Creative Reuse in the Kitchen: 5 Retrouvius Kitchen Designs Made from Salvaged Materials

“Our work is underpinned by a philosophy of reuse,” writes London designer Maria Speake. “Materiality is part of the fun of life in our studio—we always try to incorporate reclaimed materials and demonstrate how old and rejected materials are still relevant.” Speake’s castoffs come from Retrouvius, the combination salvage business and interior design office she runs with her husband, Adam Hills—he does the hunting and gathering, she leads the design team.

We’ve been avidly following their work for years: in 2009, Julie spotlighted Retrouvius’s use of glass funnels as hanging lampshades. More recently, we featured their Rustic Remodel of a Notting Hill Townhouse, Bathroom Designs Featuring Vintage Components,  and Use of Salvage in Contemporary Kitchen Designs.

By popular demand, here are five more examples of the Retrouvius way with kitchens, all starring, in Maria’s words, “old and rejected materials elevated by being treated with a modern language.”

Photography courtesy of Retrouvius.

An Oxfordshire New Build Known as The Tennis Court House

Above: In a house built for a writer, Retrouvius detailed the cabinet fronts with salvaged oak parquet flooring. And engineered the reused pine flooring to work with under-floor heating. A rescued bakery counter made for pounding dough anchors the room as an island with open storage in the back.

Bella Freud’s London Kitchen

Above: Internal Crittal windows salvaged from Battersea Power Station link fashion designer Bella Freud’s kitchen to the main living space in her West London home. The cabinet doors and countertops are reclaimed iroko, a hardwood that Retrouvius often salvages from school lab worktops. Photograph by Michael Sinclair.