The Arafino stone sweeps across the kitchen island while the rear splashback is clad in Arute Rinen square splashback tiles in cream gloss, both from Artedomus. Evenex Sincro Tuscan Oak cabinetry with Vala joinery pulls adds warmth to the area.
The beauty of living in a home in its original, pure state is the familiarity with which its inhabitants become accustomed to it: what works, what doesn’t, and what’s desired when the time eventually comes to renovate.
While this long-term, family chalet on Victoria’s Mount Buller didn’t require any structural changes, the spaces needed a re-think, and the dated interiors required a refurbishment to accommodate après ski hosting, equipment storage, and a cosy environment to retreat to after a day on the slopes.
The location and mountain outlook were the home’s biggest assets but beyond that, nothing was aesthetically appealing. The client brief was “ease and usability with nothing too precious, but something that still reflected their love of art and interior design,” Melbourne-based interior designer Lisa Buxton explains. “Modern but lived-in, alpine-inspired but moody and cocooning.”
Buxton took inspiration from the warmth and informality of European ski lodges but with a contemporary, Australian twist. Avoiding anything “rustic or themed,” she adopted colours inspired by the setting: a spectrum of earthy neutrals, cloudy browns, swampy greens and glassy creams.
“Given its relatively compact size everything needed to work hard and have a dual purpose,” she says. “In the communal, open-plan zone, the stools can move between the kitchen and dining table, while the banquette works for meals, homework, reading or relaxing. It’s the heart of the apartment and somewhere to unwind, but also a place to entertain as they love having people over for dinner or drinks.” The mosaic-clad fireplace also entices people to gather round.
“You really need to run your hands over it to fully appreciate the irregularity of the tiles,” Buxton says. This sense of tactility extends throughout the apartment with “subtle Mid-Century influences” expressed in boucle, soft sheepskin and cowhide.
The bar nook and bespoke bar by POLY Design is lit by a sculptural, glass-blown Taff light by Nicole Lawrence Studio. Grazia & Co. Diiva swivel stools are adjacent to blackened stainless steel cupboard fronts.
The Olivia dining table by John Bastiras is ringed by a banquette and Phillip Adams chairs by Barbera. Ceiling wallpaper from Philip Jeffries adds texture to the space.
Bespoke cabinetry with simple profiles keeps clutter out of sight. Illuminating an artwork by Judith Wright from Sophie Gannon Gallery is a Daedalus table lamp by Bolaji Teniola. A custom joinery unit in Evenex Sincro Tuscan Oak features sculptural v.brokkr Bust pulls.
Storage was integrated throughout the apartment—especially into the bunk room—to help keep the living spaces uncluttered. Equally important was durability, given the house needed to withstand wet gear, equipment, active children and the constant traipsing in and out from the snow. “But even though it’s in constant use, it had to feel refined,” Buxton asserts.
While Mount Buller can cast glorious sunshine, it can also be blanketed with grey skies and sheets of rain. This unpredictability of natural light prompted Buxton to focus on gentle, diffused lighting rather than harsh overheads. “We mixed everything from metal to Murano and sculptural, artisanal lamps,” she says. “The lower-level lighting in particular creates a much softer and more intimate atmosphere at night.” Her favourite piece—a brass-wrapped bowling-pin shaped sconce in the bar by Nicole Lawrence Studio—features a thick cuff that “almost suffocates the glass, but in a very beautiful way.”
The living room is oriented around a large fireplace clad in Yuga tiles from Artedomus. A Jardan Leeroy sofa is paired with an Abode sheepskin throw and cushions upholstered in Dedar Tiger Mountain jacquard velvet. Anchoring the room is an Armadillo rug with a centralised De La Espada Kim coffee table and 1930s cowhide and rope stool from Tigmi Trading. To avoid harsh overheads, a Daedalus table lamp by Bolaji Teniola offers a soft glow. The painting is from Sullivan+Strumpf. WOODCUT Carbonised Oak timber flooring adds warmth underfoot.
Formerly the master bedroom, the kids room now squeezes in bunk beds made in Evenex Sincro Tuscan Oak. The ceiling is painted in Porters Paints Dark Newport Blue. Halcyon Lake Opus carpet.
