In the picturesque French Alpine resort town of Megève, a cherished family chalet has been transformed into a stunning retreat that perfectly balances rustic mountain charm with contemporary design elements. The renovation project, spearheaded by Marie Sibuet, General Director of Maisons et Hôtels Sibuet, centers around a striking green ceramic fireplace that has become the home's defining feature.
The Chalet Molitor tells a beautiful multigenerational story that began during Marie Sibuet's childhood. "This was my grandparents' chalet," she recalls. "They took care of me extensively when I was little because my parents, who were hoteliers, had numerous professional obligations. So they had enlisted my grandparents to watch over us." When her grandparents passed away, the thought of selling the property was unbearable for Marie, as it would mean erasing wonderful memories.
A new chapter opened when Marie's father and uncle inherited the property but didn't wish to keep it. "For me, that would have meant making beautiful memories disappear," Marie explains. "My husband, my brother, my sister-in-law, and I decided to buy it back." While emotions from the past still linger within the walls, Marie was determined not to leave everything untouched. Her affection for the place wouldn't prevent her from rethinking the space, restructuring it, and most importantly, redecorating it entirely.
The renovation involved expanding the chalet's surface area by 50 percent to ensure comfort for ten people, bringing the total space to approximately 3,550 square feet. "For the layout, we naturally kept the DNA, which is somewhat rustic," Marie notes. "But we allowed ourselves some creative departures. We didn't want to be 100 percent traditional, nor too contemporary either. So we oriented ourselves toward a balance between authenticity, modernity, and artistic details that change everything."
The design approach wasn't simple, but Marie found her direction by thinking about the furnishing from pieces she purchased on impulse and stored away. "In our houses, I like the furniture to move around, so we can change the decor. That's why I buy furniture and objects that I love, and I keep them for potential changes," she explains. A painted armoire, a green chest of drawers, and a canvas depicting a deer became starting points for conceiving the atmosphere of the place.
A particularly significant element was a green chintz fabric discovered in the Parisian showroom of the Élitis brand. "I knew I would do something with it. It reminded me of the mountains," Marie recalls with amusement. The fabric was transformed into curtains and cushions in the living room, perfectly coordinating with the green of the salon's fireplace, which serves as the heart of the home.
"The fireplace is a classic feature of chalets. However, we revisited it," Marie explains. "With its ceramic tiles, imposing and very graphic form, it becomes a contemporary element. This choice allows us to break conventions and structure the room. It testifies to this desire to combine styles, to have fun with references." The bold green ceramic fireplace stands as both a functional centerpiece and an artistic statement that anchors the entire design concept.
The creative touches extend beyond the fireplace to include interventions by artist Franck Lebraly, who created friezes on the living room beams and painted a black and white fresco in one of the staircases, drawing stylized rounded silhouettes with his distinctive style. The design team also employed creative material choices, such as using slate typically found on chalet exteriors as interior flooring, creating a striking contrast with the brown wood found on the ceiling and framing the windows, pass-through, and counters.
Throughout the chalet, an enormous armchair blooms like a fairy-tale edelweiss, while cowhide is used to cover a chest of drawers and the stairway walls, serving as a reminder that the pastures are nearby. "The subversion is also evident: the slate used on the exterior of chalets is here placed on the floor," Marie notes, highlighting the project's playful approach to traditional mountain architecture.
The five bedrooms, located on the first floor and garden level, received a different treatment that maintains the joyful and warm spirit. "I imagined them based on Élitis fabrics. This allowed me to define a different ambiance for each one, which we then extended into the adjoining bathrooms. We're really far from all the standards," Marie explains. The textile headboards in each room are all distinct, serving as veritable works of art that contribute significantly to each room's character.
The charm is further enhanced by beautiful accessories placed on nightstands, windows, and in alcoves throughout the home: vases, carafes, lighting fixtures, and candles. In the kitchen, the cabinets are filled with tastefully chosen dishware, ensuring that every detail contributes to the overall aesthetic experience.
The chalet, now available for rent, immediately becomes a home for those who stay there. All guests can feel the affection that three generations of the Sibuet family have had for this place, opening this beautiful story simply by pushing through the door. The successful transformation demonstrates how contemporary design elements can enhance rather than diminish the authentic mountain spirit, creating a space that honors the past while embracing modern comfort and artistic expression.
