Across the project’s development, Bleat founder Tristin Norwell became a familiar face in the Retrouvius shop and has incorporated salvaged, reclaimed, vintage and sustainable materials throughout the studio’s multifunctional editing rooms. Earlier this month he gave us the grand tour.
News & Views
Stone is a finite and hard won natural resource. With its distinctive geographical personality it offers a durable surface and textured palette.
Over the years Retrouvius has saved stones from diverse buildings; entire concourse floors, office foyers, fire- places and dead stock from stone masons' yards...even fishmongers' slabs.
#4503 PURBECK LIMESTONE SLABS £245+vat each further details...
#4502 SHELL LIMESTONE SLAB £295+vat each further details...
#3034 ASSORTED MARBLE SHELVES from £150+vat each further details...
Various veined brown marble pieces from £145+vat each further details...
Make a feature of the broken edge; pieces that are normally skipped can give a sculptural quality. Here we used an old Italian onyx, Alabastro Fiorito. The end cut would normally be considered waste but here it brings character to a splash back.
Stonemason on costs can be expensive. Try to work with the salvaged stone in its existing format and dimensions. Consider patterns that minimise cutting - ladder strips are efficient and utilise one common dimension.
Stone used as bathroom flooring running into a shower may need to be honed to create grip - polished surfaces may be problematic. Likewise, think about entrance spaces and wet and muddy footwear.
Inlay decorative elements like Georgian bullseyes or architectural fragments with less precious slab material.
