Designing The Graciosa: Inside La Plagne’s Newest Luxury Ski Chalets
[Music] I’m Richard Crowe. I live here in the French Alps, have done for about 20 years. And my part in the Graciosa project in La Plan is to do the interior design and to work closely with VIP ski and with the project owner and the project manager um to assist them in not only the design process but also in the execution of the build and um to follow that with them. liazing with all the different partners, all the different people involved in the project. Within the building, we have 16 luxury apartments, various sizes. The smallest is sleeping a maximum of eight to the penthouse on top sleeping 14, 15 people. You start the experience with communal spaces. So, we have a large entrance area with the front desk for guest experience. To the left, we immediately walk into a salon or lounge area. This is not a sports bar that is going to accommodate 300 people cheering at the Six Nations rugby, but it’s going to be a really nice experience to come and have a beer or a glass of wine or a cup of tea after skiing. Um, or even escape from the chalet upstairs. That space has been created as a as a bonus as a real like bonus space as an an experience within the building. Attached to the back of that, we also then have the kids zone designed with fitted furniture and appropriate lighting. It’s got its own bathroom facilities for children so that they have their space that they can go to. And then the proximity of both of those zones is right above the ski room where you can hire your skis, store your skis, um your helmets, your gloves, boots, all on boot warmers, etc. And that in itself is also a very important part of the building because everybody is going to traverse through there twice a day. Um, so again, it’s that function of the space, but also making sure the spaces look great and really appeal to the users and have this experience. So it’s not just the apartments upstairs, which are lovely, but it’s from the main entrance, the kids zone, the bar, downstairs to the skis, and then out onto the ski hill, which is literally just outside the door. [Music] It’s been designed and built for people to come and live in for a week and be very comfortable for a week. Whether they are a group of boys like me on holiday for a week, great. Or whether it’s a young family that’s got kids that need daycare. It can accommodate them all. And that’s what it’s been designed for. We wanted to know and think about how the spaces could work. um to create something traditional. So you had the aesthetic when you’re walking around the building, when you’re in the apartments, something traditional that people might expect while they’re here in an alpine environment, but also we wanted something contemporary and modern that people want to to stay in and be very comfortable. We’ve achieved that by one a simple thing like the color scheme on the wall and not having white paint but having an off-white paint but also having a lot of uh old wood featured throughout the building. Um fake posts or beams supporting the structure but then sit that next to a contemporary sofa that is incredibly comfortable to sit on um and have your afternoon tea etc. Add that to a contemporary lighting system that creates the perfect light and is functional and flexible for the client and the users and your staff. [Music] One of the things uh that we have to mention and we’ve focused on a lot through the design process is to make sure that we capture the view as much as possible because when you stand in the Graciosa the view over plan center um plan 1800 across to Leark out over Borg Samarice out to the Mont Blanc is enormous. So, every living space stares at that view, and we’ve really made a focal point of that. And then all of the bedrooms that are on that facade of the building, they all stare at that view as well. I I would just like to highlight that the the view is so good, we’ve had to make sure that we incorporate it wherever we can because it’s uh Yeah, it’s priceless that view. So, imagine if you’re sat in that jacuzzi there. Yeah. Right in the jacuzzi. And that is the view from the apartment. And that is the M Blanc right there. As you arrive into plan center, you can see it on the hill. It’s pride of place. Big Graciiosa sign, which is looking lovely. Um, in fact, the Graciosa sign was a really nice detail. We researched and communicated with the Lelan tourist office to make sure that the font that we chose for the Graciosa sign was identical to what Lel Plan use in their marketing material. So, it’s something that most people will never notice, but if you were to to look at a load of marketing material and then look at the Graciosa building, you might notice that the Graciosa font is exactly the same, which is for me, it’s little details like that that make a great difference to the building. I think my one of my favorite spaces would have to be the dining room in the apartments because from all of the dining rooms, no matter what apartment you’re in, you’ve got a really nice social environment, but you can also see the people that are sat in the lounge. You can also see the fireplace. You can also see into the kitchen and see what’s going on in there. So, there’s this real nice like hub of the apartments. Also, the decoration is very nice. The table will be beautiful. It’s these phonic ceilings that are going to look great and also suck up the sound. So the uh the atmosphere should be very pleasant. How would you address like the graciosa in three words? And so I thought about a little bit and I’ve touched on this during this chat, but for me those three words, one of them has got to be the convenience of the place. So convenience that it’s proximity to the piece, it’s proximity to the village, u the spaces for the clients, etc. The second one has got to be the view cuz the view is just undeniably amazing, second to none. And the third is family. um because the the place has been designed and built for for the the experience of the client and I see for VIP families being very important and so those spaces for families whether it’s kids that are 2 year old or kids that are 16 everyone’s going to have a great experience there um from start to [Music]
Step inside the design story of the Graciosa, La Plagne’s most exciting new ski-in/ski-out luxury chalets.
In this exclusive interview, we sit down with local interior designer Richard Crow, the creative mind behind the interiors of the Graciosa – VIP SKI’s brand-new collection of 16 luxury catered ski chalets in Plagne Centre.
Richard shares the inspiration behind the look and feel of the building, designed with couples, families and groups of friends in mind. From the choice of natural materials to the careful framing of panoramic mountain views, every detail of the Graciosa has been thoughtfully crafted to reflect both beauty and functionality.
Richard explains:
– How the interior design complements the breathtaking alpine setting
– Why every detail, from lighting to layout, was chosen with purpose
– Which spaces Richard loves most and why
– The three words he’d use to describe the Graciosa experience
If you’re curious about the process of designing a high-end ski chalet in the French Alps, or you’re dreaming of staying in La Plagne’s most talked-about new luxury accommodation, you won’t want to miss these behind-the-scenes insights.
Explore the Graciosa:
16 private catered chalets | Unrivalled piste access | Stunning interiors | Family-friendly features
Bookings open now for Winter 2025/26: https://bit.ly/459bOro
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