Mountain decor captures the spirit of a chalet: raw wood, wool, sheepskin, the warmth of a stove and windows looking out on the peaks. To bring it home, start with a base of wood and off-white, then add thick textiles, a few alpine pieces and pictures of lakes and mountains. ❄️
Here is what makes chalet decor, its colours, and 15 ideas to bring the mountains into your home, from the first autumn fire to Christmas, whether you live in a ski town or a city flat.
What is mountain decor?
Mountain decor is inspired by chalets and alpine farmhouses, built of wood and stone to withstand long winters. Above all, it is about comfort and warmth: natural materials, cosy textiles, soft lighting and a direct connection with the landscape. It is also called chalet decor or cabin style.
- Raw materials: pine, spruce or larch, stone, wrought iron.
- Warm textiles: wool, boiled wool, felt, tartan, sheepskin.
- Traditional objects: cowbells, wooden sledges, snowshoes, cuckoo clocks, cut-out hearts.
- A natural palette: honey wood, cream, fir green, red and stone grey.
- The landscape as decor: peaks, lakes, forests and alpine pastures, through the windows and on the walls.
There is no single mountain style: the Savoyard chalet, the Tyrolean house with its flower-filled balconies and the Nordic cabin with its grass roof all share wood and wool, but each has its own patterns and colours.
What colours suit mountain decor?
| Colour | Where it comes from | How to use it |
|---|---|---|
| Honey wood | Pine and spruce planks | Walls, beams, furniture, floors |
| Cream | Snow and undyed wool | Walls, bed linen, throws |
| Fir green | Conifer forests | A feature wall, an armchair, cushions |
| Red | Checked tablecloths and lumberjack shirts | A touch: a throw, a cushion, a tea towel |
| Stone grey | Stone foundations and rocks | Ceramics, floors, fireplace |
| Glacier blue | Mountain lakes | A poster, a vase, a blanket |
15 ideas for mountain decor at home
Raw wood, ideally old
Wood is the foundation of any chalet decor. Old wood, greyed by the sun or brushed, has more character than new flooring. If you cannot clad a whole wall, a plank console table, a shelf made of river driftwood or a panelled headboard is enough to set the scene.
A stone or wood-panelled wall
In traditional chalets, the ground floor is often stone and the upper floor wood. A section of exposed stone behind a stove, or off-white wood panelling in a bedroom, echoes this construction without turning the house into a mountain hut.
Posters of lakes and peaks
A mountain view on the wall works like an extra window. An emerald lake hidden among the fir trees, an alpine pasture ringing with cowbells, chalets reflected in the lake at Flumet, in the French Alps: each of our posters was born on a hike, from a photo taken on the spot.
Lakes and pastures of the Alps
Wool, felt and tartan
Mountain life is lived in thick socks. Layer up the heavy textiles: a checked wool throw on the sofa, boiled wool or cable knit cushions, thick linen curtains, a wool rug. Red and green tartan is a winter classic, best kept to one or two rooms.
A sheepskin on a chair
A sheepskin thrown over a wooden chair, at the foot of the bed or on a bench by the door instantly softens a room. Choose a skin from farmed sheep or a good imitation, and avoid hunting trophies and wild animal furs, which weigh the atmosphere down.
An alpine cow on the wall
Cowbells, cow portraits and summer pasture scenes have become chalet decor classics. Our cow poster was born from an encounter on a hike in the Alps: curious, she walked right up to us without the slightest hesitation and posed for a few seconds. In a kitchen or a child’s room, she adds a touch of humour.
Cut-out hearts and edelweiss
The shutters, balconies and furniture of alpine chalets are often decorated with patterns cut into the wood, the best known being the heart. Edelweiss, the emblematic flower of the Alps, is embroidered on linen and painted on furniture. One or two nods are enough: a chair with a cut-out heart, a painted box, an embroidered tea towel.
A Black Forest cuckoo clock
The cuckoo clock was born in the Black Forest, in Germany. In Triberg, a former clockmaking centre, the main street is lined with cuckoo clock shops. There we learned that a genuine German-made cuckoo clock costs at least 200 euros for a small model: we left without one, but with the memory of their intricate details and their song, kitschy but incredibly charming, as we tell in our day in Triberg on Rolling Trippers.
A vintage mountain poster
In the 1920s and 1930s, railway companies commissioned posters to sell winter sports and mountain excursions. Those by Roger Broders (1883-1953) for the PLM railway company, now in the public domain, show the Alps in large flat areas of colour. This graphic heritage is what inspires our own posters.
The Nordic cabin spirit
In Norway, many wooden cabins still have grass-covered roofs. Beneath the vegetation, a layer of birch bark keeps the water out, and the roof insulates against both cold and heat. For a more pared-back mountain look, combine light wood, white, grey and a poster of a Scandinavian cabin.
