‘I often catch myself wondering how exactly to define salvage, and I suppose it’s not so much what you’re rescuing or saving, but more about how to creatively reuse.’ - Maria Speake
Interior designer and co-founder of renowned architectural salvage and design brand Retrouvius, Maria Speake has been a trend setter in the world of salvage for over 30 years. Her creative intuition when it comes to seeing the possibilities of discarded materials is unparalleled, and her signature style has become incredibly desirable and sought after by those in the know.
It’s more important than ever before to put sustainability at the forefront of interior design, and so now, for the first time, Maria opens her doors for a behind-the-scenes look at the inner workings of her busy salvage yard in the hopes of passing the baton to the next generation.
‘I hope to inspire you to shift your thinking to a philosophy of reuse, and observe how this becomes a different design approach’, says Maria. ‘I think we can get a little too fixated on what a material is, and where it’s appropriate to use it, but in a way, it’s about allowing ourselves to be gymnastic in our thinking process’.
In this course, you’ll be visiting several unique properties, one of which is Maria’s own London apartment. Not only has it been her family home for many years, but it’s also served as a place of exploration and experimentation throughout her salvage journey. ‘Our home has very much been an opportunity for us to explore reclaimed materials over a long period of time, through the highs and lows of busy family life’.
For Maria, a key part of this exploration was finding ways of elevating and enhancing the often rough and raw state of the materials she was reclaiming. ‘My partner Adam and I were always pulling salvage out of skips, and then working out how to elevate these materials into something that was more respected and could be more flexibly used’.
Throughout each lesson, Maria shares her expertise and experience of how to recontextualise reclaimed materials and use them to create a home that’s full of character and intrigue. From old gym floors to terrazzo columns, parquet flooring to museum display cases, Maria offers a wealth of ideas and inspiration alongside practical know-how.
‘There is an enormous sense of satisfaction and pride that comes from seeing a pile of wood that most people would consider as firewood, and turning it into an incredible worktop, door or floor,’ says Maria. ‘It’s a playful journey and a wonderful exercise in creativity’.
Enjoy a free lesson from Maria’s course, where she shares her approach to using reclaimed materials in the kitchen.