“We just had one chance to get everything up the ski hill,” says the narrator. This A-frame chalet, situated between runs at a Collingwood, Ontario, ski resort, wasn’t easy to outfit in the middle of winter.
“Since the slopes were closed for one day, we did it immediately before Christmas.”
“We packed this 53-foot trailer full of everything—bedding, cushions, decorations, throws, books—so that the grooming equipment could take it up the hill,” says Natalie Hodgins, a designer at Sarah Richardson Design.
The customers, a married couple with three children, spend most of their time in nearby Toronto and need somewhere else to entertain their large circle of family and friends after a day on the trails.
“It’s the de facto drop-in center,” says Hodgins, who collaborated on the project with Shannon Morrison, another designer, and Ray Murakami, architectural designer and principal of Murakami Design. Guests may now ski into the mudroom before entering the vast big room.
The long area is adorned with floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking a forest of ash and pine trees, combining a living room, dining room, and kitchen in an open floor plan. At one end, a freestanding, double-sided fireplace separates a pleasant lounge and bar.
Due to Murakami’s fluid floor plan, Hodgins and Morrison used a continuous palette of gray stone surfaces, pale ash walls, and black metal elements to give the weight of the otherwise airy room. The designer explains that the client requested “very clean lines, nothing frilly,” the designer explains.
“Because it is surrounded by trees, ski hills, and woods, everything is quite monochrome and plain.” We wanted the house to feel completely at home in its surroundings.” The clients desired something modern yet nevertheless comfortable and family-friendly, with a welcoming atmosphere with a kitchen, great rooms, and ample living rooms and bedrooms.
Amongst other bonus rooms needed were a mudroom, bar and a primary bath.