From Beverly Hills to the Middle East, the visionary founder of NOBEL is crafting spaces that move beyond aesthetics to evoke emotion and identity.
In a sun-drenched, plant-filled studio in Calabasas, California, Max Nobel sits quietly, sketching in deliberate, unhurried strokes. A single line curves into form, and with it emerges a philosophy that guides his work: design should feel like something, or it misses the mark.
This belief is the heartbeat of NOBEL, the Los Angeles-based design studio Nobel founded — a name that is fast becoming synonymous with emotionally intelligent design. At just 38, he has already built a cult-like following among tastemakers, developers, and global brands. His projects are not simply about visual appeal but about creating spaces that breathe, behave, and connect with the people who inhabit them.
Unlike many studios that chase fleeting trends, NOBEL is hard to categorise. It is neither purely residential nor wholly commercial, neither minimalist nor maximalist. Instead, it occupies a deeper, more elemental territory — a spatial language Nobel has refined over years immersed in set design, sculpture, and architecture.
“I grew up with a deep respect for space as something sacred,” he says. “It wasn’t just where you lived. It shaped how you felt. How you behaved. How you dreamed.”
That philosophy materialises in his signature aesthetic — raw yet refined, structured yet soulful. Natural woods balance cold concrete; brutalist lines soften under plush textures; and custom furniture pieces carry the gravitas of artifacts.
Behind the scenes, Max has become a trusted creative partner for an elite roster of clients — from Hollywood actors to global entrepreneurs — who come to NOBEL not just for aesthetics, but for intention. “We’re trying to build a feeling, something that lingers long after you’ve left the room,” he explains.
His portfolio speaks to that depth. In the Hollywood Hills, the Saint Ives residence merges warm travertine and hand-finished plaster to create serenity against cinematic skyline views. In Hidden Hills, light itself becomes a design material, flooding expansive rooms and transforming them into meditations on scale and stillness. And for the AMAN Residences in New York, NOBEL recently crafted a penthouse that seamlessly blends old-world European romanticism with modern restraint — cementing the studio’s position in the ultra-luxury global arena.
Though rooted in Los Angeles, NOBEL’s influence is expanding rapidly, with active commissions in New York, Miami, and the Middle East. Remarkably, this growth has been driven not by aggressive marketing, but by what Nobel calls “magnetism.” “People come to us when they’re craving depth,” he says. “We’re not selling a look. We’re designing an identity.”
Industry recognition has followed. Features in leading design publications have placed NOBEL firmly on the global stage, but Nobel himself is cautious of hype. “I’m more interested in legacy than virality,” he notes.
For Max Nobel, design is an act of stewardship — a responsibility to shape how people experience the world and how the world, in turn, shapes them. His spaces resist ego, embrace empathy, and leave an imprint that goes far beyond what the eye can see.
In an industry often fixated on trends, Nobel’s work is timeless, his vision unshakable: create spaces that don’t just look extraordinary, but feel alive.
