Mountain House Studies in Elevated Design

A photographic study of more than twenty houses and the mountain landscapes, from alpine forests to urban peaks, that embrace them.

Spanning continents and climates, the twenty homes presented in interior designer Nina Freudenberger’s latest book challenge and expand the idea of what a mountain house might be. Artist retreats in Morocco’s High Atlas and the snowy folds of the Engadine Valley in Switzerland speak to the long tradition of mountains spaces for contemplation and creation, while modernist masterworks in Cape Town and Rio de Janeiro expand the traditional image of log cabins and rustic chalets.

Depicted in over 200 images, these houses include brutalist lodges, clapboard cottages, and minimalist prisms set down among some of the world’s most dramatic landscapes. In their spectacular diversity, they express the radical ingenuity and stunning creativity that the mountains have always inspired.

The author of Surf Shack and Bibliostyle, Nina Freudenberger received her BFA and Bachelor of Architecture from Rhode Island School of Design before launching a career in interior design. She is founder of the Los Angeles based interior design firm Freudenberger Design which specializes in private residential interiors and hospitality projects across the country. In addition, Nina has designed a wide array of home and lifestyle products and collaborations sold nationwide, including rugs, textiles, wall coverings, and furniture. She currently lives with her husband and two boys in California.

Michael Snyder is a contributing editor for T: The New York Times Magazine and a freelance reporter on architecture, design, travel, and food. Snyder's work has been recognized by the International Association of Cooking Professionals and the Lowell Thomas Travel Writing Awards. He has been nominated for a James Beard Award and, in 2018, received a Pulitzer Grant for Crisis Reporting. His work has appeared in The Believer, The Los Angeles Times, The Nation, Architectural Record, Food & Wine, and Travel & Leisure, and Lucky Peach, among other publications. He lives in Mexico City.

Chris Mottalini is a photographer who specializes in architecture, interiors, and design. His work has appeared in T: The New York Times Style Magazine, Architectural Digest, Casa Vogue, Elle Decor, AD France, Milk Decoration, Upstate Diary, among others. His recent projects focus on Anais Nin’s former home in Los Angeles, the George Nakashima family compound, the home of jazz great Louis Armstrong, and Hawaiian Modernism. The author of Land of Smiles and After You Left/They Took It Apart, Mottalini lives with his family and Burger, their giant corgi, in the Hudson Valley.