Smart salvage

Trying to make green choices in your life? Lydia Williams investigates whether eco-living can still mean a stylish home

Above: Architectural reclamation shop Retrovious in Kensal Green

Reduce. Reuse. Recycle. The green mantra of 21st-century living has been drummed into all of us. Much media coverage has been given to the topic as celebrities jump on the hydrogen-fuelled bandwagon with global concerts and personal endorsements (our favourite green neighbour, David Cameron, is currently creating his own green home in W11, complete with wind turbine). It is hard to find a corner of our lives that hasn’t been touched by the green finger.

But when it comes to our homes, can one maintain a stylish, contemporary home without amassing a size-12 carbon footprint? Or is it a case of sacrificing on elegance for the sake of a hemp beanbag and a clearer conscience?

Until recently, architectural reclamation yards had been used for those with period homes who needed to ‘match up’ a missing door, handle or sink with the existing environs. Rather than being seen as a ‘green’ alternative they were used in the quest for accurate conservation.

But Adam Hills, co-owner of smart salvage yard Retrouvius in Kensal Green (pictured), has seen a great change in the type of home owner venturing through his doors in recent years. ‘Reclamation is all about reuse. Let’s face it, reducing consumption isn’t much fun for anyone, so buying beautifully aged salvage is about as good as it gets.’

So even contemporary homes can enjoy a bit of salvage? ‘Of course!’ Hills enthuses. ‘Eclecticism is the word’. And Retrouvius is certainly that.

The WC that Ewan McGregor dived down in Trainspotting, mortuary slabs and a stuffed Mountain Bear are among Adam’s most bizarre finds, but every day presents a new challenge. ‘We managed to reclaim the Tube signage from a station that was being overhauled and thought they’d make fantastic table tops. With wood from the labs, we made some rather unique dining tables!’

To save your home from looking like a jumble sale stick to simple classics from each period, Hills advises. Don’t be afraid of mixing woods but keep to one colour scheme with your fabrics to tie the room together. Walls are best kept white, using your furniture to add character and interest to a room.

Retrouvius, 2A Ravensworth Road, NW10
020 8960 6060; www.retrouvius.com

Brondesbury Architectural Reclamation, 136 Willesden Lane, NW6; 020 7328 0820