Minimalist Mountain Top Home Designed Around Panoramic Lake Views

House Lombardo sits high on a mountain in Switzerland and has a panoramic view of Lake Lugano and the Swiss Alps. Anna Philipp of Philipp Architekten designed this home over 4 levels with the main living area on the top floor so as to take advantage of the stunning views – and stunning they most definitely are. The large terrace doubles the living space when the floor to ceiling windows are opened up. With the tempered glass rail system it is as though there is nothing separating the homeowners from the landscape beyond. One level down and just below the living terrace, Anna designed a long, linear pool to run along the facade of the home.

The terrace above offers a covered and shady spot to the pool level while the stone wall and large planters add in the organic touch to tie in with the distant view

Next to the pool is a tri-level deck for enjoying the views after a dip in the pool or just before turning in for the night.

the pool is on the bedroom level o fthehome and each of the four bedrooms has a poolside view. Two of the bedrooms are in the forefront with two windows each, and two of the bedrooms are in the step back with one window each.

Between the two sets of bedrooms in a large foyer with sliding glass doors for access to the deck. At the back of the foyer is the stairwell that accesses the other floors to the home.

While the stairs offer easy access to each level, the elevator makes it even easier. Located just behind the stairwell, the elevator unobtrusively blends with the wall colour while the stairwell is hidden behind wood panels. The wood paneling that surround the stairwell takes advantage of the space below the steps for staggered storage.

Back up on the top floor is where the living space and the Master Suite are. The living space has windows on three sides to maximize the views and the interior colour scheme is kept to a white on white with wood touches for warmth. Colour is not needed with the brilliant blues and greens of the landscape flooding into the home through the walls of glass.

The living room juts out into the terrace so as to allow for windows on all three sides. A stonewall divides the space between the living and dining areas – and also hides the elevator.

On the living room side of the elevator a niche is covered with fabric panels for acoustical qualities as well as dramatic pattern.

The fabric panels are clearly visible from the terrace and add an interesting dimension to the interior view.

The views into the dining area of the home are less dramatic with the only texture and pattern coming from the stonewall.

On the dining side, the stonewall has a niche built into it to feature a small sculpture.

The sculpture sits perfectly in its narrow surroundings. A small pin light set into the niche highlights the piece with a beam of bright light.

the dining area is located between the living area (and elevator) and the kitchen. A large wood table, capable of seating 10 is directly below an organic chandelier that resembles a multitude of branches clustered together with fireflies glowing on the ends.

The dining table lines up perfectly with the kitchen island in the distance. The long and linear terrace just outside the large expanse of windows mirrors the long and linear flow of the two spaces. This setting is kept simple so that the views can be enjoyed without any other visual clutter.

The kitchen island has an overhang on the side for two bar stools, unlike most islands that have the bar overhang on the length of the islands. This is to allow whomever sits at the island to enjoy views out the long window wall or the end window wall. To keep the space clean and uncluttered, there are no pendants hanging down over the island, but rather a flush mount fixture supplemented by a few pot lights bring in the necessary task lighting.

The kitchen bar continues to white on white colour palette, with the addition of stainless steel on the cabinet drawer pulls, sink and gooseneck faucet. Two large planters on the side deck add a splash of ebony and green foliage.

The cook top is located on the island and the stainless steel fridge is set into the wall of wood cabinets on the back wall. The tall gooseneck faucet offers sculptural verticality to an otherwise streamlined décor.

Even the powder room uses a white on white colour palette with minimal design detail. The interest is created by the cylindrical vanity and wall mounted faucet – both exacerbated with the use of a wall mirror.

The cylindrical vanity is topped off with a concave impression that forms a vessel sink.

The ensuite for the Master Suite is also a lesson in minimalism. A wood plank floor and wood vanity act as backdrops to the white vessel sink and white soaker tub. Both the sink and tub are paired with freestanding faucets and a large wall mirror once again exacerbates the overall effect of the minimalist décor. The main difference to this room verses the powder room is size, which allows for the use of a large tapestry to be hung on the wall for colour and texture. Here, too, a large window has sheers hung in front for an additional layer of softness.

This view of the ensuite allows for a better understanding of the sheer size of the room.

Just past the vanity and soaker tub is a large walk in shower. Unlike the rest of the ensuite, the shower area is a clad in mosaic tiles for a complete textural effect.

The shower boasts a large rain shower with multiple settings as well as a hand held shower located just above the bench seat. The mosaic tiles are kept to two walls so as not to overwhelm the space.

The Master Bedroom is a study in simplicity. Sliding doors open to the terrace and TV is tucked into the corner for late night watching. There is no large sitting area – one is not needed with the terrace just a few feet away.

The terrace is a place that can’t help but be the centre of attention to this home. With the panoramic views and pool just below, the lifestyle here is one of outdoors whenever possible.