The Reclaimed Atelier challenges the assumption that high-end interior design depends on new, pristine materials to achieve luxury and beauty. In response to the environmental toll of the construction industry—which produces over 600 million tons of waste each year in the U.S.—my project proposes a spatial and conceptual alternative that repositions reclaimed materials as essential tools in creating refined, high-end interiors.

Through research, site visits, and hands-on material experimentation, I explored the way our perception of value is influenced not just by the materials themselves, but by the spaces and contexts in which we experience them.

This project looks closely at the contrast between reuse centers—typically utilitarian, messy, and overlooked—and luxury showrooms that are curated, minimal, and aspirational. The Reclaimed Atelier brings these two worlds together into a hybrid space: part raw material warehouse, part curated showroom. Housed in Brooklyn’s historic Roulston House, the space offers a new kind of experience—where visitors can see, touch, and learn about the transformation of construction waste into custom furniture and interior pieces.

The design includes full-scale prototypes, a custom system for material display and storage, and a scale model that explores how people move through and interact with the space. Every decision—from layout to lighting to signage—is meant to shift how people view materials that are often dismissed as waste.

This project isn’t just about aesthetics—it’s about transparency, access, and rethinking the lifecycle of materials. The Reclaimed Atelier invites designers, clients, and donors to become part of a circular design process—one that doesn’t compromise on aspiration, but instead redefines it through history, process, and care.