Most chalets near Chalet Gliere seem to start as pale local pine and over the years they gradually darken in colour until they can look almost black. Some are varnished to protect them and they don’t age in quite the same way – they seem to age to more of a mid-brown colour. It’s quite nice to see such variety in the valley.

The antiquated look is nice, but it did need renovating before it degraded too far. So we decided to restore the exterior a little to as natural a finish as possible. It’s looking pretty good.

Most of the wood and the metal roof is blasted and then finished with a protective layer which should last at least 10 years. When you sit on the balcony you can actually smell the pine.

The doors, window frames and shutters have been varnished so there’s a bit of contrast. The only downside is that the windows now need a really good clean.

It’s been pretty warm and sunny at the chalet this week – any day now the weather will break and we’ll be plunged into winter (we hope!)