six. The Gruben station began operations in 1904 in the Montreux-Berner-Oberland narrow gauge railway line. The architect preserved the exterior of the building as well as a lot of the details in the interior. The interior has been spread out onto three levels, with the reform using indigenous materials such as treated wood, which is present in almost all of the rooms. Via

The fireplace is made of planks of wood placed horizontally.

Near the fireplace lies a unique Michael Anastassiades lamp.

An original control panel with an encased fireplace comprised of iron.

Part of the decoration of house is due to original parts of the old station.

Two iron transformers are used to separate the kitchen from the dining area.

The work area is located on the original control panel on the ground floor. The ceiling in this part of the house, the former factory building, is eight feet high. The wooden floor planks are a warm contrast to the cold industrial look.

A freestanding wooden wall shields the dining area from the entrance in the rear section of the building. The use of wood makes the industrial area charming and cozy.

The staircase, comprised of pine wood is situated in the north section of the building, leading to all the bedrooms and provides a clear view from the ground floor to the attic.

Some of the rooms are nested and completely immersed in pine wood.

A wood box built in the main bedroom houses the bathroom and provides support to the headboard of the bed.

The combination of concrete and wood is perfect in this bathroom, complete with a bathtub of Boffi.

The shower and the toilet are aligned by way of niches, made with treated wood and concrete with pigments, and open to the bathing area.

This entrance through to the kitchen has original windows remodeled into a doorway.

The reflection of the station in the mirror of the track, with the beautiful backdrop of the Swiss Alps.

Photos: Francesca Giovanelli

Amazing concrete home with views of the Swiss Alps

High above Lake Lucerne, with breathtaking views of the water and the Alps in Switzerland, lies this massive contemporary home with an architecture that is truly dazzling. Designed by Ungertreina, a company that considers architecture “an obligation in the cultural, social and economic sense“, the project, called Villa Am See, has a sculptural and dynamic appearance and consists of three residential volumes, each with its own layout. The building stands on a steep slope and is divided into two areas: below the parking garage with entrance area and above the actual house. The visitor enters the house via the corridor next to the parking garage. All walls and ceilings are inclined on an angle and are decorated in concrete. The floor makes a slight ramp-like movement up to the lift.

Sophisticated lighting makes coming through the corridor an unreal experience. The house consists of three floors and is internally linked next to the lift via a staircase. On the lower floor are the bedrooms as well as the fitness and wellness area. The middle floor of the living and dining area are located with kitchen, and on the upper floor we find the office, guest room, and a screening room. The three floors have different floor plans, each floor is angled arranged and stacked like a box. A skillful differentiation creates insertions, corners and projections that give the whole building a vibrant, plastic appearance. The outdoor swimming pool level is visually extended to the gym until the atrium on the hanging wall. The garage is particularly interesting to observe, as it hosts the owner’s Porsche collection, mimicking a “James Bond atmosphere”.

Visit the website of Ungertreina here.

Photos: Francesca Giovanell