People of Belarte - hinter
Nestled in the Laurentian Mountains in southern Quebec, Canada stands hinterhouse and hintercabin x. The Scandinavian cabin-inspired architecture looks to Japanese design cues and the minimalist philosophy for living to offer an elevated escapist space. The place is well known for its skiing and a wonderful hiking space for the summer.
Founded by Mauricio Padilla and Emily Padan, hinter seeks to provide design-centric spaces grounded in nature. The concept was epitomized by the company’s first project, hinterhouse, a 16-foot-wide cabin nestled deep in the woods, close to the popular Mont-Tremblant Ski Resort. Recently added is hintercabin x with its focus on well-being. It’s a lulling escape for anyone looking to slow down and disconnect. And, of course, wholly pleasing for the aesthete, with its Japanese-inspired architecture and Nordic elements.
Hinter’s philosophy really resonates with us at belarteSTUDIO as we share the same values, we are really happy that our designs are interpreted at the location and we caught up with Mauricio and Emily to find out more.
Tell me more about you and the story behind Hinter?
My husband Mauricio used to travel a lot in his former work and whiles doing this he experienced many different hiking places during weekends. It was during one of these escapes, seeing all the beautiful homes, epic places that you don ́t see normally elsewhere that the idea came to mind.
He had bought a prefab home when we met, but the idea came about when he considered selling spaces like this. Together we decided to rent out the place to test it. Very simply on Airbnb. And it took off like that. We were booked up to six months at a time. And that's when it occurred to us that we could turn Hinterhouse into a hotel.
After some construction delays, and the pandemic we opened in July of 2020. There was a long-awaited anticipation from our end and our guests. But overall, the response has been incredible and it's very humbling to see that people love what we put our hearts and soul into. Our second house hintercabin x was launched last year in November little more than one year after.
“I like to see, in a way, that instead of selling nights at a hotel, we are providing memories, experiences, things that really stick with you. These sorts of spaces allow you to inspire yourself. They give you some headspace. It’s the same as going for a walk or going for a hike.
You don’t know what you’re going to find... but you find things.”
- Mauricio Padilla
How do you plan a hospitality room/cabin ? Is it different from your personal room?
There is a direct correlation between design and our wellbeing, so in everything we do, both at home and at our cabins, we focus on minimalism, calmness and cues from Japanese and Scandinavian design. Especially in our cabins, we believe there needs to be plenty of space to have a clear mind and leave room for creativity and disconnection. Of course, one of the biggest focus at our spaces is nature, so we are big believers of large windows, while still maintaining that private feeling.
How was the process for working with wallpaper what caught your attention with belarteSTUDIO?
We were so excited when we found BelarteSTUDIO. The brand is so aligned with hinter with its Japandi influence and beautiful aesthetic. We were a little nervous that it would be challenging to apply, but we had such an easy time with it and we're in love with the result.
What are your dreams and plans for the future?
So many, but one of our biggest plans for late 2022 is to create a large project called hinter residences where there will be 50-60 houses. You can buy a space and if the owners would like, they can rent them out through hinter as well. It's pretty exciting and we already have a queue for anyone interested.
1: Reduce meat and animal product consumption
Amp up those veggies in your diet and reduce your meat consumption. If each of us minimize our animal product consumption, we will be bettering our planet by reducing greenhouse gas emissions and minimizing over-fishing and several other negative impacts on our oceans such as by-catch (when large fishing boats accidentally catch dolphins, whales, sharks and sea turtles while fishing and end up harming or killing them).
2: Less is more
Swapping the car for walking or cycling even just one day a week makes a significant impact on our personal carbon emissions. Plus, you’ll get a little extra movement and vitamin D that day. Using your car less isn’t the only thing to pay attention to; are you taking super long showers? Try shortening them by 1-2 minutes or taking a cold one. It’s better for your circulation, hair and skin anyway. Then, of course, there’s plastic. When you’re finished with the box of Ziploc bags you have in your pantry, instead of buying new ones, try reusable zipper bags instead. Same goes for parchment paper or aluminum foil - swap them for silicone mats for your cooking trays. Of course, we all know plastic bags are awful for the planet, so much, that some countries and cities are banning them. Remember to bring your reusable canvas bags with you when you do shop in stores or at the market. It can often feel that these little things are so small, but collectively, if we all do our part to use less, we can make a big impact.
Step 3: Before you checkout... think it over!
It’s so easy to just ‘add to cart’ from the comfort of our own beds. But the more we consume, the more waste we create. Often clothing is only kept for a season or two, then it’s either donated or thrown out. Sadly, when we donate clothing, there’s often an overabundance thus many of the items end up in landfills regardless. So, when you are shopping, it’s important to think about whether you truly need something.
Step 4: Support Companies that Care
We all spend money - whether that’s on products or experiences, it is essential to keep our economy healthy... but why not make solid decisions on how we spend our money? Whether you’re looking for a new skincare routine, buying a new pair of shoes or deciding where and how to travel, do some research on the company you are purchasing from. It’s simple- if the brand’s website has a sustainability section, read up on it! If they don’t, chances are they’re not doing much. Companies are proud to share their efforts, both because of their love for the planet, and also for marketing reasons...I mean, why wouldn’t they want to share this with their customers? It influences others to do the same, while also sharing their impact on the planet, which makes more of us want to buy from them.
Step 5: Plant trees
This is absolutely my favorite and nearest and dearest to my heart. The amount of carbon that trees sequester is probably the only fighting chance we have for our planet. At hinter, we plant 10 trees for every booking made. It's about 1500 trees per year per house. We work with One Tree Planted, and it's super simple. If everyone plants a few trees a year, or at least, back to step 4, supports companies who are doing this, or helping our oceans, then we can make a difference.
How can you be kind to the environment and and still travel and stay at your location?
Since our spaces plant 10 trees per booking, you know that the stay is not just carbon neutral, it's carbon NEGATIVE. It's really important to us to be a carbon negative company, and that way our guests can feel good about their experience on so many levels. Our spaces also only have biodegradable home and body care products, furniture is mostly made by local artisans, and soon we'll be featuring NFT's from local artists as well.
