UPCYCLED TO A SHEEN

HIGH-END DESIGN GIVES FURNITURE A STORY.

Portrait of Tammy Strobel

HIGH-END DESIGN GIVES FURNITURE A STORY.

In the world of luxury interior design, there’s a new lexicon for recycled materials that goes beyond “cheap”, “raw”, or “rustic”.

Instead, items such as broken seashells, tobacco leaves, and even peacock feathers are treated and transformed into intricate inlaid surfaces for bespoke furniture.

“It provides a beautiful finish and is a material you can’t really make sense of, until someone explains that you’re looking at recycled eggshells or even fish bones,” says Douglas Moon, design director at Wilson Associates. Upon approval Please sign: Name and Date: Here, craftsmen would sort out fragments of Jade Abalone seashells and manually lay the fragments into a cast mirror frame. It is a labour-intensive process that doesn’t lend itself to mass production.

Beyond the unique aesthetics afforded by the reconstitution of natural materials, homeowners value the provenance of these one-of-a-kind creations. “The process and stories behind the object is something our clients remember and enjoy telling their guests about,” says the 35-year-old architect.

TEXT DENISE KOK  PHOTOGRAPHY VEE CHIN  ART DIRECTION DENISE REI LOW  CHAIR QT ARMCHAIR FROM STELLAR WORKS  AVAILABLE AT P5 STUDIO 

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