Nicky Dobree who refurbished the Ferme De Moudon in Les Gets has this to say “It is our belief that private homes influence the way that we feel and that by changing your surrounding we can change your lives too”. Nicky Dobree is an award winning international interior designer who creates elegant and timeless interiors that also bow to the expression of the clients individual style. In 2003 Nicky converted the 300 year old Ferme De Moudon, this project was followed by Grand Designs Abroad and described by Kevin McCloud as the "ultimate James Bond pad." In a sense that comment did Nicky’s work a disservice, because the Ferme De Moudon is subtle and far away from flashy and gadget ridden. Tastefully understated and never ostentatious, by clever use of colour, texture, beautiful pieces and furnishings, the interior of the Ferme De Moudon is an essay in harmony of those elements. Of course taste is subjective but light, space and colour mixed sympathetically has universal appeal and it is in tapping into these parameters that the likes of Nicky pull of astonishing interiors, time and time again. Nicky’s work has featured in most of the quality Sunday’s and a host of Interior Design magazines.
The Wilkinson Beven Partnership have taken on projects in arguably the most expensive and prestigious ski resort in the world, Courchevel 1850. Successfully completing Chalet Le Coquelicot and Chalet Blanchot to stunning effect. John Beven has worked in interior design for over 12 years. John states interior design is “A job you don’t fall into, it should be a part of your life, influenced by architecture, art and our surroundings”. His partner Richard Wilkinson’s career in interior design has taken in many projects world wide. His wealth of industry knowledge and expertise has provided clients with well designed, stylish interiors. Richard believes that good design and great style are intuitive and can’t be taught, to a certain extent he is correct, interior design in an art form and like all art forms it’s practitioners are most likely born with an innate talent. Richard says “Our attention to detail, from concept stage to completion, consistently provides our clients with extremely successful interiors. Spacial planning, detailed drawings, lighting design, product and full material specification are all central to our design process”. The three element to the fore once again, light, space and colour.
Perhaps the most individual of all is Heinz Julen, who has completed projects for himself and varied clients in his home village of Zermatt. Heinz is an iconoclast and a man who doesn’t take no for an answer. He’s a polymath, excelling in painting, sculpture, architecture and design. He goes further than most in the conception and completion of his designs. Making the fixtures and fittings from unwanted and discarded objects his interiors are instantly recognisable and distinct. Constantly pushing boundaries and experimenting, his latest project in Zermatt, The Backstage Chalet, tops the lot so far not least because the hot tub is elevated through the roof hydraulically, to take in stunning 360 vistas. Heinz understands the importance of light, space and colour too, his projects provoke discussion, comment and are memorable.
It’s quite easy to take good interior design for granted, it’s almost expected in high end luxury ski chalets but you know when it’s good, it has an almost intangible quality. Yes the colours are pleasing, the furniture is lovely the fabrics are gorgeous but it goes beyond that, it’s a feeling, inducing well being and the most successful designers pull it of with ease. We’re very lucky at SunBoutique in being able to sample such stunning interiors on a regular basis.