I think it is great and I even like the green curtains. I think som bright art, (what you have is too small--at least group it more) rugs, pillows and bedspreads would perk it up. IKEA and Mariemekko (sp?) have some great fun stuff in the scandinavian modern mode that would look great with what you have. Maybe some slipcovers for the furniture would be nice too.

I think I would ditch most of the royal blue and go with the spring green and add some yellow, maybe some orange..

Love the turquoise in the kitchen too.

I'm sure people are going to tell you to paint and whatnot, but I would go with what you have and just tweak it a bit. It is in great shape and once you paint it is hard to go back.

Hi, can you tell me if this is year round or seasonal and if so which season(s)
I would like to start with the drapes - The furniture is nice and I would like to work with it - maybe new toss cushions. The blue chair pads can go and can you add an image of those chairs without the pads and the table without the gingham cloth :)
I am sending you 12 fabric choices for the curtains and if you can choose one or two that you like, I will then know which direction to take.
Thanks

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You have beautiful furniture that could use just a little spark. I'd suggest that you replace the floor lamp next to the sofa. For reading an Arne Jacobsen would be great. However, if you need general light, perhaps a hanging lamp from Le Klint would be appropriate. In the US we would use a Nelson lamp, but I don't know if that is available to you at a reasonable price. I second the Marimekko suggestion, perhaps pillows in the colors of your curtains but a bolder print. Lastly, a runner the length of the buffet would look great. Maybe you could find a hand-woven one.

We are buying this as a vacation home and it comes furnished. We can use it year-round. Bigger art will be forthcoming. Our daughter is a professional artist and loves doing large oils. I had planned on new window treatment, so it's interesting that victorian... actually votes for keeping them. I'll have to decide. We are in the US now, so can't update pictures until March. The dining chairs are black Naugahyde, and yes the royal blue will go, even though I like blue. Warmer colors seem to be the best. The table is large and very expandable "modern" in that it has a white (Formica?) top and straight chrome legs. The paint suggestion has been ventured, but I'm slow to do that for the same reasons victorian.. stated. Love the suggestions. Just kind of feeing my way right now! BTW the artist-daughter has a FB page under Heidi Spring Art. Art lovers can check it out!

As far as favorites for the above fabrics rwagenaar, I probably like #2 in the final batch the best, but am not sure it would go with other ideas i'm considering. Thanx!

Stick with your green - very appropriate and warming - and a touch of blue is perfect.

This is a time capsule interior and you could have a lot of fun with it. If you can, take lots of pics before you change anything, and send to retrorenovation.com. They love to see original mid-century interiors, and it is great to document for people looking for ideas for the retro look. I'd love to see more pics of the kitchen!

The greens posted above are very avocado--the curtains you have are more like grass green--a much cleaner color. Since this is a vacation home, it can be nice to do something different than you home and with pops of bright color, which could look smashing with the wood.

I also think most of the fabric swatches are too muddy and don't go well with the furniture or the Alpine aesthetic. If you go for something traditional, it should be clean, nut fussy. If the green is too much for you, a clean windowpane plaid in natural linen is a possibility for a more traditional look for the curtains and is quite popular--saw a lot of it when I lived in Germany, esp. in the Alps--and is classic enough to go with the furniture.

Just a touch of traditional is nice, along with snowy white linens and just a few candles or local art or sculpture. It can look quite contemporary, esp. with your furniture. Probably can find some oilcloth to complement too--can be bought by the yard at the hardware or furniture store. There is a chain of Danish goods--logo is blue with a goose. It sells comforters, household goods and such at decent prices, esp. on sale--can't remember the name. That might be a good place to look for accessories. The local freebie advertising would contain it--probably best to shop over the border in Germany anyway, the exchange rate is better. Surprising what you can get on special at the grocery and general merchandise stores too--half my house is that stuff, available seasonally.

Local restaurants and inns might give you some inspiration on a modern take with traditional touches. Then it might be fun to recycle the curtains as pillows or a tablecloth or put in a bedroom.

Incorporating your daughters art could be the first step. It is livable as is and doesn't have to be all done on your first trip. Perhaps she can do something custom just for you. Sorry I'm not on Facebook to look, but perhaps she can create something inspired by the Swiss Alps and the fresh grass with wildflowers and the mist rising up the mountains--so incrediably beautiful--and the greens will match!

The more traditional art can go in a bathroom or front entry or someplace grouped together, just to keep a touch of the old. They look to be rather nice landscapes--the hanging doesn't help them.

Thanks for the comments. I think that you really understand what I would like to do in combining fresh touches with traditional. We've also considered the hop up to Germany for economic reasons too. I will check out the blue goose. Seems like I've seen in our time in Europe. I actually haven't attached anything on the kitchen. The table you see is at one end of the "great room" which serve as the living room. This room is mostly tall open to the second floor with a balcony at one end. We will probably do a kitchen redo since that seem the thing that is most needed. You are right about it being livable as is. We spend two weeks there last August and it was very comfortable. Also attaching some windowpane plaid swatches for your reactions. I think I want to keep the window treatment light and save pops of bright color for other accessories. BTW, if you go to www.facebook.com/heidispringart
you should be able to follow links--photos, albums, paintings and look without signing up or anything.
We will take more pictures before we change stuff, and I'll check out retrorenovation site too. Thanx!

