Re-use in action: Leather

RETROUVIUS has a philosophy to save any worthwhile material for re-use – not always obviously architectural.

Leather is a fantastic quality material that has many re-uses. Our leather is familiar, non-plastic, hard wearing, natural. It can be re-used in upholstery projects or as an architectural textile.

RETROUVIUS has re-used salvaged leather in many of our home designs over the years – Hundreds of surplus hides were salvaged from luxury bag makers Dunhill and re-used by our team for upholstery, including this banquette in a Swiss chalet (below).

Adam saved a large quantity of padded leather panels from the former Westminster Townhall as it converted to the London Business School.

We struggled to find takers for the tobacco coloured pieces initially until we reversed the covering to reveal a more desirable suede side.

Leather panels once lining shelves and housing the nations literature at the British Library were made available to Retrouvius during Norman Fosters Great Court development at the British Museum.

Textiles are often over looked for their re-use potential.

Leather offers re-use as wall cladding, for headboards, upholstery, desktop skivers and for flooring (as shown below).

Leather is well suited to re-use where touch is important – the familiar, tactile and sensuous qualities of the material can be enjoyed to their utmost.

Small hides are ideal re-used for hand rails.