Family
An old workshop turned into an eclectic family home in the heart of Lille
)
At
Floriane and Baptiste Dosne, Isaac 10 and Asia, 5 years old
It could be Amsterdam — with its large bay windows and dark brick — or Brussels, with its artist studios filled with curiosities. Even a Brooklyn-style loft. But it’s in Lille that Floriane and Baptiste Dosne, the founding duo behind the architecture and design firm NOCOD Studio, have decided to settle down — with their kids in tow. Like many others post-pandemic, they swapped the hustle of Paris for the more open, breathable pace of life in the north of France.
For this well-traveled couple — whose scenography work for global luxury brands regularly takes them from Tokyo to Miami via Dubai — there’s nothing like having a home base halfway between Europe’s major capitals, one that also gives them space and a quality of life that Paris could no longer offer.
Set in a former factory that once made and repaired cinema projectors, their home is a constantly evolving space. The décor shifts with new finds and old memories. You’ll spot, in no particular order: artwork from friends and family, vintage lighting, prototypes imagined by Baptiste, antiques, pop culture collectibles, and stacks of auction house catalogs.
It’s a home full of personality, constantly in motion, brimming with objects and soul — a playful contrast to the precise, often minimal aesthetic NOCOD is known for. We dropped by this fascinating family lair right around afternoon snack time.
Author
Elsa Cau
Photos and videos
Jeanne Perrotte, Maeva Dayras
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
TSF
Floriane and Baptiste, tell us about your background.
Floriane
I studied architecture—two years in Lille, then I moved to Paris. I also spent a year in Mexico City.
Baptiste
I actually started out in a master’s program in history, which I dropped midway through to completely shift gears and study interior architecture. So now I’m an interior architect and designer—and married to the boss, Floriane, who’s a licensed architect! We’ve been partners for ten years.
TSF
Did you team up professionally right away?
Floriane
Not at all. I started out working in a production company, designing sets and scenographies for fashion shows and exhibitions.
Baptiste
And that’s when she brought me in! I was still a student, and her team needed help on a runway show. That’s how we started working together.
TSF
What’s one of the milestone projects for NOCOD?
Floriane
Definitely the traveling exhibition we designed for Louis Vuitton.
Baptiste
A long-term, totally wild project! The brand asked us to create a scenographic setup to showcase their craftsmanship in cities around the world. Over several years, the project toured 17 capitals. Each time, we rethought the entire design to resonate locally—sometimes incorporating unique pieces with strong ties to the location. In Thailand, for example, the royal family lent us some of Vuitton’s most iconic pieces.
We called them “capsules”—like these kind of mad, spaceship-like installations that would land in each new city.
TSF
Do you have a specialty?
Baptiste
We try not to have one! But a lot of our work is rooted in luxury, fashion, retail—and scenography and experiential design more broadly. Residential projects are more of a side thing for us.
TSF
Where does the name NOCOD come from?
Baptiste
Those years working in production, in the heart of Fashion Week, one day designing for Elie Saab, the next for Kanye West… we were constantly absorbing all these codes. But we always had this urge to do things our own way, to push boundaries.
So yes, we learn the codes of each brand, each project—but then we deliberately try to forget them, so we can come up with something new. That’s the space we work in: “no code.”
TSF
So you wouldn’t say you have a specific style?
Baptiste
We’re very anchored in the now—in something very contemporary. We love playing with space and perspective, challenging the way people see and experience a space.
In a world where everything is tightly curated and controlled, we like to introduce a bit of chaos—accidents, light. Light is a huge architectural element for us.
TSF
What are you currently working on?
Floriane
We just launched our very first full furniture collection, and it’s already being distributed in Asia — which is super exciting! At the same time, we’re working on a new version of our Safari armchair, which will debut this September at Paris Design Week with Anne Jacquemin Sablon’s gallery. And of course, we’re continuing our collaborations with major luxury houses on scenography and retail projects all over the world.
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
"We’re very anchored in the now—in something very contemporary."
)
)
)
)
TSF
What kind of environment did you grow up in? Did it shape your taste?
Floriane
I grew up in a house designed by my father—not an architect, but an artist by the end of his life. He studied industrial design. The house was incredible: super contemporary, in the middle of the countryside in northern France.
Baptiste
It was completely open to the outdoors.
Floriane
Yes, it had these huge windows that looked out over the landscape. I think that’s where my need for natural light and wide, open spaces comes from.
