Family
Designed with her family in mind, interior architect Alicia Luxem breathes new life into a 1950s Marseille apartment by Fernand Pouillon
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Alicia Luxem and Omar, 2 years old
“You love this stone?” – “Yes, and I think it loves me back.” In Les Pierres sauvages, the novel he wrote while serving time in prison for a real estate scandal, architect Fernand Pouillon imagined the diary of the master builder of the Cistercian abbey at Le Thoronet. Page after page, his words are charged with both personal vision and architectural credo—the very principles that would shape the landscape of postwar urban France. Pouillon’s reputation has long oscillated between reverence and suspicion: once celebrated, later disgraced, struck off the order for his questionable practices yet never forgotten as a visionary builder. Today, at last, his architecture is being steadily rehabilitated.
It was into one of these fragments of architectural history that we stepped on a sunlit summer morning in Marseille. Here, in a building designed by Pouillon himself, interior architect Alicia Luxem has made her home. A Paris-trained creative, now a Marseillaise by adoption, Luxem has always been attuned to the details that give a place its soul. Fascinated by Pouillon’s legacy, she could only be captivated by this apartment—untouched since the 1950s, preserved in all its original character. The Pouillon touch is unmistakable: glazed ceramics in the entrance hall, a free-form metal sculpture crowning the doorway, the quiet authority of glass, metal and stone favored over concrete.
Together with her partner, an artist, Luxem has approached the apartment as one might a work of restoration: conserving as much as possible, integrating change with restraint and grace. The result is a home that feels both luminous and lived-in, elegant yet relaxed—a family cocoon where past and present blend seamlessly, as if the space had always been waiting for this new chapter in its story.
Location
Marseille
Author
Elsa Cau
Photos and videos
Clément Vayssières, Gautier Billotte
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TSF
Who are you, Alicia?
Alicia
I’m an interior architect. I mainly work in Paris, and I live in Marseille. I’m Omar’s mother—he’s 2.
TSF
What’s your background?
Alicia
I studied interior architecture at the École des Arts Décoratifs in Paris, Ensaad, where I graduated in 2012. After that, I worked in the contemporary art world for a few years, notably for Galerie Continua. Then I moved into agencies, mainly luxury hotel projects: Studio Ko, Pierre-Yves Rochon, and Gilles & Boissier. And since 2020, I’ve been working independently.
TSF
How would you define your style as an interior architect?
Alicia
I’d say first of all that I adapt to the client’s wishes, even if there’s certainly some kind of common thread, a signature in my projects—but I couldn’t tell you exactly what it is. Every place already has its own history. Take here, for example: Fernand Pouillon created a strong identity for the building. The goal is to bring out what’s already there and adjust certain elements. And then there’s the client’s lifestyle, their brief, what they want—whether they collect, like to host, don’t cook and want a big living room. Everything is taken into account, it’s like a cocktail. In the end, you get a result that also carries my eye, my sensibility, things I’ve seen here and there that ended up in my little inspiration notebook and might reappear in some projects if they make sense.
TSF
When and how did you move into this historic apartment in Marseille?
Alicia
I’ve been living in Marseille for five years. It’s the classic story of falling in love with a seaside city, which mattered to me because I mostly grew up on islands. In fact, we also have a small sailboat, a Mini 6.50. Living on the water is really important to us. And moving here was paired with another crush: this building by Fernand Pouillon. My partner and I are big admirers—we’ve read his books, studied his buildings. So when we found this apartment, still in its original 1950s condition, we couldn’t resist going for it!
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On a custom-designed sideboard, a lamp by Miguel Milá and a reflector by Nathanaël Abeille sit in front of a work by Etel Adnan.
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“Marseille is the classic story of a love affair with a city by the sea — doubled by another crush: this Fernand Pouillon building, with its apartment left untouched since the 1950s.”
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Resting on the custom-made desk, a lamp by Philippe Starck.
