Photos by Eymeric Widling.

With a location that’s this beautiful, it’s hard not to feel inspired. So when interior designer Karen Attwell, principal of Form Interiors, was tasked with creating a retreat for a couple planning on retiring, she took the mountain and lake views to heart every step of the way.

“Everything was selected to complement the view,” says Attwell. Slate-grey quartzite countertops, walnut cabinetry and grey-blue upholstery play off of the organic environment that lays outside the window of the 2,000-square-foot home. A glass mosaic backsplash from Julien Tile echoes the ripples in the lake. And in the ensuite, the designer floated mirrors over the window so the view can be soaked up even while brushing one’s teeth.

Modern bathroom design with twin sinks and recessed ceiling lighting

One of the homeowners professed to be drawn to dark and moody finishes, so Attwell brought in a hint of darkness where she could. “We looked at the home and prioritized which rooms matter most to whom and took our cues from there,” she explains. So the bathrooms and the office nook are draped in a sophisticated and dark palette, while the bedroom and living room get a lighter, brighter approach. “It was about navigating the differences to create a cohesive home,” says Attwell.

Stylish furniture consisting of a small desk and cabinet decorating a modern home design

Photos: Inside This Mountain-Modern Beauty

Recessed refridgerator, oven, microwave and pantry cabinet inside a home's updated kitchen

The living room of a mountain home. Bay windows overlook a scenic view of trees and lakefront.

BRIGHT IDEA

The angular lighting over the dining table (a pendant lamp from Tech Lighting) echoes the architectural features outside. The sleek grey sofa is G. Romano. The fireplace, surrounded in cold-rolled steel, has been oxidized and sealed to bring colour and depth.

Inside the master bedroom of the chalet home. A pendant light hangs above the bedside table.

SWEET DREAMS

In the bedroom, Prime wallpaper lines the wall behind the headboard and pendant lights hang above the bedside tables.

A Fluerco bathtub is inside the bedroom's ensuite, with decorative Porcelainosa ceramic tiles

WONDER WALL

The Fluerco tub in the ensuite sits in front of a dramatic Porcelainosa slab.

Wood railing on the staircase inside the modern mountain home

A custom granite sink inserted into a bathroom countertop

SMALL BUT MIGHTY

“The powder room was tiny but complicated,” laughs Attwell. A custom granite sink was fabricated as part of the countertop, with a deep apron to conceal all the functional bits behind it.

Originally published October 2020

Stacey McLachlan

Stacey McLachlan

Stacey is a senior editor at Western Living magazine, as well as editor-in-chief of sister publication Vancouver magazine. She loves window shopping on the job: send your home accessories and furniture recommendations over to [email protected]