Set across four storeys beside Victoria’s Alpine National Park, Alpine Lodge is a retreat shaped by its extraordinary mountain setting. Designed by Troppo Architects with interiors by Kim Kneipp Studio, the home pairs expansive alpine views and ski-in, ski-out access to Mount Hotham with warm, cocooning spaces designed for rest and connection.
Throughout the bedrooms, Hale Mercantile linen brings another natural layer to the richly tactile interior, creating a quiet invitation to rest and reset while taking in the landscape beyond.
We spoke with interior designer Kim Kneipp about the considered material palette behind Alpine Lodge and the role natural materials play in creating its sense of warmth and refuge.
What can you tell us about the clients and their vision for Alpine Lodge?
The clients are a professional couple with young adult children who wanted to create somewhere that would bring family and friends back, again and again. Skiing was the catalyst, but they were seeking something beyond a holiday house.
Each level of the lodge has a distinct function and atmosphere. How did you approach the finishes to create a sense of progression throughout the home?
Rather than thinking about four separate floors, we thought about the emotional progression through the home.
The lower level is devoted to arrival and restoration, with bluestone underfoot, warm timber and deep earthy tones creating a sense of refuge after a day in the snow. Moving upwards, the palette gradually opens out, culminating in the living spaces where generous views and softer materials invite connection and gathering.
Each level has its own atmosphere, but the materials speak the same language.
The palette brings together a rich mix of timbers and stone. How did you create a sense of balance between these materials?
The mountain became our reference point.
Rather than asking whether two materials matched, we asked whether they belonged together in this landscape. Warm American Cherry, smoked eucalyptus and Western Red Cedar each carry a different character, while bluestone, marble and natural stone introduce permanence and grounding.
Because every material responds to the same context, the palette feels layered rather than busy.
What does the use of natural materials bring to the experience of the home?
Natural materials continue to evolve long after construction ends, and that mattered to us.
Timber deepens in colour, brass develops a patina, linen softens with use and stone quietly records the rituals of everyday life. Rather than resisting age, the materials embrace it. The mountain itself is constantly shifting through weather, light and season, so it felt right that the interiors should do the same.
The bedrooms are cocooned in American Cherry veneer, while each maintains its own connection to the landscape beyond. How did you approach these spaces, and what drew you to linen bedding?
I've long admired Hale Mercantile's commitment to restraint and authenticity.
The linen doesn't demand attention. It has an honesty, tactility and quiet confidence that aligned with the philosophy behind Alpine Lodge. We were looking for pieces that would feel timeless, soften with use and contribute to a sense of calm, not decoration.
Like the natural materials throughout the home, the linen will only become more beautiful as it ages.