{"id":2707,"date":"2024-11-02T00:35:45","date_gmt":"2024-11-01T16:35:45","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/homeofmaterials.com\/2024\/11\/02\/kitchens-of-the-week-5-retrouvius-designs-composed-of-salvaged-parts\/"},"modified":"2024-11-02T00:35:45","modified_gmt":"2024-11-01T16:35:45","slug":"kitchens-of-the-week-5-retrouvius-designs-composed-of-salvaged-parts","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/homeofmaterials.com\/it\/kitchens-of-the-week-5-retrouvius-designs-composed-of-salvaged-parts\/","title":{"rendered":"Le cucine della settimana: 5 progetti Retrouvius composti da parti di recupero"},"content":{"rendered":"

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\u201cThere\u2019s an undeniable feel-good factor in reuse: something unloved becomes valuable again,\u201d write Maria Speake and Adam Hills. The couple met in architecture school in Glasgow, where in the late 1980s, they watched in horror as many of the city\u2019s Victorian tenements were razed. They\u2019ve been neck deep in salvaged building materials ever since.<\/p>\n

Together Adam and Maria run Retrouvius, their London-based architectural findings business. Adam hunts for castoffs and oversees a shop piled with deaccessioned museum cabinets and deep-sixed solid-wood doors. Maria heads the interior design studio specializing in clever applications for scrap.<\/p>\n

Here at Remodelista we\u2019re longstanding fans and students of the Retrouvius way (scroll to the end to read and see more). A while back we featured The Reclaimed Bath: 8 Retrouvius Designs; today, we\u2019re spotlighting five Retrouvius kitchens concocted from old and new parts.<\/p>\n

Photography courtesy of Retrouvius.<\/p>\n

Repurposed Parquet Flooring and Old Frames in a Central London Flat<\/h2>\n


Above: Rescued parquet flooring needn\u2019t be kept underfoot; the design team at Retrouvius often puts it to use as cabinet and drawer fronts. This London apartment project also has a counter of salvaged iroko\u2014go to Retrouvius for a look at their current supply of Reclaimed Iroko Worktops (\u201cOriginating in the forests of West Africa, iroko wood is now recognized as a valuable and finite resource,\u201d Maria notes. \u201cIt must always be reclaimed, never new.\u201d) <\/p>\n

The overhead cabinet fronts are poetically made from old frames\u2014\u201dflipped to enjoy the narrative of their previous life.\u201d The open shelves that extend across the door are cheeseboards: planks of wood formerly used for aging cheese. Photograph by Tom Fallon.<\/p>\n

Vintage Interior Windows in a Converted Artist\u2019s Studio in North London<\/h2>\n


Above: \u201cOld single-glazed windows aren\u2019t thermally efficient and don\u2019t always meet modern regulations, so we like to reuse them internally,\u201d says Maria. Here, they set off and brighten a new kitchen in a former artist\u2019s studio. Across from a new Aga stove, an old wooden file cabinet houses the dishwasher. The antique ceramic sink is paired with a new brass bridge faucet: \u201cOur team use all types of salvaged wash basins,\u201d says Maria, \u201cbut we often pair them with modern high-quality taps: modern mixers aerate water flow so use less water and they require less energy to heat hot water.\u201d Retrouvius always has a cache of Reclaimed Brass Handles and an array have been put to use here as cabinet and drawer pulls. Photograph by Tom Fallon.,<\/p>\n

Victorian Shelving and Onyx in a West London Flat<\/h2>\n


Above: Here\u2019s another mix of salvaged and new: surplus Victorian shelving of oak and tulipwood was put to dramatic use as cabinet and fridge fronts, and the counters, backsplash, and drawers are reused iroko\u2014read Retrouvius\u2019s primer on Caring for Reclaimed Iroko. The island is newly sourced book-matched onyx with a Vola faucet. And the maple flooring came out of a school gymnasium. <\/p>\n

Reused Tongue-and-Groove Paneling and Portuguese Tiles in a Paris Apartment<\/h2>\n


Above: The reason this Marais kitchen looks vintage is because it\u2019s composed of rescued parts, including the tongue and groove paneling newly painted in a pale green from Emery & Cie. The drawer knobs are church organ pulls. Note the under-sink old crates used as rolling bins. Photograph by Tom Fallon.,

Above: Maria found the Portuguese painted tiles at Kempton Market and interspersed them with zellige in shades of white: it\u2019s an idea we\u2019d like to try in our own homes. Photograph by Tom Fallon. <\/p>\n

A Kitchen Island of Copperlight Windows in Cambridge<\/h2>\n


Above: Another Retrouvius use of reclaimed glazing: copperlight windows and doors\u2014s0-named because they have copper dividers\u2014form the base of a kitchen island with mirrors newly added in place of glass (the panels slide open to reveal storage). The rest of the island is reclaimed iroko. The wooden floor is salvaged oak parquet and the frilly pendant lights are vintage; all are from Retrouvius stock. Photograph by Tom Fallon.
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Above: The sink cabinets are detailed with oak floor boards and have vintage copper pulls. Reclaimed Spanish encaustic tiles pattern the floor. Photograph by Tom Fallon. <\/p>\n

Visit the Retrouvius shop at 1016 Harrow Road in Northwest London.<\/p>\n

Here are five more favorite kitchens designed from repurposed elements:<\/p>\n