Our story

Once upon a time, in a little cottage, in a village surrounded by woods, there lived a widow with her children. The children lost their dad when the youngest son, Janik, was only 9 months old. So twelve-year-old Hanička, ten-year-old Miluška, and nine-year-old Marinka had to help their mum as much as they could. Such as gathering firewood or milking the cow. It was no walk in the park, but love makes everything easier. Hanka was a brilliant mum – she cooked, baked, sewed, embroidered, and knitted. All of which she tried to teach her children, too. When her children grew up to make their own way, they started their own families. And that is where my story begins…

My name is Jana, and I used to spend nearly every summer holiday at my grandma’s cottage. Remembering my grandma lamenting that my mum hadn’t packed anything good to take with me brings a smile to my face 🙂 Believe it or not, I would go to bed in new, flannel pyjamas that fit me perfectly, and in the morning I would find a pair of new shorts or a skirt waiting for me…I thought it must be some sorcery! But for a seamstress as skilled my grandma, this must have been a piece of cake. Even the blouse with embroidered flowers and the skirt with pockets in this photo are her work. I’ve always admired that beautiful painted treadle sewing machine by the kitchen window!

Hence when the opportunity to work on this little house came up, I didn’t hesitate for a minute. Our original plan to make it the family weekend getaway house was abandoned when we instead decided to turn it into an oasis of calm for you, our cherished guests! New “ruins” also sprang up next to grandma’s house. Many of you might think whether it wouldn’t be easier to just tear it down and build anew? Some would consider it, but not us. What story would a new house tell? What treasures would it hide?

With the motto “Don’t throw away – reuse!” we set to work. We threw away only what had to be thrown away, but the pots, pitchforks, troughs and other “treasures” received a new coat of paint to continue serving for years to come. Some of the walls are made of old bricks from the former butcher’s shop, the wood panelling came from my brother’s old fence (at Marinka’s) and my husband’s grandma’s barn (at Janik’s).
The colourful hearts on the walls (in the kitchen at Marinka’s and Hanička’s) are made from the old doors to the original barn. I could go on like this forever… 🙂

Amazing hardwood furniture – beds, wardrobes, kitchen counters, and much more are the work of my brothers’ skilled hands. The fences and iron decorations were made by our close friends. The gazebo and many other things are the work of the talented fellas from Dedinky. From the bottom of our , we are grateful to all those who lent a hand towards such a beautiful result!

And that’s how our little resort with its “strange name” of Chalets Dedinky came to be. So why the name? Chalet is an architectural style that originated in 19th century Germany. The style became known in Europe and in various parts of North America. The word “chalet” refers to a Swiss mountain cabin. Houses of this style are built for spending holidays, and everything is tailored to guarantee peace of mind and complete privacy in the house. These houses are either completely wooden or a combination of wood, brick, stone and render. A simple “chalet” house has a large dining room and large windows.

We may not be in Switzerland, nor meet all the requirements for the name, but we wanted to offer something unique and distinguish ourselves from everything else we know 🙂

It’s our hope that how you feel here will correspond to the time and the great effort we have put into creating APARTMENTS INSPIRED BY THE HEART!

Yours!

Yours, Jana and Richard