Chalet chic
Wintertime getaway exudes European élan
Ward and Marcia Veldman live a rush each winter.
The couple can be found schussing snow-slicked hills, turning through knee-nipping gates and sweeping weekend NASTAR races and night league standings.
And when they’re done meeting their need for speed, the couple retires — just across the parking lot at Nub’s Nob — into a cozy chalet that is their winter home three months out of the year.
Inside, hundreds and hundreds of gold and platinum NASTAR medals and blue ribbons, memorabilia from trips out West and to Europe and framed memories of their years enjoying skiing and welcoming visitors at Der Nob, directly across from the lodge at Nub’s Nob off Alphof Lane.
“This is very convenient,” said Marcia, of their 1,750-square-foot European-styled chalet. “It’s just a great vacation home.”
Built by the couple in 1990, the Veldman chalet and its golden oak exterior is one that stands out amid the charming narrow streets and Swiss-style architecture surrounding Nub’s Nob to the north. Many of the chalets are rentals for the ski crowd, or wintertime homes for families like the Veldmans. Their current chalet is up the street and closer to Nub’s than an earlier one purchased in 1979.
Five years ago, they tore up the inside with new carpeting, tile, a kitchen makeover and updated countertops. And when ski season starts, the Veldmans move north from their Grand Rapids home to Harbor Springs, where they remain until Nub’s closes for the season. They also love to entertain their many skiing friends who stay in the chalet’s two guest rooms (one of which is a reading room with a pullout couch).
Throughout the home, elements of European flair are found, in a traditional Swiss cuckoo-clock, a Flemish-inspired mirror, golden colored walls that look like leather but are actually shellacked wallpaper and a gorgeous hutch in the master bedroom purchased from Joie de Vie on M-119 on the way to Harbor.
“All the colors are rich. People come in here and they can just relax,” said Ward, pointing out the deep red plaid walls of the master bedroom and comfort of heated bathroom tile.
In the downstairs main-level entryway, tall wood ceilings were designed to accommodate those long skinny skis everyone used to use, nicking many a ceiling in the process of heading out to and in from the slopes. Ski boot warmers and several pairs of the latest shaped Atomic skis are propped up in corners, waiting for their next run.
Tucked in the rear of the downstairs is Ward’s tuning room, where he meticulously waxes and tunes the couple’s skis — up to 50 coats of wax is not uncommon for his preference — sometimes several times a week. His pursuit of skiing perfection has helped both earn several national No. 1 rankings through the years with NASTAR.
“Ward just loves to go fast,” Marcia laughed.
The couple’s decorating taste stems not only from Ward’s background in design — he graduated from Kendall School of Art and Design and just sold his advertising business, Stevens Advertising, to officially declare retirement — but also from their trips overseas. They’ve enjoyed jaunts to Italy and Austria, where they’ve skied their way across the landscape village to village. They’ve also spent a considerable amount of time enjoying Colorado’s mountain resorts.
But Nub’s Nob is their Michigan home-away-from-home and has been for years, and they couldn’t get any closer to it. The bank of windows facing the front hills offers a spectacular view while they’re relaxing by the fire, whether it’s flurries by day or aglow at night.
“If you were in Aspen or Vail,” Ward said, “you’d be a paying a whole lot for a view like this.” HL
