Urban flair

Kitzbühel | Ausgabe 52 | Issue 2022 | Text: Barbara Jahn

Tradition and Modernity – two sources of inspiration which are not mutually exclusive. Quite the contrary! The ways that they complement each other when they are correctly interpreted and joined, are demonstrated in a private villa for which Bernd Gruber has taken the reins of interior design.

To strike a balance between metropolitan flair and intimate, inviting notes of seclusion: that was the challenge of the designers, to devise and express that elusive hybrid, and it was solved to perfection. The interior is kept in high-quality materials, its splendidly handcrafted details don’t just fit into the whole brilliantly, but actually seek out and generate a harmonious dialogue with their immediate surroundings as they chimerically alter with the course of the seasons, even the residential environment “dances” with the changing sceneries of light, atmosphere and feeling.

A particular highlight of the house is the so-called “Stübli” on the lower floor. Nestled between the impressive wine cellar and the private collection of old-timers, this is where friends come together in a uniquely warm-hearted and cosy atmosphere. As soon as you enter, you feel the alpine atmosphere which the team under the leadership of Bernd Gruber put together in harmony with the whole interior of the upper floors. For example, white oak, travertine and burnished metal also constitute the basis for single pieces of furniture such as the table made of ancient boards or the fireplace with its hood, forged lamella walls and plinth of natural stone, reflecting other aspects of the interior. At the same time, the designers bring out the primeval qualities of these materials which, in turn, lend the house a “chalet” character, last but not least in the breathtakingly nostalgic view of the Matterhorn in Zermatt as pinnacle of the scenery.