Here is another look at the dining area at one end of great room and the windowpane swatches that I would like reactions to.

Maybe small art prints on aluminum like these: http://alexeirebrov.com/collections/green starting from $110 for 18x12" They can be framed in aluminum or wooden frames.
I think red key art will be also appropriate: http://alexeirebrov.com/collections/red-1

The kitchen is small, but I rather like it--especially the dinette! White cabinets could brighten it up, and maybe you could squeeze in a corner unit. Perhaps going with the red and blue would work for this space. I even like the curtains here, European 70s, but the aqua doesn't quite fit. That German red dish set with the hearts would be perfect--doggonit--I can't remember anything today--they are known for their red glazes and Christmas ware and have an outlet near Frankfurt--Oh yeah, Walternacht. The royal blue cushions might be better here.

It might be worth your while to get a copy of "Never a Dull Moment" from an American servicemember spouse, or from the AWAG website, and hit the flea markets. It is the shopping bible with lots of outlets and such listed. I didn't go as hog wild as some people, but my dining room is definately little Germany. The flea markets are a lot of fun and you never know what you will find on Sparmuhle day on the curb. Stuff of this vintage isn't really in among the younger set quite yet, but I bet it will be soon. Some great stuff. I still wish I dragged home a Mid-Century modern mosiac top coffee table I saw on the curb, but it was heavy!

Kind of wondering why there are small tables in both rooms. Is the other room a dining/lounge? Can you put the table closer to the window and move the TV to the great room, or is that the same room? I'm bit confused

The brown is OK--I would look for more in the french or navy blue maybe, or black, and with a lighter ground and less brown. You already have a lot of brown and need some freshness, even if just a little..

I am going away for a couple of weeks so I don't have time to look around for what I can see in my head, but I bet you will have no problem finding it once you are there. Sometimes I have more luck finding what I want when I surf using translated key words to find European stuff (decor and tourism info). I saw the style everywhere, but it is hard to describe in words.

The TV will most likely end up in the loft. We are not big watchers, so it doesn't make sense for us where it is. The table that I am writing at is quite a bit larger than the one in the kitchen and expands to almost twice the size, so from that standpoint it is practical. This expandable table is in the great room under the loft. We may turn it longways to the wall. It can't get too much closer to the window because those are glass doors that go outside to the balcony. We could eliminate eating in the kitchen, but the little dinette works as a workspace at least until we do a redo. I like the idea of white cabinets. The kitchen update will probably come first as far as anything significant.

Regarding fabric--I don't want more brown! I was thinking of the fabric I posted as more off-white, but I will keep looking! I'll check out the Walternacht as well.

Thanks for the advise about the AWAG. My brother was in the military in Germany, but that was hmmm, the 70s, when this chalet was new!

Found them. Its Waechtersbach, I think.

Oh my God. I have MAJOR furniture envy! Gorgeous place and really doesn't need much at all. Change the soft furnishings, add some art and hey presto. I like the kitchen - it looks serviceable and if you're not there full time I don't see much sense in changing it.

Furniture looks early 60s to me, but maybe it was relocated from their home. The wicker chairs and kitchen curtains do looks 70s. I bet you have some bright shelf paper in the cabinets too. Count yourself lucky, at least it was built before the brown tile stage in the 80s.

Waechtersbach, that's it, great stuff and will take a beating. Been in production unchanged for decades. Bit pricey, but might find at the flea market or at the factory outlet. Just a tea pot and mugs can be nice, maybe some cereal bowls..

I actually think the kitchen looks fine, but a full modern kitchen that small is pretty reasonable--in Germany at least. I couldn't believe how much cheaper a full kitchen wth a lot of what we think of as extras, like a cooktop and a hood, is standard there. Labor is another matter, so try not to change plumbing and electric too much.

You may be right about the furniture not being new with the house which was built in 1971. I'm glad for no brown tile as well. I spent some time on the Waechtersbach's site and love the reds and yellows, etc. Probably have to wait for dishes and use the brown :-) that's there. A few extras could probably fit the budget.

Brown and beige is versatile, but too much is just yuck. Add lots of whites and contrast and texture, can be nice, but after spending most of my adult like in one beige or white box after another, I like COLOR.

Me too! Color is good.

We had a quick week at the chalet in March and did a bit of work. Hope to do more in August and perhaps a kitchen remodel in Nov-Dec. Thought it would be fun to post a few picture of the slight changes. No time to deal with curtains yet. Also rearranged furniture to take advantage of the view.
Art work will follow too with a "artist in residence" this summer.

Two more photos. Danish modern chairs will receive new strap supports for cushions too.

Pops of bright color definitely look nice with the wood. I think the pictures over the bed are too small and too high. I still like the green curtains--maybe in another room?

Yes, on the size of pictures. We're changing that this summer. I just tacked those up quickly over where the wood was lighter from where some pictures were before we purchased. Figured the wall wouldn't be totally bare until the artwork is done. Still not sure about the curtains, but who knows..... :-)

I need to post some pictures of what we have done. It looks quite a bit different. So here they are…. Painted one wall,

changed curtainsinstalled a new kitchen,put new linens in the Master bedroom.

The kitchen above is NOT ours. Don't know how it got there. Here is ours.

Wow, very nice. I love the updates you made. Good job!