2 days ago
Vintage banquettes, lime-washed panelling and scalloped trims – inside a tiny fisherman's cabin just outside Marseille
Three years ago, Paris-based TV producer Xavier Favre and his wife Pauline, who works for a fragrance company, set out to find the perfect weekend escape in the small fishing village of Les Goudes, near their hometown of Marseille.
Les Goudes, once an industrial hub located on the city's fringe, became known for its nightclub on La Maronaise beach that attracted crowds of over 1,000. An epic wrap party for the French film Taxi took place there in 1998. The demolition of the club in 2010 marked the beginning of a new chapter for the village, ushering in a wave of artisan coffee shops and upscale restaurants.
As Les Goudes is located within the bounds of the protected Calanques National Park, its identity has remained untouched, along with the charming crop of cabanons ('sheds') that were vacation homes for fishermen and factory workers during the 1950s and are still dotted along the coastline beyond Marseille.
When one such cabanon hit the market for around £300,000 ('a rare occurrence, as these spaces are never available' says Xavier), the Favres quickly found themselves back in Les Goudes with a holiday home.
The compact two-storey property stands right on the coast, on land owned by the French government. As a result, the Favres pay a modest annual fee to live there.
The main door is close to the water's edge and leads to a harbour-facing guest room, where the previous owner used to keep his sailboat. On the upper level is an airy all-in-one kitchen, living and dining area, as well as the primary bedroom and bathroom. Ceilings throughout are a modest six-and-a-half feet high.
For a home of such small proportions, the decorating scheme packs a punch, featuring lime-washed wood panelling throughout and ornate wooden banquette seating, like those on a vintage carousel, as well as cabinets with scalloped trims. Open shelves are stacked with vintage café pitchers, stoneware confit pots and ceramics by the Marseilles potter Vincent Verde.
In the living area, located on a platform above the kitchen and dining room, there are marine-inspired paintings by the Provençal painter Eugène Baboulène. It's a theme that is continued with the palette of azure blue and egg-yolk yellow that reflects the surrounding seascape, as seen from the Favres' bijou balcony.
'The cabanon is a place to spend time with friends and to enjoy a stripped-back version of life by the sea,' says Xavier. 'Its proximity to urban culture, along with the easy train ride from Paris, means we get to visit all year round.'
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