CREATING A SAFE SPACE

Jan Gerber's Swiss countryside retreat isn't just where he lives with his partner Jil, they make it a welcoming space for friends - and his billionaire health clinic clients

- MELANIE MACLEOD

Located deep in the Swiss countryside, Jan Gerber's sprawling home exudes a sense of restfulness and harmony.

As well it might: as chief executive of Paracelsus Recovery, the exclusive Swiss health clinic that treats heads of state, royalty and billionaires, Jan is an expert in what makes a relaxing, healing retreat.

"We have an open-door policy," he says of the family home, a former farmhouse he shares with his partner Jil, his eight-year-old son and their pets, golden retriever Balu and cat Mowgli.

"To focus on healing, you need a cosy and welcoming space. Our home has a warm energy running through it and that is something I have always prioritised when seeking a property.

"My mother's home was always the most welcoming space and I wanted to find that for myself when creating my own home."

The country retreat, a 45-minute drive from Zurich, is set in woodland and accessed via narrow, winding roads, which contributes to the feeling of remoteness.

"My stress melts away as soon as I arrive home," Jan says of the 150-year-old property he spent three years reconstructing.

"It had a mid-1980s style when we bought it in 2020," he recalls. "Even though the style wasn't to my taste, I knew it was a special space and that there was something different about the building."

EYE FOR DETAIL

He worked hard to create a soothing atmosphere, scouring the continent for special pieces that suited the property, including an ornate marble mantelpiece in the main living room that was rescued from a château in the South of France.

"I spotted it online via a secondhand market for historic mantelpieces and knew it belonged here," he says.