Inside House Montagna, the stunning alpine chalet renovation by Maison Osaïn

When Ann Butaye and Thomas Maria Verschuren were asked to renovate a timber chalet just outside the Italian Alpine resort of Courmayeur, the co-founders of Belgian design and architecture firm Maison Osaïn knew what they wanted to do. With its muted interiors, House Montagna invites its guests to slow down and disconnect from the outside world. The three-storey chalet’s secluded location on the slopes of Mont Blanc meant that construction was trickier than usual. “We had to use a helicopter to get the materials up there,” says Verschuren. “But the challenge spoke to us.”

The chalet’s windows boast unobstructed views of Courmayeur. Nestled beneath the Alps’ highest peak, the resort town offers serenity and adventure – a combination that Butaye and Verschuren sought to reflect in House Montagna. Its concrete walls and floors mirror the mountains’ ruggedness, while larch furniture evokes the feel of the woods. The open interiors and windows, meanwhile, capture the Alps’ vastness and airiness.

Before launching Maison Osaïn in 2022, Verschuren ran his own architecture firm, while Butaye worked in fashion. But when the partners faced a health scare, they decided to shift gears. “It gave us time to focus on different things and to think about life,” says Butaye. Together, they began to examine how their surroundings and lifestyle affected their wellbeing.

Today, the creation of healthy living spaces is at the very centre of their practice. “It all starts with natural materials,” says Butaye. “Our baseline is sincere living – sincere in the ways that we communicate, in our connection to nature.” Taking a holistic approach is one of Maison Osaïn’s guiding principles: the firm is named after the Yoruba god of healing, magic and wild plants.

Courmayeur imposes architectural restrictions to preserve the region’s traditional character, so the façade of House Montagna remains untouched. But Maison Osaïn had carte blanche to revamp the building’s interior. As with all of their projects, Butaye and Verschuren worked with local craftspeople. The result is a refined balance of rustic and modern ideas.

The house, for example, is equipped with an intelligent ventilation system that allows it to “breathe” by itself, ensuring a healthy indoor climate. Two fans supply air through filters while humidity – from the ski room, for example – is swiftly extracted.

“We wanted to use the local style but make things contemporary,” says Verschuren. “We also didn’t want big art on the walls because the main focus is the architecture and the nature outside.”

Living among the grandeur of the Alps might make one feel small but it’s also a reminder that there’s more to life than the bustle of city living. “It’s a great place to disconnect and to reflect on intimacy – to think about what it means to take care of one another,” says Butaye.
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