Recycle, Reuse, Revamp

We are constantly improving ways to be environmentally friendly. 

For us in the The Family Cook kitchen we always separate our landfill from our recycling and use our green waste to feed the chickens! We love that the containers we use are recyclable and that we reuse the delivery cooler boxes we send you.

As we continue to grow and learn more about sustainable living, being environmentally friendly becomes second nature. We are living in such an exciting time where designers around the world are constantly coming up with innovative ways to recycle and reuse materials in architecturally designed homes. But what about when you want to revamp your home but also be environmentally mindful? 

Ryan and Richelle Martin from Retro Revamp Interiors are two local renovators who have crafted a business that gives people in Adelaide a option to revamp their kitchens and bathrooms into beautiful contemporary spaces using as much preexisting materials as possible and renovating at a fraction of the cost of a full renovation. Richelle shares her advice for recycling, reusing and revamping. 

How did Retro Revamp start?  

"Ryan and I love to renovate houses and we used to always rip out and replace with new in the kitchen and bathroom.  On house number 4 we couldn't afford to do this as we didn't want to over capitalise so we thought about how we could still make a difference to these old spaces but not spend as much money.  We used a resurfacing company in the bathroom and it came up looking amazing.  We sold the house and moved onto our next project, resurfacing the kitchen.  Both of us are used to getting our hands dirty and creating change ourselves and with our different skill sets we decided we could create a business that was built on reusing items but approaching it with an eye for design which I think sets us apart from other companies."

'Honestly all of them, as I can see straight away when I meet a client and their current space, kitchen or bathroom, how it could look and how uncomplicated we can make the process compared to ripping everything out.  The most exciting thing when I meet our clients, is that they understand our thought process of looking at their space and acknowledging that functional items can be reused rather than put into a skip bin."

"It really manifested it's self from how we looked at our own project.  There was a functional well laid out bathroom but it was an ugly light blue, the vanity had no storage and it had a rail for a shower curtain.  The colour of the tiles was the big problem but ripping them all out was a costly and timely excercise.   The rest were just accessories that are easy to change over.  Reusing and resurfacing the tiles gave us a quicker turn around time, saved on heaps of labour to remove and landfill. It was then a no brainer to build this into our business ethos as we knew there are hundreds of other people in a similar situation who might not be aware there is another way to look at a project."

"Start by focusing on what change you want to create - is it based on functionality or aesthetic.  Working out the answer to this gives people the right path to follow."

"Be realistic with your budget and remember to not over capitalise if you are trying to build value in your home."

"Don't be afraid to reuse items, it can really save you time, money and reduce your impact on the environment.  I think all three of these factors are incredibly important."

Apricot, Pinenut & Sage Stuffed Chicken with Mash 

Chicken Tikka Marsala

Roast Pork with Roast Vegetables

Beef Bouguingnon, Mash & Greens

Cauliflower & Cheese Pies with Mixed Vegetables

Beef Madras

Grilled Herb Chicken with Roast Pumpkin, Beans & Feta 

Shepherd's Pie with Greens

Chicken & Leek Pie with Mash & Peas

Orrechiette, with Basil Pesto, Asparagus & Baby Tomatoes