This Ski Chalet in Quebec Is a Dramatic, Cozy Mountain Refuge

Combining raw materials with earthy tones and soft textures, ACDO creates a warm, moody chalet in the Laurentians.

Writer Lauren Gallow

Dark cerused oak. Dramatically veined quartzite. Raw, hammered stone. Exposed fir beams. Together, these elemental materials form a Laurentian ski chalet that is cozy while still bringing the drama. Working within an existing structure, Toronto-based design firm ACDO, led by partners Abraham Chan and Sam Khouvongsavanh, crafted a modern and welcoming retreat for a family seeking a sophisticated yet location-appropriate vacation home.

“The renovation was guided by a profound respect for authentic preservation, seeking to imbue the project with soul,” Chan explains. “While the interior elements of the existing home were entirely stripped, the architectural bones were consciously maintained.” Appreciating the high-pitched roof and quality of spaces in the chalet, Chan sought to modernize the cabin with new windows and insulation to increase energy performance. Working with Saint-Sauveur contractor Construction VXL, he maintained the original structure, including the home’s striking structural fir beams, while strategically integrating new systems.

Drawing on the qualities of the surrounding alpine environment as well as the character of Quebec’s ski chalet communities, Chan developed a design where exposed natural materials take centre stage. “A shared appreciation for honest materials and a commitment to generous entertaining defined the design ethos,” he says of the homeowners, who love to host extended gatherings.

He points to dramatic textured and cerused oak for the flooring and kitchen millwork, as well as the raw, expressive black-and-white quartzite used in the kitchen, as contributing to the chalet’s mountain sensibility. Rugged stone floors in the living area complement the stone-clad fireplace, which stands as the heart of the home. “We chose a lot of textured wood to invoke a sense of warmth while referring to ski chalet typologies of the region,” Chan says. “A harmonious blend of rustic materials including wood and stone reflects the alpine environment.”

Upstairs, the home’s A-frame structure is expressed in the primary suite, where wood ceilings and exposed beams bring a rustic quality to the space. “The necessity of a high-pitched roof for snow shedding became an expressive design element,” he says of the decision to embrace this existing element of the home.

Throughout, soft yet elegant furnishings in burnt oranges, sage greens, and textured neutrals create a cozy ambiance fitting for a mountain home. “The transformation elevates a once-generic structure into a sophisticated second home,” Chan says. “It is now a structure that feels authentically and harmoniously rooted in its mountain landscape.”