Alpine Chic

Does anyone recall the opening scene of Charade (1963) with Audrey Hepburn dressed impeccably Alpine-chic in Givenchy? What happened to that stylish mountain look surrounded by the modish interiors?

When we think of Mountain interiors, we don’t tend to think of chic. Most mountain retreats have the super 70s look with knotty pine lined interiors and furnishings that haven’t changed since then, including the gold and orange towels hanging in the bathrooms.

Then my mind wanders to Suzy Chaffee of the late 70’s, the Olympic skier who caused a national sensation as “Suzy Chapstick,” as she ski danced in the popular Chapstick® lip balm commercials.

Settee available at Daniel Barney antiques in NYC.

If updated, the furniture in mountain retreats is overstuffed with lots of fur pelts and horn furniture. I am not sure how I feel about horn furnishings. I’m fond of drinking wine in high altitudes, so I fear the heel of my shoe would clumsily snag on the shag rug and I would fall and poke an eye out on one of the horns.

Today’s television shows and movies reference most alpine homes as small cabins on the brink of collapse with two characters trapped inside as the result of an avalanche. Or they feature an old military vet with a Grizzly Adams beard making a soup of tree bark and roots. Most alpine structures are used to escape the harsh weather and/or to hide because Big Foot is outside. I can't think of a film that shows the opulent interiors of some place nestled in the mountains of Colorado. Somehow scenes always have to involve girls similar to the inebriated cast of "Girls Gone Wild" bouncing around in hot tubs. If we go back in time to 1984, Hot Dog: The Movie had scenes of hot tubs, wet T-shirt contests (I can barely type that without vomiting) and the typecast character of the wealthy older woman seducing a younger naive man. Not much has changed in over two decades.

The Overlook Hotel in the movie The Shining (1980) is creepy at the same time appealing with its stark lack of colors juxtaposed with the David Hicks-esque broad patterns on the carpet. If I remember, there are antler chandeliers somewhere in the hotel. Jack Nicholson’s character suffers from cabin fever in the mountains and goes on a murderous rampage. Sometimes, when you’re high up in the mountains with not much around, things do get a little… spooky.

Available at Ad Lib Antiques in Hudson, New York.

Antler chandeliers do not make me nervous. In fact, I’m a fan. But moving on…

There is a scene in Pillow Talk where Rock Hudson brings Doris Day to a lake house in the mountains. The house is pretty refined. Now we’re getting closer but we have had to go all the way back to 1959. You would think there would be dozens of scenes in movies that take place in front of a roaring fireplace with people sipping cognac and wearing the latest winter fashions.

The best one I can recall is the cantilevered house in North By Northwest. The interiors are fantastic. (I can't find a picture...)

So what does everyone think? Do we stay with the same over sized leather furniture, knotty pine tables and scattered bronzed antelope candle holders as found in the book Mountain Style?

Do we Ralph Lauren it with the Black Mountain line from 2005 (I think)?

Or do we try something entirely new?