Meet Elodie, Arnaud & their family
How a Family Story Became an Architecture Studio
We meet Elodie and Arnaud not in a design fair or gallery, but in their own home — a former office space they transformed into what they call the “maison bleue,” a warm and highly personal cocoon. Tired of squeezing their family life into 60m2, they dreamed of a house with a garden: a place for children to grow, and for friends and family to gather. The moment they visited this space, with its raw concrete and industrial parquet, they knew how they could live here, how it could be shaped to their taste.
Every detail carries a story. The iconic Eames Lounge Chair gifted when Arnaud became a father, four legs that nearly sparked debate, and heirlooms like the chandelier from her grandparents’ home. Their interiors balance rigor and playfulness: a painting found in Bali, a neon sign above the bed, even a faceted red lobster. It is a house layered with humor, heritage, and precision.
The project could have led to arguments — architects often clash over colors, textures, details. Yet for them, it was seamless. They agreed on everything, almost instinctively, as if the house had already been waiting for them. The result is a home that reflects them a thousand percent: intimate, coherent, and alive.
City
Luxembourg
Date
August 2025
Photos & Video
She Said Yes!
SSY Tell me, how did Elle Architects really begin?
Elodie By accident, honestly. I had moved back to Paris after ten years in Luxembourg. My dream was to stay close to my family, maybe join a studio. Then an acquaintance introduced me to a client renovating a hotel. I said yes, half out of curiosity, half out of kindness. What I didn’t expect was that my very first independent project would be a full hotel renovation. Not a small apartment, not a café corner — an entire hotel. It was intense, sometimes overwhelming, but it set the tone for what was to come.
SSY And you, Arnaud, what was your role at the time?
Arnaud At the time, I was working as an employee in Luxembourg. I didn’t plan on joining Elodie at all. But little by little, I was helping her with plans on evenings and weekends. Eventually, it became clear that we had to join forces.
SSY What happened after that?
Elodie For three years I did everything — design, site supervision, decoration, even photography at the end. But it was too much. Arnaud stepped in with his technical background, and together we found a balance.
SSY And today, how do you see Elle Architects?
Arnaud Ten years later, Elle Architects is no longer just the two of us. We’re twelve now, with projects spread across Paris and Luxembourg.
SSY What’s the secret behind your collaboration?
Elodie Complementarity. I bring the interiors, the storytelling, the emotions. Arnaud brings the structure, the rigor, the technical details. That combination, I think, is what clients trust us for.
SSY Restaurants and food courts seem to be at the heart of what you do today. Why?
Elodie Because they’re emotional projects. My grandfather was a Michelin-starred chef, and he taught me that detail is everything — from the placement of a knife to the presentation of a dish. That attention inspires me to create places where people feel something as soon as they enter. A restaurant isn’t just about eating, it’s about experiencing.
SSY And for you, Arnaud?
Arnaud Exactly. When you design a restaurant or a food court, you’re not only drawing walls. You’re staging an atmosphere where the chef, the investor, and the guest all play a role. Architecture becomes part of the storytelling.
SSY How do you see food courts specifically?
Arnaud For us, a food court is like a village. It’s not about rows of food stands. It’s about diversity, sharing, and community. Our role is to give coherence to different cuisines, different brands, different identities, and turn them into one memorable place.
Elodie Take Belval Plaza in Luxembourg, for example. A 1,600 m² retail space was reimagined as a food court, bringing together multiple operators under one roof. Or the new food court at the GridX center — a multifunctional hub. Each project is unique, but the goal is the same: to create a shared experience.
Arnaud And that’s the beauty of food courts: they’re urban meeting points. In Paris, Brussels, or Luxembourg, they’re the new urban canteens. They adapt to how people live, work, and socialize today.
SSY What’s next for Elle Architects?
Arnaud Diversification. We want to keep designing hospitality spaces, offices, and housing, but we’re also exploring new paths: furniture design, eco-friendly materials, even color palettes. We already design a lot of bespoke banquettes, lighting, and furniture for our projects. Why not launch a collection in the future?
SSY And you, Elodie, how do you see the future?
Elodie We dream of creating our own line — sustainable furniture, recycled materials, maybe even a paint collection. For me, every project is about telling a story through details, and having our own materials would push that vision further.
SSY And your team, what place do they have in this vision?
Elodie They’re at the center of everything. From two people, we’ve grown to twelve, each with unique expertise — from architecture and interior design to communication and digital tools. We run the agency like a participative lab: everyone contributes ideas.
Arnaud We truly believe in the collective. “Alone you go faster, together you go further.” Our team, our clients, our local craftsmen — they’re all part of the process. Without them, none of our projects would exist.
SSY If you had to sum up your mantra?
Elodie Create places that make sense. Places that don’t just look beautiful but feel alive, that tell a story, that make people connect.
Elodie Lenoir et Arnaud Decolle
Linkedin : @el-le-architects
Instagram : @ellearchitects
email : el-le.net
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