Mesmerhaus

Minimalist interiors are concealed by the gabled heritage of this 150-year-old house which frames fabulous views across the Rhein Valley and distant Lake Constance. Located in Bildstein opposite the village church, it comes as no surprise to learn that this house was home to the Sexton. It was also once the home of the owner’s great grandfather. Jürgen Haller is said owner, a genius Baumeister in Austria’s Bregenzerwald.

An aficionado of timber, architect and Baumeister Jürgen Haller is a master of harnessing nature, tradition and culture. Together with his partner, Evi, this perceptive duo were able to restore this family heirloom with such passion, charisma and love. 

Haller uses local materials sourced from the forests and applies an engineering hand to the old-school building and construction methods. It makes the build standout but stay equally coherent.  His strong use of the vernacular enables his studio to embed centuries-old familiar ways with those that strike a pose. In the case of Mesmerhaus, the façade fosters the traditional art of Vorarlberg - decked in spruce-rounded shingles, ornate white casement windows, pitched gables and those gorgeous shutters painted in mandatory grassy greens, conjuring the rural idyll of Austria. Pristine white, charcoal grey and pockets of cardinal red nurture the elementary textures of spruce, oak planking, blackened steel and thick felts. The effect is Alpine purism - complemented by precise architectural detailing; full-length doorways, wood-burning stoves, lacquered finishes, designer mood lighting and commissioned carpentry.

Three spacious apartments showcase a coolstyle gear shift and cleverly frame the painterly views with clean, unfussy, considered design. Tons of brushed oak wood keeps to the Alpine narrative with a wrapping of contemporary detailing. Cardinal red tiling add splashes of colour to bathrooms, otherwise the décor is sleek and refreshingly simple for the good life in Austria.

Mesmerhaus, once the Sexton’s home, is today, a wonderful style chameleon of ornate exteriors and simplistic elegant interiors; a heritage house reduced to its essence through a calming language of decorative stillness.

Three spacious luxury apartments offer a variety of sleeping options and views of the surrounding landscapes, including Lake Constance, dreamy mountains and ancient churches. The apartments can be booked individually or as a whole house – bring the whole clan for big gathering getaway. Families and those independence-seekers love the chic kitchenettes with Nespresso machines and handy high-spec gadgets.

Interiors showcase a cool shift style gear and cleverly frame the painterly views with clean, unfussy, considered design. Tons of brushed oak wood keeps to the Alpine narrative with a wrapping of contemporary detailing. Cardinal red tiling add splashes of colour to bathrooms, otherwise the décor is sleek and refreshingly simple for the good life in Austria.

Apartments at Mesmerhaus some complete with high-spec kitchens so you can prepare your relaxed foodie agenda as you please with everything you need to self-cater at hand. Of course, you can order your basket of fresh bakery, juices, cheeses and jams for breakfast and equally pop into the former barn turned little foodie kiosk, which stocks local produce and the cupboard essentials. After your leisurely, exactly as-you-like-it-morning-coffee, plan to hit one of the countless restaurants in Bildstein and surrounds – this is, after all, the garden of Austria and the palettes stretch from rustic hearty farm-to-table pot dishes to the gourmet – not forgetting to stock up your fridge with some excellent Austrian wines.

High above the Rhein Valley, Mesmerhaus sits proud in the Austrian Vorarlberg village of Bildstein opposite the 17th Century Baroque church of Wallfahrtskirche Maria Bildstein.