Mountain chalets: dream homes to escape to, away from everyday life
How nice it would be to escape the city and take refuge in a mountain chalet for a while! And there are locations like this in the world that are truly breathtaking, and not that far away from civilization.
In this article, we take a look at examples of chalet-styled "hideaways" that have been designed to blend in seamlessly with nature:
The chalet in the snow
paradiseridgeretreat/Instagram
This chalet (which can be rented) is in western Maine, United States, just minutes away from the Sunday River. This is a new house, and has been built to enjoy the magic of surrounding mountainous landscape - especially when it has snowed.
This chalet has a classic shape with its sloping roofs, a wooden frame and also a fantastic terrace to admire the panorama from (if the large windows aren't enough). Don't you think it looks like something out of a movie?
Magical nights in the woods
The "ideal place to observe the starry sky, all year round". Nestled in the woods of the Hocking Hills, in Ohio (USA) is a cabin that looks like it stepped out of a postcard. The structure is simple and designed to look out on the surrounding landscape through the large windows. Looking a bit like a huge tent, the sloping roofs reach right down to the ground!
Tiny house: a private corner in the mountains
This tiny house doesn't attract attention and is the ideal spot to "get lost" in the silent atmosphere of a snow-capped mountain. The skinny trunks of the trees that surround it can be admired from the small porch that runs along the entire facade of the building. These tiny homes are the brainchild of the AKaydia company (which can be found online). A tiny house is compact but designed to maximize the available space (being approximately 46 square meters inside and 55 outside), and blend in harmoniously with the surrounding nature.
Two hours from New York: now wouldn't that be a dream?
This movie set-worthy building is located in Livingston Manor, New York and is just two hours from the Big Apple (New York City). The surrounding forest is the Willowemoc, in the heart of the Catskill Mountains. This is luxury accommodation, with a brazier (firepit) outside and a hydromassage tub which can be enjoyed even in the winter. And did you notice the hammock which can be used for star-gazing?
The tree chalet
A bit more adventurous, but still luxurious. This unique tree house is located just outside of Whitefish in Montana (USA), and was created with the help of the popular TV show, The Treehouse Guys (broadcast in the USA on the DIY Network). Afterwards, it was improved and expanded by the owners themselves and their friends. This dwelling has become a luxury holiday destination, even though it is basically just a treehouse!
A romantic refuge in the Dolomites
Here's a moutain chalet with a somewhat less traditional architectural design: no sloping, triangular roof, and sporting a soft, parabolic roof arch. But it still has the typical large windows to admire the beauty of the Dolomites. Who wouldn't want to take a break here for a while?
Breathtaking designs by Olson Kundig - Maxon Studio
One of the most celebrated architectural firms in the design world is Olson Kundig, and for good reason. The company's customers can be sure of unique creations, designed to integrate into the surrounding landscape with their modernity and style.te.
Look carefully at the above photo: Kundig's creation is the structure in the center of the photo, known as the "Maxon Studio". This tall, narrow structure actually moves on rails! As the name suggests, this structure is an artistic studio in which the owner can take refuge and work (if he or she chooses). So, when it's cold, the studio cab be attached to the main building (for warmth); when privacy is needed, for example, the studio can be wheeled away!
Analog House
Here's a house that was designed together with the owner, another architect. It is located in a "high altitude desert, with rugged terrain and populated by ponderosa pines, manzanita plants and basalt slabs that project from the earth". The house insinuates itself between all these elements, with a shape designed specifically to preserve existing tree specimens and create a protected courtyard inside.
Vermont Cabin
A smaller structure, the Vermont Cabin is from the same studio, but is no less interesting. Compact and located in a rural area, the cabin is very modern. Its simple shape is designed to allow the family who lives there to "immerse themselves in the densely wooded landscape that surrounds them. A basic structure made of steel, wood and concrete, and which takes inspiration from the wild and uncontaminated nature that surrounds it" .
Wouldn't it be a dream to have a place like these to escape to every now and then?