Spiralling Down the Piste

If, like us, you’ve spent the recent lockdowns browsing the internet for your dream holiday, this project might just be for you. Chalet Marmotte is a beautiful, catered ski and holiday chalet located in the La Plagne region of France. During the last year, the Lovely Chalet Company has been working hard to carry out a stunning refurbishment of the building, including fitting one of our Squarial spiral staircases.

Reimagining the Chalet

Julie and Rich Love had been looking to purchase a ski chalet within the La Plagne resort for around 5 years when Chalet Marmotte came on to the market. Whilst the building needed a substantial amount of work – the challenge of giving the building a new lease of life was all part of the attraction for the family!

During the refurbishment, virtually every aspect of the chalet was given a facelift. The cladding has been replaced, new windows installed, and internal spaces have been extensively reconfigured and redecorated. 2020 may not have seemed like the easiest year to tackle such a major undertaking, however, by working with local tradesmen, carefully scheduling the project to maintain social distancing and getting stuck in themselves, the family have been able to maintain a tight schedule. In fact, the sudden shutting of the French Ski resorts in March meant work began earlier than was originally planned.

A Squarial Staircase Solution

The original chalet layout featured a staircase which wrapped around a huge stone fireplace in the centre of the main living area. To make better use of the space, the plans called for this to be removed and replaced with a much smaller staircase – allowing a large, open plan living area to be created. After looking around, the Project Manager discovered our website, as Rich explained:

“The nature of the existing chalet structure and our design plans required a relatively small staircase that would pass two floors.  After some research it was evident that the spiral ’squarial’ design would give us some additional tread area whilst still maintaining a small footprint and would be ideal for our project.”  

Our squarial staircases feature treads that are dimensioned to precisely fit the available opening – giving the impression that they run into the walls. Working with the family, we developed a design featuring solid oak treads with long metal balusters which run from the treads to the floor and ceiling, providing both safety and a stunning, modern aesthetic.

As with many of our projects, all of the design work was completed remotely without the need for site visits. Using the measurements sent over by the contractors, we developed CAD plans for the staircase and, once these were agreed, got to work manufacturing them.

“We are very happy with the service we received from BS&C.” Rich explained, “Given that we are located in France and that all discussions and design work was done at distance via the internet, the process was very smooth.  Ben at BS&C was superb and very helpful. Due to the COVID restrictions, Julie travelled to the UK to collect the staircase and brought it back to France. Again, the guys at BS&C were very helpful in loading the staircase and assisting her.”

“Installation of the staircase was relatively simple given that it was the first time that we had a fitted one!  The plans and instructions that were provided made the process easy.  Our main construction contractor cut the staircase ‘hole’ which we then ‘finished’ before measuring with a laser – these final dimensions were given to BSC who incorporated them into the final design.”

After a very busy 8 months, the work on the chalet is now complete and the family have moved in to get everything ready for their first post-refurbishment guests. If you are planning an alpine excursion this summer, or a spot of skiing during the winter, the Lovely Chalet Company is now taking reservations. To learn more or book a holiday visit: www.thelovelychaletcompany.com

Visit our gallery to take a look at the full range of staircase designs we can offer and to request a quote for your own project. Alternatively, get in touch via phone or email to discuss your needs.