A fondue and raclette corner
The mountains are also about food. An enamelled cast iron fondue pot, like Staub’s fondue set, a raclette grill, a wooden cheese board, chunky glasses and a checked tablecloth: kept on an open shelf, these become part of the decor as soon as the cold sets in. 🧀
Old sledges, snowshoes and skis
An old wooden sledge becomes a side table or a plant stand, a pair of wood and leather snowshoes hangs in the hallway, vintage skis lean in a corner. These pieces can be found at mountain flea markets and tell the story of winters gone by.
A stove or fireplace at the heart of the home
In a chalet, everything revolves around the fire. A wood stove, a basket of logs, a sheepskin, a deep armchair and a reading lamp are enough to create a cosy corner. Without a fireplace, a decorative log basket, candles and warm 2,700 kelvin bulbs recreate the atmosphere.
The mountains in autumn
Before the snow, autumn is the best season to adopt mountain decor. A bunch of larch branches, pine cones in a wooden bowl, candles, a garland of dried mushrooms, a rust-coloured throw: the house takes on the colours of the forest.
Mountain Christmas decor
At Christmas, mountain decor comes into its own. A real tree hung with wooden and straw ornaments, a wreath of branches, a pine cone garland, candles on the window sills. In Rothenburg ob der Tauber, in Germany, whose Christmas market is one of the oldest in the country, we walked into a huge Christmas shop open all year round, whose decor instantly transported us to December, as we tell in our visit to Rothenburg on Rolling Trippers.
Soft, low lighting
Bright ceiling lights kill the mood. Choose several low light sources instead: a table lamp with a fabric shade, a metal lantern, a wooden or wicker pendant, candles. The light should feel like a mountain hut in the evening, when you come back from a hike.
Which poster should you choose for mountain decor?
The best choice is the landscape that connects you to the mountains: the lake from your summer hikes, the village of your ski holidays, the fjord from a memorable trip. Then match the poster to the room.
| Room | Suggested poster | Suggested size |
|---|---|---|
| Hallway | A chalet, a trail | A4 (€19) |
| Living room | A big landscape: lake, glacier, peaks | A3 (€24) alone or as a pair |
| Kitchen | A cow in an alpine pasture | A4 (€19) or A5 (€15) |
| Bedroom | A calm lake among fir trees | A3 (€24) |
| Corridor or staircase | A trio of lakes and chalets | 3 x A4 or 3 x A5 |
Our posters come in three sizes: A5 (14.8 x 21 cm), A4 (21 x 29.7 cm) and A3 (29.5 x 41.9 cm). In a raw wood or oak frame, they blend naturally into chalet decor. Before drilling, read our guide on how to hang a picture frame at the right height.
More posters for mountain decor
What mistakes should you avoid with mountain decor?
- The ski resort theme park: “Welcome to the mountains” signs, resin deer heads and new skis on the wall. Keep objects that have a past.
- Too much dark wood: walls, ceiling, floor and furniture in the same dark shade make a room gloomy. Alternate with cream and light wood.
- Forgetting the lighting: a single ceiling light is enough to make a chalet feel cold. Add several small lamps.
- Keeping it for winter only: the mountains are also flowering pastures and summer lakes. A lake poster keeps the room bright all year round.
Frequently asked questions
What are the colours of mountain decor?
Mountain decor is built on honey wood, cream and fir green, warmed up with touches of red and stone grey. The blue of mountain lakes adds freshness, for example on a poster or a throw.
What is the difference between mountain decor and chalet decor?
The two terms mean almost the same thing. Chalet decor focuses on the wooden house, its materials and objects. Mountain decor is broader: it includes landscapes, peaks, lakes and the alpine way of life, in summer as well as in winter.
How do you create chalet decor in a flat?
Pick three strong elements rather than transforming everything: a piece of furniture or a wall in raw wood, thick textiles (wool, sheepskin, tartan) and one or two posters of mountain landscapes. Add low, warm lighting for that mountain hut feeling.
How do you get mountain Christmas decor right?
Focus on natural materials: a real tree, branches, pine cones, wooden, straw or felt ornaments, candles and wool throws. Keep the colours to red, fir green, white and wood, and avoid shiny plastic decorations.
Which poster suits mountain decor?
Choose a landscape that matters to you: an alpine lake, a pasture, a chalet or a fjord. For a living room, an A3 of 29.5 x 41.9 cm or a pair of A3s; for a kitchen or hallway, an A4. A raw wood frame makes it part of the decor.
A little piece of the mountains at home
Mountain decor does not need a chalet at 1,800 metres: wood, wool, soft light and a poster of a lake or peak you love are enough to bring in the mountain air. If you like decor that tells the story of a region, discover our Italian decor ideas too. And browse our mountain posters to find your own peak.
