JAMESPLUMB Uses Upcycled Materials to Create Their Romantic Renovated Interiors

Working under the name <a href="http://www.jamesplumb.co.uk" target="_blank">JAMESPLUMB</a>, artists Hannah Plumb and James Russell transform discarded items and materials into <a href="http://inhabitat.com/moroccan-style-casa-talia-in-italy-is-a-restored-accommodation-designed-for-slow-living/" target="_blank">romantic renovated interiors</a>. Combining their belief in the potential of the forgotten with finding hidden beauty in the day to day, they create installations for the <a href="http://inhabitat.com/top-6-furniture-and-interior-stories-of-2011-–-vote-for-your-favorite/" target="_blank">interiors of shops</a>, galleries and special projects. Their collaborations use recycled materials to infuse spaces rich with pattern, texture and history.

Using broken furniture, <a href="http://inhabitat.com/salvaged-chinese-riverboats-become-sturdy-shipwood-furniture-designs/" target="_blank">discarded wood panels</a>, remnant textiles and items from the garbage, they create unique and inviting interiors that evoke a narrative feel upon entry.

For London’s Hostem, a menswear store, the pair draped the <a href="http://inhabitat.com/the-stunning-interiors-of-the-thailand-hilton-hotel-takes-inspiration-from-the-sea’s-deep-currents/" target="_blank">ceiling and walls with fabric</a>, creating a tent-like feel. A string of mismatched lampshades was hung over an aged bar, used as a cashier counter. Coupled with unique found wood fixtures, the interior won the INSIDE award for best Retail Interior.

For Spazio Rossana Orlandi gallery space, JAMESPLUMB combines the gallerist’s own furniture with custom made pieces from <a href="http://inhabitat.com/keep-your-kitty-cozy-in-these-upcycled-vintage-suitcase-beds/" target="_blank">found materials</a>. The two month residency transformed the gallery space into a historical vignette.

A found wooden sofa frame was set as the focal point, but rather than reupholstering the piece, the pair cast a bench of concrete into frame, fusing old and new. Concrete casts also turned an <a href="http://inhabitat.com/the-bachelor-chair-is-a-step-stool-seat-and-ironing-board-all-in-one/" target="_blank">old stepladder </a>into additional seating, and some of their signature assemblages were used to decorate the rooms.

During London Design Week, JAMESPLUMB’s exhibition doubled as a <a href="http://inhabitat.com/top-8-amazing-eco-winter-wonderland-resorts-around-the-world/" target="_blank">one room hotel</a>. A handful of Design attendees were able to spend a night in the artists’ installation, complete with upcycled four poster bed and cabinetry.

Hannah Plumb and James Russell’s shared vision creates spaces that touch on history, while giving new life and <a href="http://inhabitat.com/benjamin-bullins-crafts-a-chic-sink-vanity-from-an-old-bike/" target="_blank">new narratives to recycled objects</a>, all the while bringing out the beauty in all of them.