Leni’s Chalet (2001)

Leni’s chalet

A few metres from the Findeln studio, not far from the family residence, is a typical chalet of the Valais whose foundations date back to the 12th century. It was restored by Heinz Julen in 2001.
The door and windows of the ground floor hold the only traces of restoration visible from the outside. Otherwise, the stone, the larch wood blacked by time and the wooden ladder hung below the roof are witnesses to the past life of a functional residence which has become the second home of Leni, Heinz’s sister.
There is a striking contrast between the exterior and the interior, which was designed, decorated and furnished by Heinz.
A table made of metal and frosted glass, Pirmin chairs in pale leather, lamps and chandeliers. Everything here carries the mark of the artist, the designer.
The integration of this furniture, which goes just as well with a chalet dating back to the 12th century in the alpine meadows of Findeln as it does with the high-tech universe of INTO, is surprising.
And then there is the bedroom with a bed made out of massive wood, crowned by a support, one end of which is sculpted and fitted with a lantern, which plunges us into medieval dreams of an age in which angels and demons probably confronted each other.