Baptiste
Her dad was obsessed with precision—he wouldn’t mow the lawn, he’d trim it with scissors! Everything was composed down to the scale of his pen or paintbrush.
I grew up in the Yvelines, between Paris and Versailles, in that green suburban belt. My family was super politically engaged. The house was always full—debates, discussions, people coming and going. I think that shaped how we design our own living spaces: we like to host, we want everyone to feel they have their place.
TSF
You’re part of the post-Covid relocation generation.
Floriane
Absolutely. We realized we could work from wherever we wanted. We wanted to escape the city a bit and be closer to the sea. Lille hit the sweet spot: an urban vibe, a small-town pace, and the beach just an hour away.
And the connections are amazing: we’re 30 minutes from Brussels, an hour from Paris by train. I can leave in the morning and still be back in time to pick up the kids after school. The sense of scale and time is totally different from Paris—it’s incredibly freeing.
Baptiste
The first trip we made after moving here? A day trip to see the Christmas windows in London. We’ve got friends in Amsterdam too—it’s all so close. You really get to discover northern Europe living here.
TSF
How did you find your home?
Floriane
We’d already seen the place, but when we walked in, we both just saw it. It had these huge windows stretching across the entire façade—it was exactly what we’d been missing.
It used to be a workshop for making and repairing cinema projectors. It had already been converted into a home, but not at all like it is now.
TSF
Did you do a lot of work on it?
Floriane
Yes—over time, in several stages.
Baptiste
And we changed our minds a lot, which was the fun part. We allowed ourselves to experiment. We knocked down walls, reworked the layout.
The kitchen you see now? When we first moved in, it was a playroom for the kids.
Floriane
Eventually, we ditched the playroom idea.
Baptiste
Our Paris-born kids wanted to stay glued to us anyway. Doesn’t matter how many square meters you give them! (laughs) Six months later, we brought the contractors back and turned it into a kitchen.
TSF
What was the biggest challenge during the renovation?
Floriane
Stopping!
Baptiste
Exactly. When you’re your own client, there’s no end date. You could keep going forever.
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
TSF
Do you hunt for vintage pieces?
Floriane
Baptiste definitely does! Constantly scanning leboncoin and auctions…
Baptiste
I’m addicted to auctions. Not necessarily to buy—just to explore. I love flipping through catalogs, discovering things. It’s like a virtual museum tour for me. It builds your design culture, too.
So yes, we do collect, but we’re not hardcore flea market people. Sometimes we buy from friends, or stumble across pieces by chance. And those chance finds usually end up fitting perfectly in our home.
TSF
What’s your favorite spot at home?
Baptiste
The kitchen really captures our world—our influences, our love of craftsmanship, and those random, serendipitous moments where different eras just happen to collide.
We’re very eclectic: from antiquity to modernism, pop culture to street art.
TSF
Any current inspirations?
Baptiste
Larry Bell. He’s hugely important for us—he’s on nearly all our mood boards. His use of color, material, and space is so immersive, with this narrative power we really admire.
TSF
Where do you see yourselves in ten years?
Floriane
We honestly don’t know. We’re pretty instinctive—we often make bold decisions without overthinking them.
Baptiste
We trust our gut. But we do like a blank page. We’ve already changed this place so much in five years. We’re still thrilled with it, but there’s always room to evolve. We’re constantly rearranging the furniture.
What you see today might look totally different in two weeks—I’ll take everything down and redo the walls. This house is kind of like a canvas we never stop painting. But who knows—in ten years we might be bored and ready to start fresh somewhere else.
Floriane
Maybe in a whole new city, with a whole new project. We’ll see!
TSF
What do you think of The Socialite Family?
Floriane & Baptiste
It’s been a go-to of ours for years now! We love diving into the lives and interiors of other families — always so inspiring.
TSF
Can you share three favorite spots in Lille?
Floriane & Baptiste
Our absolute favorite: Café Bellot, a next-level neighborhood canteen. Then there’s Muda, a local roaster who’s a real artisan. And on Sundays, the Wazemmes market is a must — big communal tables, friends, great food, right in the middle of the stalls. It’s such a vibe.
TSF
Any favorite pieces from our collection?
Floriane
The Laura chair in solid beech — I love its subtle vintage feel.
Baptiste
The Letizia mirror — in the large version, of course. We love using mirrors to build layers and depth in a space.
)
)
)
)
)
)
Recreate This Setting with Our Pieces
Related Story
)
Next Up