At least no true Swiss would be prepared to sacrifice comfort and endure such primitive conditions, just for the sake of authenticity.
There is no need to feel guilty. Only the most hardened purist would consider that a sacrilege. I can hardly imagine anyone who, in their quest for 16th century authenticity, would go as far as to rip out the bathroom, the plumbing, the electrical system etc. and restore the toilet to its original condition as a bucket in an outhouse at the end of the garden.
We had a great experience completely renovating our house built in the late 30s. We were lucky to find an excellent project manager who delivered to our expectations. Though we did go for the white walls, we did choose some things that were outside the norm (10x10 black and white tiles, funky graphic wallpaper on some walls etc) and that our project manager originally advised against.
Knowing exactly what we wanted was key. As previous posters recommended, I showed lots of pictures of what I wanted. We could not be happier with the result.
Our project manager had a team of companies that he had experience working with - painter, electrician, carpenter, etc. He gave us a timeline showing which work needed to be completed at which point and coordinated all the work. We dealt only with him.
This might habe been more expensive than shopping for the best offers but had the advantage that he knew them and the quality of their work. The tile layer had to redo two days of work because he made a huge mistake with the pattern. Our project manager handled the issue without any stress on our part.
I wish you the best of luck with your project!
Hi there. I'm an English decorator based in Geneva, probably too far away to get involved, but totally 'get' what you're saying, not a fan of Ikea, and work on the basis that it's my job to help a client put together the best version of their own style, it's a home. Have recently put together some ideas for a very similar chalet project in the French Alps, how to soften and embrace a very dated 60/70's chalet, and indeed keeping the t&g in all it's orange glory! You are most welcome to get in touch in with me directly, perhaps send a few photos of the place and I'd be delighted to give you a few friendly thoughts..
Very best wishes.