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In front of the desk, the Roquebrune chair by Eileen Gray.
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Oil on canvas by Etel Adnan.
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TSF
Did you do a lot of work here?
Alicia
We wanted to keep the apartment’s main layout to respect Fernand Pouillon’s work. We already thought it was very well designed. We only made slight changes to the floor plan to create a more spacious bathroom: originally, the toilet was separated by a partition with a small glass panel above it. We rebuilt a much larger, centered glass partition, hid the technical columns, replicated the column for symmetry. Then we removed all the false ceilings and shutter boxes to redo the bathroom cornices. They existed but had been cut—we extended them. Otherwise, we tried to preserve the floors wherever possible. For the opus (a stone-laying pattern that mixes slabs of different sizes at random, ed.) in the whole western part, we tried to find exactly the same stone used in the building’s common areas and on our large terrace. We ended up finding a pale pinkish beige stone that looks like it’s always been there. As for the floor plan, we created a sequence of aligned rooms on both sides of the apartment to make the most of the consecutive windows. It creates a real flow—a circulation of light and of people. In the living room, we built a large integrated bench to place the banquette and insert the fireplace, to bring in a sense of conviviality.
TSF
The kitchen, on the other hand, was deliberately kept in its original state, as were some other elements scattered throughout the apartment…
Alicia
Yes, this kitchen we really kept as it was, and we love it! We only added two matching units, for the hood and the fridge. Changed a few cabinet knobs. At the time, there was also a beautiful glass partition that I regret not keeping. But the idea was to preserve it as-is—even the cracked old tiles on the walls. Here, all the doors are either sliding or pivoting. The sliding ones had aluminum key covers and large wooden handles. I thought the whole set was beautiful, but everything was damaged. I had a carpenter replicate them. The pivot doors we designed to measure: we wanted them to go all the way up to the ceiling to emphasize the verticality and the long, narrow feel. The handles you see on them actually come from a plastic handle on a cheese tray at Nathanaël’s grandfather’s house—we thought it was beautiful (laughs). We had a ceramicist replicate it in porcelain.
TSF
Have you done a lot of vintage hunting for your interior?
Alicia
We hunt a lot, or else we go custom. Nathanaël and I like to design and find local artisans to make things. The kitchen table top, for example—that was quite something. Typical of that experimental side when you’re an interior architect working on your own home (laughs). I had one table made, bought another vintage one. Nothing worked. I was dreaming of a big model with a slightly rippled glass top like Charlotte Perriand’s, but the dimensions didn’t fit. We finally salvaged two bistro tabletops that were headed for the trash. We thought: “Wow! A happy accident.” Nathanaël cut and joined them to get exactly the size we wanted. But right now it’s sitting on awful legs that I can’t stand, so we’re having a metalworker make new ones, slightly Memphis-inspired, to suit it perfectly… To be continued!
TSF
You mentioned earlier that you often browse Leboncoin… What’s your latest find?
Alicia
I found all the Winckelmans baseboards for the apartment—a complete lot. I felt like I’d won the lottery!
TSF
Have you adapted your home to having a child around?
Alicia
Absolutely not. And yet, I was pregnant when we moved in. But I didn’t want it to become an obsession. Okay, I did build some high shelves around the water heater to store cleaning products. But if you look at the fireplace in the living room—it’s exactly at his height, and it’s an open hearth. And it’s been there since Omar was born. He’s never burned himself once, because we explained to him it was hot, and he understood very quickly. Yes, sometimes he bumps into a corner, gets back up, realizes it hurts, and he’ll know for next time. And that’s good, because otherwise, when he steps outside, the world would be one constant danger!
TSF
We also see several works by your partner, Nathanaël Abeille.
Alicia
He works with light. Basically, he redirects natural light into shaded areas. He does a lot of installations—often monumental ones—with reflectors and colors, so they cast colored light. Here, we have prototypes, sconces, reflectors that I call “domestic”—you can place them on a windowsill like an object in your home. Omar even has one as a toy.
