skip to main content

Sustainable values: giving new life to pre-used materials

in sustainable values

This episode of Sustainable Values explores a non-conventional approach to materials: reuse.

Material choices are an important component of any design, and a sustainable ethos also considers experimenting with previously used materials to give them new different lives…

non-virgin materials

More often than not, materials are way more durable than the objects they’re used for. It then makes sense to reuse existing materials as many times as it’s feasible, allowing them to have several new lives.

Besides saving precious resources from landfills, this opens new space for creativity, resulting in unexpected, uncommon, yet totally relevant design solutions.

Sustainable design for interiors using non-virgin materials.

01
Navy is a chair made entirely out of recycled aluminium. First conceived in 1944 to be used in American submarines during World War II, it’s been in production ever since…
Read more: Navy by Emeco

02
Provence Platter is a tray made recycling wood from disassembled oak wine barrels. Barrels are sourced from caves in France and California. After four wine seasons, oak barrels lose their ability to release scents to wine. This is when they’re purchased by Provence Platters and turned into trays…
Read more: Provence Platter by Provence Platters

03
Berlingot is a bean bag chair made entirely with non-virgin materials. The outer cover is produced by upcycling hot-air balloon canvas and advertising canvas, the internal cover reuses locally sourced duvet covers that are discarded by Parisian luxury hotels, and the filling is made with recycled polystyrene balls, obtained by grinding used-up packaging…
Read more: Berlingot by La Tête Dans Les Nuages

04
Sintra is a handcrafted rug made of recycled cotton. All Saudade rugs are made from fabric leftovers such as discontinued products, fabric surplus from cutting clothes, and unused spools from non-compliant batches…
Read more: Sintra by Saudade

05
Trolley is a bench made with recycled wood. The wood – Swedish spruce – comes from recycled pallets and is FSC-certified…
Read more: Trolley by Kabeltromlen


Recycled aluminum chair.
Credit: Emeco
Recycled aluminum chair close-up.
Credit: Emeco
Recycled wood tray used for serving food.
Credit: Provence Platters
Recycled wood tray close-up.
Credit: Provence Platters
Bean bag on the ground.
Credit: La Tête Dans Les Nuages
Bean bag close-up.
Credit: La Tête Dans Les Nuages
Recycled cotton white rug.
Credit: Saudade
Recycled cotton white rug close-up.
Credit: Saudade
Recycled wood bench styled outdoors.
Credit: Kabeltromlen
Recycled wood bench styled in a bathroom.
Credit: Kabeltromlen

Note: this selection is completely unsponsored. All pieces are sourced from riivin, the fully independent sustainable interior design platform I curate. Find additional products and resources to design more sustainable spaces in the members’ area riivin+.