This woman, with her assertive, go-getter personality was born and raised in Geneva. As a young girl, her parents started bringing her to the Swiss resort of Verbier to learn the joys of skiing.

After several years of training and working in the communications field in her home town of Geneva, this young woman was drawn to the idea of returning to the mountain landscapes of her childhood. At almost 30, she packed her bags for the village of Verbier, in the Valais region. She spent two weeks working at ‘Ski Services‘, a sport shop.

But Anne-Valérie had been a born creative since childhood. She loves chalet atmosphere, the world of interior spaces, beautiful materials, colours, fabrics and objects. She succeeded in bringing this world to Verbier after taking a job with a décor shop in the village. Here, she put together her first ranges and gained the tools, know-how and skills necessary to develop a talent that had been dormant within herself.

This passionate, dynamic and daring woman soon dreamed of striking out on her own. She opened Terra Cotta, her first shop, offering décor pieces and accessories. One thing led to another, and friends, home owners, residents, architects and real estate agencies entrusted her with projects for makeovers, decoration and fitting out of all kinds of spaces, from apartment or chalet around Verbier to places in other resorts in the Valais region, such as Chandolin, Valais and Champéry.

Anne-Valérie’s strength is undoubtedly her ability to listen, which allows her to put herself into her clients’ shoes, to step into their lives and their stories, to get under their skin, to imagine their way of life, and to understand their tastes and style. She works closely with craftsmen in the Val de Bagnes region and surrounds, such as carpenters, cabinetmakers and upholsterers, with whom she has forged trusting relationships over time that, in turn, allow her to offer a unique and high-quality service.

Her style, she underlines, is one of simplicity, with perhaps an edge of luxury. She loves authenticity, warmth and cosiness. After a day of skiing or sport in the resort, she likes her guests to feel ‘snug’ in a peaceful and cosy atmosphere. She loves to play with materials, lights and colour to create the scenes in which life plays out. Much of Anne-Valérie’s inspiration is drawn from nature, and she gets many of her ideas from her frequent walks in the Swiss mountains.

You can find Anne-Valérie, the shop ‘Terra Cotta’ and its beautiful decorative items in Verbier, at No. 25, ruelle de la Poste.