The best thing about my recent trip to the new Experimental Chalet Val d'Isere in the French Alps wasn't the skiing. It wasn't the perfect snow we were lucky enough to get, or all those blue skies, or even the bowls of fries eaten with a glass of wine on top of a mountain for lunch. It was that the hotel itself was so full of decor ideas, with such a rich, modern take on the classic ski look. So I have of course come home brimming with new inspiration for how to make my own home more cozy.
The Experimental Group, known for its cocktail bars and hotels around Europe, has been pushing the design needle for over a decade. I stayed in the revamped Cowley Manor in the English Cotswolds last Spring, and it was a haven of classic county wood paneling and cosseting carpets in bright colors. And the new Val d'Isere outpost is equally as enticing. It felt so cozy yet really contemporary.
