Equal Parts Humble and Chic: A Seaside Romantic Ruin for Rent in Marseille

“Samena is the story of how to reinstate a ruin,” says Olivier Amsellem. A fashion photographer and co-founder of Marseille’s hipster lifestyle boutique Jogging, Amsellem purchased a rundown beach shack half an hour down the coast from his shop with an eye to creating a rental house and artist residency that’s a satellite of the Jogging universe. It took him five years to decide how to remodel it.

“At that time, I was poor and this place was as poverty-stricken as I was,” Olivier told The Socialite Family. “The early days of Jogging were years of hardship; we lived on very little. I finally had the idea of restoring the ruin, but not just any old way. I wanted to respect the heritage of those who had lived there, all these generations of people from Marseille. So I decided to bring in materials as poor as the dwelling itself, like concrete, steel, terracotta, and wood. ‘Poor but strong’ is my philosophy.”

The one-bedroom cabanon sits atop a cliff overlooking the Mediterranean. Though at one time part of an industrial area, it’s in the Calanque de Saména, the first cove at the entry to the Calanques National Park wonderland. Complete with crumbling walls, a Victorian bathtub in the bedroom, and indoor/outdoor lounge areas, it’s a seaside folly that awaits guests who appreciate the splendor of then and now.

Photography courtesy of Olivier Amsellem/Jogging.

Like many of our favorite shops, Jogging has a vintage design department—a Gras clip-on task light is currently among the offerings. New Lampe Gras 222 Wall Lamps, like the ones used here, are available from the Finnish Design Shop for $481.

The Samena house sleeps two and is available to rent from Jogging.

For more summer getaways, take a look at Greatest Hits: 45 Rental Houses from the Remodelista Archive, International Edition.