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Montrealers Marie-Claude Hamelin and Marc Godin had been renting chalets in the Laurentians for 20 years before they finally decided to build their own in 2020. Just a 10-minute drive from Mont-Tremblant, Que., the 3,000-square-foot, four-season vacation house was already under construction when the couple brought on designer Jean Stéphane Beauchamp to help make the space even more vibrant and functional.
Marie-Claude and Marc, who work in accounting and finance, respectively, wanted a weekend retreat for themselves but also for their adult children, so they could all ski, bike and play tennis, depending on the season. “Spending time here is on a first come, first served basis, but each of our kids has a bedroom,” says Marc. “And, eventually, this will become a three-generation chalet.”
While the chalet is a retreat for the family, as well as for its future generations, it also hearkens back to iconic Quebec traditions. As a child, Marc’s godfather would take him to the sugar shack on a horse-drawn sleigh to tap the maple trees. Marc wanted the interior of the house to be clad in wood to recall those quaint cabins. “The oak gives a warm feeling in the winter, and it feels nice in the summer,” he says. “This chalet is my way of honouring my roots.”
The couple loved the Scandi recipe of black, white and wood, but Jean Stéphane Beauchamp (pictured), who’s known for his use of punchy hues, coaxed them out of their comfort zone, convincing them that the palette would be too stark for the beautiful, dimensional view. The designer stood Marie-Claude in front of the living room’s incredible double-height windows and asked, “Do you seeonly black and white, or do you see blues, greys and teals, too? How about bringing those colors in?”
The palette’s jumping-off point was the water, nearby Lac-Supérieur. In the main living space, Jean Stéphane countered the warmth of the oak ceilings, walls and floors with lake colors, settling on a dark grey-blue for the chimney breast and a lighter glacier blue to highlight the dining niche. Pendants resemble pieces of ice and don’t obscure the mountain view.
Tucking the dining table into a niche frees up space in the great room; the channelled banquette has the best view of the fireplace and the landscape beyond. “During the winter, we sit here in front of a simmering dish and contemplate the fire,” says Marie-Claude. “It’s like we’re in a cozy inn somewhere in the Alps.”
A custom-mixed limewash paint on the chimney breast matched to Benjamin Moore’s Knoxville Gray hue brings depth and texture, while an ottoman and pillows in shades of teal add a hit of color.
In the kitchen, the goal was to create a larger island that would include a sink. Pale grey lacquered cabinet doors and light quartz counters are an effective backdrop for the coffee station’s pop of blue and, for increased durability, quartz is also applied to the island facing, in front of the stools. “Even if you use a lacquer finish on the facing, it always gets mucked up,” says Jean Stéphane. “With plans to host grandkids here, quartz is more resistant to little kicking feet.”
Above the island, sculptural pendants recall logs and have a scale that works for the soaring 26-foot-high ceiling. “Marc wanted to have pristine wood ceilings and I thought adding pot lights wouldn’t look great,” says the designer. “We had to find something to create a mood but also to shine sufficient light when cooking.”
The vestibule has a faux leather cushion and porcelain tile floor laid in a chevron pattern that stands up to slushy gear. Open shelving houses baskets for hats and gloves.
Heated concrete floors, oak-clad walls and ripple-fold drapes make the principal bedroom cozy.
A large tub with a dark exterior meets the gravitas of the grey feature wall.
This bedroom has bunk beds that are perfect for kids.
A clean-lined stairway with elegant metal detailing leads to the bright lower level. Since the family loves to play board games, an open area in the den was transformed into a games corner.
The blue velvet sofa is a quiet place to unwind.
The pièce de résistance, according to Marie-Claude, is the spa on the lower level. The sauna, moody soaker tub and walk-in double shower are all designed to relax sore muscles after a day on the slopes. The large-format tile in the spa’s double shower mimics natural stone; mosaic flooring is a nonslip option underfoot.
The classic Scandinavian sauna is updated by a modern glass door. “We use our spa like the Swedes do,” she says. “We go in the jacuzzi, sit in the sauna, then Marc likes to roll in the snow and head to the sauna again!”
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