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“The makeshift experiments you do at home — that’s so typical when you’re an interior architect!”
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In the kitchen, which has remained almost unchanged since the 1950s, an Ingo Maurer Campari Light pendant adds a touch of humor to the space.
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In the bathroom, which separates the kitchen from the master bedroom, a photograph by Alicia Luxem is framed against the black tiles.
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Some of the handles on the sliding doors are original, designed by Fernand Pouillon. To complete them, the couple had identical ones made.
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“For the opus (a paving pattern where slabs of different sizes are mixed together at random, editor’s note) across the entire western side of the apartment, we tried to find the same stone that had been used in the building’s common areas and on our large terrace,” explains Alicia Luxem.
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Panel paintings by an unknown artist, found in Stromboli.
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TSF
What kind of environment did you grow up in, and how has it influenced your taste?
Alicia
My parents worked in five-star hospitality, so we were always moving, mostly on islands. I was born in Germany—my father is German, my mother French. But my first language is English. I grew up on an island with 500 inhabitants off Australia, then in Mauritius, then Cyprus. I came to France to study, in Paris. So we always lived in the world of hospitality, in resorts. I was surrounded by beautiful places, with a constant sense of service, detail, hospitality. And I was immersed in very different cultures—we crossed the equator several times to countries that had nothing in common. Each time, we’d explore the neighboring countries too. We also spent a lot of time on the water—waterskiing before school.
TSF
Tell us about one piece in particular that you love in your home.
Alicia
One of our latest acquisitions: a canvas by Pierre Seinturier. What we love is his staging—always quite dramatic, borderline, with a particular atmosphere, often set in nature. In this one we bought at Galerie Vallois in Paris and hung in our bedroom, you wonder what’s happening: is the boat leaving without her? Did it break loose? And the boat reminds us of a friend’s boat we often sail on. So it resonates with our life.
TSF
What are you working on at the moment?
Alicia
A house on the Basque coast, a large atypical apartment in a former warehouse in Paris near République, a villa in Cyprus, a beautiful Haussmann apartment on the Seine with a view of the Eiffel Tower, and a stunning apartment on rue Guynemer overlooking the Luxembourg Gardens…
TSF
What are your favorite local addresses?
Alicia
Les Lumières, a restaurant, wine bar, and coffee bar with amazing seasonal products, all homemade by Antoine, the chef. The whole team is as sunny as the restaurant’s name—Umberto and his mother in the dining room—a great selection of natural wines and excellent coffee, all at very reasonable prices! Le Vin sur la Main, a natural wine bar with excellent homemade tapas. Tiny, tucked away on the Panier hill. Finally, Placette, a small restaurant in a great spot, on a calm square under the shifting shadows of trees—a play of light and shade…
TSF
What do you think of The Socialite Family?
Alicia
I really like this media: it’s a chance to glimpse lived-in, natural interiors while discovering the portraits of their inhabitants.
TSF
Do you have a favorite piece from our collection?
Alicia
The
which I’ve included in quite a few projects because it always finds its place!
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Behind the bed by Tobia and Afra Scarpa, a wall-mounted reflector by Nathanaël Abeille and, on the left, a screen print by Pierre Seinturier.
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Placed in front of a photographic print by Alicia Luxem, an X-Line chair by Niels Jørgen Haugesen.
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“Some of the door handles actually come from a plastic cheese tray grip at Nathanaël’s grandfather’s place — we loved it so much we had it remade in porcelain.”
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In the guest bedroom, a bed inherited from Nathanaël's grandfather. Above it, custom sanded cedar shelves, and next to it, a chair by Ettore Sottsass.
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Oil on canvas, Etel Adnan.
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In Omar’s bedroom, the Togo armchair by Michel Ducaroy in green velvet.
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On a Quaderna console by Superstudio, a lamp inherited from Nathanaël’s grandfather.
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