Retrouvius: More Than Projects, Solid Relationships With Clients

The Retrouvius design studio turns respectfully re-used materials to distinctive, contemporary ends. Taking only a few projects each year, in properties ranging from contemporary penthouse to medieval priory, yacht to boutique, each is attentively tailored to the evolving needs of the client as well as the demands of the site. Photographs only tell part of the story: beneath the inventively applied wood and stone, the lovingly hand-dyed and reclaimed textiles, lie larger tales of transformation, and relationships with clients that stretch over multiple projects.

Family Home W11

To create a glamorous home suited to the needs of small children and their parents, Retrouvius opened out the space right from the front door. A wall was removed (no more dragging buggies up the corridor) and spaces designed for flexible use. The family kitchen is ultra durable, allowing the children free reign during the daytime, but sophisticated enough to host an elegant dinner party.

Bella Freud – Chiltern Street

A simple and confident backdrop to show of her striking collection of knitwear, clothing and homewares. Adaption of residential motifs was a conscious reaction to corporate commercialism.

COVETED MAGAZINE

22^nd Edition

LA VITA È BELLA

REQUIRED

Wait while you being redirected

Hampstead Home

This five-storey building was converted from a jumble of bedsits into a beautifully proportioned home for long term customers of Retrouvius’ salvage warehouse. Huge slabs of bookmatched marble from an old stonemason’s yard, and chevron-patterned mirrors from the Unilever factory bring strong graphic elements into an airy design that gives each member of the family their own distinctively designed zone.

Dorset

The redbrick Georgian and Victorian buildings of this old rectory have been transformed into a holiday home for a family and their guests. Newly opened out spaces and clear sightlines make the house welcoming and easy to navigate, from the large bright family kitchen to a curtained off space for reading and listening to music. Love of travel is reflected in a color palette drawn from African textiles, both contemporary and antique.

Medieval Priory, Suffolk

This ancient building demanded respectful treatment, but it also needed to become a comfortable home. Rather than returning it pedantically to the sixteenth century, the interior was imagined to have evolved gradually, with freestanding furnishings and storage that shared the building’s handmade irregularities, selected from across centuries. Taking cues from William Morris, textiles play a leading role, providing ornament, color, softness and warmth within the traditional materials.

Country Home In The City

From the inside, it’s hard to believe this is a central London townhouse. Baked earth, eroded stone, oxidised metal and handmade textiles all contribute to a sense of rootedness in nature. Moving the staircase leading down to the basement pulled the ground floor rooms together, and allowed for a serene and uncluttered kitchen and living space below, looking on to the garden. At the top of the house, the ceiling was raised to the roof, giving the upper levels a soaring sense of space.

♦ FOLLOW OUR YOUTUBE CHANNEL ♦

Did you like this article? Follow CovetED on Instagram, Tik Tok, and LinkedIn, and don’t miss out on your top source for interior design and luxury lifestyle news.