Episode Information Les Gets: The Alpine Chalet

Date Published:

12/06/2008

Nicky and James Dobree were raised in France and in a mountainous area respectively. Nicky was raised in France, James in Beirut - both have fond memories of the mountains as children. So it was natural for them to one day look to buy a place amongst France's tallest peaks, the Alps.

The journey moving the family, including their two young sons, Fabian and Felix, from South London to a renovated 300-year-old farmhouse in Les Gets was to have its ups and downs. It was never meant to be a permanent move. The original plan was to develop the top two floors of the chalet so the family could spend the summer there, overseeing the completion of the bottom floors. They would then be able to rent our the whole chalet in the winter months. The family were only planning to use their new home for the summer seasons.

The Build

Having visited the Haute Savoie region on several occasions searching for their dream home, the couple discovered the large farmhouse in a tiny hamlet called Moudon, one-hour's drive from Geneva - the nearest major airport.

The region is France's premier ski area, incorporating Porte du Soleil. Les Gets itself is part of the Haute Savoie area, sitting in the shadow of Mont Blanc.

Les Gets' population swells to 15,000 during the skiing season and drops to a handful during summertime (although can be quite busy in summer with mountain biking championships).

Nicky and James' property is one of a few in the hamlet, which dates to the 10th century. A vast farmhouse that the couple affectionately calls their 'cow shed', the building stands in several acres of land with stunning Alpine mountain and forest views.

Due to planning regulations the couple had to retain the original façade of the old house but were able to make a sharp contemporary statement to the vast interior.

The juxtaposition between the old and the new was central to the Nicky's philosophy for the home. In her words the building's 300-year-old soul speaks for itself and their role was to listen to its history while adapting its spirit to the comforts and requirements of the 21st century.

As much as possible of the original wood and stone would be retained, and where new wood had to be used, it would be treated to blend in with the existing materials.

In an area where most houses are 'chocolate box-style' chalets, interior designer Nicky planned for an interior that was strikingly contemporary and owed more to Scandinavia than the indigenous area. Inspired by the vision of a Norwegian architect, whose house Nicky visited, the interior would combine light and dark woods with an attention to detail that would create a dramatic modern home.

Combining her ideas with the Norwegian architect's and obtaining planning permission by working with a French architect, Nicky's plan was to open up the back of the house on two levels by installing floor to ceiling windows.

Eight bedrooms and bathrooms, two sitting rooms and two kitchens would feature in total across the four floors, including a basement, that would be dug out to house a boiler and sauna room, bedroom and shower room. It an ambitious plan and all the more so in the 11-month build time Nicky had allowed.

Employing local stone masons and carpenters, headed up by M. Bastard, and project managing the renovation herself from London (initially visiting the site every two weeks), Nicky's resolve was to be tested not only by the building but most severely by her relations with the workmen.

It was to be an ongoing battle that Nicky was only to win slowly and often by taking one step back in order to move two forward.

The first challenge was when on digging out the cellar, the stone mason, M. Bergoend, discovered that the house had been built on the earth, a potentially major problem compounded when a couple of walls collapsed. The only solution was to pour in concrete to shore up the foundations, a material loathed by conservationists and one Nicky would have preferred not to use. It was to be the first of several concessions to practicality, and not always ones that Nicky was aware of until she arrived on site from London.

On another occasion and despite Nicky's express wishes, the carpenter installed new blond wooden beams to the exposed mezzanine level in stark contrast to the three century's old beams surrounding it. Such was the force of frustration which Nicky conveyed to M. Bastard that it was to prove a positive turning point in their relationship. Afterwards he would seek out, treat and install reclaimed beams.

Problems continued to arise and Nicky found that the traditional difficulties of dealing with workmen were magnified many times when you're dealing with them from a distance of 1,000 miles. The only solution, after several months of hassles, was for her to move to Les Gets and be on site to oversee all aspects of the build.

After a disastrous morning when Nicky arrived to find the site a complete mess with building debris everywhere, her full-time presence in France was to be the turning point in the project's renovation. A fluent French speaker, being there 24/7 enabled her to cajole, chivvy and inspire the local workmen, gradually gaining their trust and respect. In went the expensive, bespoke Italian kitchen, followed by the picture windows, each weighing half a ton, and the wooden interior walls. The home was beginning to take shape.

September arrived and two months behind schedule, the top two floors - the self-contained ground floor and basement that the couple intends to let were to be completed in the next nine weeks prior to the opening of the ski season - were finished to great acclaim. On first sight Kevin reacted with awe to the stylish interior, exclaiming: 'It's gob-smacking, like something from a James Bond film set, and the mountain views from the master bedroom is stunning'.

The end result was a tribute to Nicky' resolve. However the craftsmanship was also impressive. The old and new woods complemented one another and Kevin felt this was a testament to the French workmen's technique and M. Bastard's conviction that he would be able to complete the task to Nicky's satisfaction.