Homestory – Das Grosshaus in Elm

Mooris visits the beautiful large house in Elm in the canton of Glarus - and its co-owner and architect Mike Bürgi. The imposing semi-detached house - or rather one of its apartments - is part of the popular Ferien im Baudenkmal foundation and is located in the historically preserved village center of Elm.from the outside, the magnificent wooden cladding is just as impressive as the astonishing size of the building. Inside, I encounter homely cosiness, exquisite design and a great deal of flair for stylishly furnishing a house steeped in history.

Locally rooted & stylishly modernized

The stylish and respectful renovation and the unique interior are of course thanks to Mike's profession and vocation - but also to his wonderful collaboration with the previous owner, who carefully supervised the renovation and made valuable contacts with local craftsmen in Elm. Mike tells me that he and his family, who live in Zurich, had been looking for a refuge in the mountains for a long time without success - until they came across an advertisement for the large house by chance at the beginning of 2020. And immediately fell in love with the house, the village and the surroundings!

As an accomplished architect, Mike immediately recognized the potential of the grandiose wooden house and purchased one of the two apartments, one of which is now used privately and the other via a holiday home.Vacations in a listed buildingrented out. In this way, he wants to make this wonderful ambience and the grounding village life available to other families. With a great deal of love and respect for the history, he has succeeded in giving the rooms a fresh design without changing the original structure. The interior is as homely as it is contemporary and inspires with its simple, beautiful design and a great sense for long-lasting products and regionality.

"The house was extremely well looked after by the previous owner and the gentle renovation was well supervised. It owes much of its charm to this."

The kitchen, heating and bathrooms required an intensive but respectful renovation - all other rooms were gently refreshed.

A lengthy process of furnishing

Mike describes the furnishing as a lengthy process that is constantly changing and grows with the family and their experiences. There are the old beds, whose origin is unknown, but which bring a lot of strength and purism to the room. Or the sofa table made by the local carpenter according to old traditions. The unique lamp that Mike discovered at Blickfang, which is made from old music stands.

"I like the mix of modern, purist furniture, things with a history and old one-off pieces from the brocery," Mike tells me mischievously.

Me too, dear Mike!

The house is a so-called Strick wooden house and is a witness to times gone by when trade developed across the Alps and the Panixer Pass between the Gotthard and Graubünden passes was a very important crossing point for mule drivers. The large house dates back to the 16th century and bears witness to the importance of the cattle trade to the Welschland region. It is one of the most beautiful surviving bourgeois farmhouses in the region and was placed under a preservation order in 1956 and elevated to the status of a federally recognized architectural monument.

Mixed construction with Brüggli

What is unusual about the large house is that it is a mixed construction of stone and wood. The brick cellar and kitchen section with the multi-storey, wooden parlor-chamber block and the flat pitched gable roof are characteristic of this. A particularly striking feature of the large house is the entrance with the "Brüggli" - a short staircase under the shelter of a canopy. The interior of the building also has a representative, bourgeois architectural style with a wide central corridor. Particularly beautiful: even during industrialization, Elm retained its original appearance and actively protects its history and contemporary witnesses from yesterday to today.

I also find a wonderful interplay of contrasts in the living room. Mike seems to have deliberately opted for dark classics, which on the one hand bring a certain status and recognition value, and on the other hand create beautiful lines and curves in the old wood with a lot of history. And provide modernity and clarity! The Mantis luminaire with its studio charm and tripod base fits perfectly with the Eames armchair with its metal base. These exciting contrasts are further enhanced by the graphically patterned rug from Manaa Studios.

The wonderful Akari lamp also plays with black and white contrasts and skilfully picks up on the graphic shapes on the woven rug with its unusual shape. This furnishing makes the white window frame look even fresher and more modern than it already does.

As a connoisseur, I have a soft spot for beautiful and very functional lights . The great Light sources in the office from Swiss hand for example - from Baltensweiler. These provide plenty of light for productive working hours in the mountains - and look irresistible with their clean allure in the rustic surroundings. The iconic Akari lamp from traditional house Vitra also brings accents and plenty of atmosphere to the mountain home. Why wander far away when good things shine so close?

On the upper floor of the beautiful apartment is the bedroom, the Office and a Bathroom. This is where I get to let my hair down a little and add a little more color to the wonderful existing space. Because: all that wood is kissed awake even more by the use of graphics and color. And catapulted straight into 2024! A colorful plaid in Bauhaus style, the angular bedside table, the bed linen with a color gradient or the graphic carpet - all these selected items now find their place in the Elmer dream home.

Of course, life in the mountains also takes place outside. Nature in Elm is impressive and important! My team enjoys the view from the window while it's still a bit chilly to be outside. But a nice Outdoor space behind the house is just waiting for it to slowly get warmer and friendlier! Here too, beautiful classic Swiss garden furniture invites you to linger and enjoy with loved ones.