Move to Barcelona, start a design studio, and rescue thousands of square metres of materials from a historic stone yard slated for demolition. This isn’t your usual relocation, but this is how it happened for Leleni Studio.
This episode of the Reclaimed Woman podcast shares a story that’s a powerful analogy for reuse. Where one man’s working life with these materials ended, theirs is just beginning. Founders Alessandra Monarcha and Charlie Paddick chatted to me about the remarkable journey, from their first project, Liberation from Landfill, to collections crafted from rescued materials.
Moving to a new city and starting a business is hard enough. Doing so while questioning established industry systems is another challenge entirely. Just because material offcuts are being wasted, it doesn’t mean that they aren’t worthy of more, and what better case for the campaign to save them than Leleni’s designs?
De Torre Marmoles stone masons with over 2000 m² of stone rescued from demolition © Leleni Studio
Sink cut-outs among stacks of stones saved © Leleni Studio
I knew Charlie from his time working at architectural salvage and design studio, Retrouvius, so as soon as I heard about their project, I wanted to get involved with Leleni’s Crowdfunding campaign to delay demolition. This gave them the time needed to identify and create the necessary networks to save and reuse the stone, and we became the proud owners of one of Leleni’s first bespoke coffee tables.
Our Onda coffee table in Nero Maquina by Leleni Studio
We loved the entire experience, from choosing the stone to collaborating with Charlie and Alessandra to see the Nero Maquina slab (unique to the Basque region) transformed into a design that suited our space. Paired with our antique 1880s Swedish sofa, the contemporary, slightly 80s vibe of the Leleni table brought the room together for us.
Drawing from their experience in architecture, design, and reclamation, hear about the beauty of working with natural stone, salvage stories, and how their projects are helping to mobilise reuse in Spain and beyond.
Now on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you like to listen
Reclaimed English Alabaster panel from Salvo Code member, Retrouvius – the centrepiece to our “vinyl shrine“
While Charlie recalled one of his unforgettable salvage stories, I reminded him of mine – this English Alabaster panel, which Charlie helped reclaim from a convent chapel in Sussex when he was at Retrouvius.
Explore some of the projects we discussed…
Tapui side tables designed to make use of some of the smallest offcuts & stone art from wastage left after cutting gin bottle tops © Leleni Studio
“The material tells you (what it wants to be),” Alessandra Monarcha, Leleni Studio
Fracture chairs designed for a hotel lobby in Miami © Leleni Studio
Leleni Studio salvaged Rosa Aurora marble from a butchers shop for this Barcelona kitchen with Raul Sanchez Architects © photograph by José Hevia
Black granite in a kitchen with Antoine Kresse and Institut Palmyre in Paris © Leleni Studio
Kitchen with Alexander Hills Architects in London © Leleni Studio
If Leleni Studio’s kitchen projects have inspired you, read more about the innovative use of Rosa Aurora offcuts in the renovation above and more tips on reusing marble in your kitchen here.
Verde Imperial granite in a kitchen with Atelier Altan in Paris © Leleni Studio
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© Photographs courtesy of Leleni Studio & Reclaimed Woman