‘Klosters feels more like a time than a place,’ says Monique Tollgard, co-founder with her husband Staffan of interior and product design studio Tollgard. She adds ‘it has an old-world charm and authenticity that comes both from its connection to the landscape and its strong community.’
The couple’s longstanding London-based clients had found a chalet in the village and asked for their input on the layout, staircase, materials and lighting. ‘They wanted to balance comfort with contemporary design, honour the vernacular setting and create a base for family time, entertaining and making memories in every season,’ explains Monique.
Even the trip to the site – taking a series of incredibly punctual Swiss trains – contributed to a sense that they were leaving one world and entering another with a different set of values, she recalls. ‘From the centre of the village, we walked alongside a near frozen river in bright sunshine to reach the neighbourhood where our clients had found their chalet.’
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She and Staffan began by studying the building’s architecture, context and the family’s lifestyle, in order to establish a unique ‘red thread’ or creative DNA for the project. Here, Monique explains, ‘we saw that “Dynamic Vernacular” was the right line to take – an expression of the clients’ love for clean lines and contemporary design as well as their respect for local heritage and materials.’
The aim was to reinterpret traditional Swiss elements rather than replicate them, using local materials and craftsmanship but with refined detailing and a modern spatial flow.
Monique describes the chalet’s architecture as ‘pure Klosters, rooted in the traditional Walser construction of timber, plaster, and natural stone.’ This vernacular palette became the foundation of the scheme, which featured materials that allow the spaces to feel both grounded and contemporary. ‘The textured local vals stone behind the staircase contrasts beautifully with the smooth oak and resolute zigzag of the metal frame of the staircase,’ she notes.
While Monique and her team preserved the architectural character of the chalet, they rethought the interior from the inside out, ensuring that every room not only looked beautiful but worked intuitively for modern family life.
The original layout included a third bedroom with an ensuite, but she saw the opportunity to expand the open-plan kitchen and dining area to create a more generous and functional living space. Rooms were reconfigured to improve flow, storage and usability, lighting was upgraded and layouts enhanced to strengthen the connection between social and private areas.
The furniture and lighting in the living room take the traditional chalet ingredients of leather, wool and velvet and reinterpret them with a decidedly modern language. Pieces from Ceccotti Collezioni, Flexform and Porta Romana sit on a modern cowhide rug from Limited Edition, under the gaze of a ceiling-mounted pendant from American atelier Allied Maker.
The changing landscape visible from every window also influenced the colours and textures, and they used soft, natural tones that shift with the seasons. ‘There’s a lot of Holland and Sherry in the apartment’ notes Monique, adding ‘the natural linens, wools and velvet feel absolutely right for the spaces and add warmth without visual overload.’ The kitchen was designed together with Bulthaup, a kitchen maker the clients have used in their London and countryside homes.
Throughout the work – which took place during the pandemic – the biggest challenge was that the team couldn’t visit the chalet at any stage. Everything from client workshops to design reviews and coordination with the local architect had to be done remotely. Despite the distance, strong collaboration and trust on all sides meant the project ran smoothly.
Despite the unusual circumstances of designing and delivering the project without a single site visit, the home captured exactly the balance the clients were hoping for: contemporary but deeply connected to its alpine heritage. ‘The biggest surprise was how personal the chalet felt, even though every decision had been made remotely,’ says Monique. ‘The outcome feels like a near-perfect contemporary interpretation of Klosters’ alpine vernacular. It balances tradition with modernity in a way that feels authentic and personal – making it one of our favourite projects yet!’ tollgardstudio.com
