Innovative laboratory

Using pop and graphic elements, designer Axel Chay has transformed his late-19th-century house in Marseille into an arty refuge where great ideas fuse

- Anne-Catherine Scoffoni

LIVING ROOM

Axel describes this space as a gallery-like white cube perfect for showcasing colourful pieces.

Pumpkin sofa by Pierre Paulin; black 1500 Series armchair by Etienne-Henri Martin, both found at flea markets. Yellow and white chair; stools and mirror; all Axel Chay

After studying at a business school in Lyon, where he met his wife Mélissa, Axel Chay flew to London to finish a course in marketing. Originally from the ‘Blue Coast’ region, a stone’s throw from Marseille, the couple returned to settle in this Mediterranean city in 2013. ‘In Marseille, we take the time to live, surely because this city is linked to nature and to the sea. Once nourished by contemplation, then comes the creation: in various shapes and colours,’ says Axel.

Axel, who has always been passionate about design, first set up Studio Nova Obiecta with Marouane Sadki, creating furniture on the border between art and design. He now officiates alone, under his own name, since 2020: the true realisation of Axel’s childhood dream.

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THE OWNERS

Designer Axel Chay, his wife Mélissa and their one-year-old, Austin.

PROPERTY

A two-storey house in Marseille, France. Downstairs there is an open-plan kitchen/living room and dining space. There are three bedrooms and a bathroom upstairs.