Inside a Sustainable Edinburgh Kitchen with a Rainbow of Surplus Wood Cabinets

"Architecture Office founder Alexander Mackison and glass artist Juli Bolaños-Durman had something of a creative meet-cute. The two became acquainted while running a lecture series at Custom Lane, a collaborative center for designers and makers in Edinburgh, where they both have studios. They remained friendly, so Alexander eventually learned of Juli's plans to renovate an apartment nearby. "Just through casual conversations, I became integrated into the project," he remembers."

"Alexander was flattered to be chosen for the job-but he was also energized by the assignment: Juli wanted a home that reflected the sculptures she creates with found and reclaimed objects. "Her ethos in her artistic practice runs through her personal life as well," he says. The duo brought in Silvan Studio to build a bespoke kitchen using only surplus timber from past projects, knowing there wouldn't be enough of any one species to craft uniform cabinet fronts."

"Instead, slabs of brown oak, classic oak, cherry, Douglas fir, and ash are arranged in a gradient, forming a rainbow of wood that honors Juli's commitment to sustainability and matches her colorful spirit. Let's take a look. Photography by Richard Gaston. Above: In Juli's first-floor Victorian flat, off-cut ombré cupboards mix with old wood floors that Alexander discovered beneath 1970s carpeting. The duo declined to sand away the tar adhesive residue, simply washing and oiling the planks to maintain their splotchy patina."

Alexander Mackison and Juli Bolaños-Durman met while running a lecture series at Custom Lane in Edinburgh and collaborated on renovating Juli's nearby Victorian flat. Juli wanted a home that reflected her sculptures made from found and reclaimed objects. The project engaged Silvan Studio to build a bespoke kitchen using only surplus timber, arranging slabs of brown oak, classic oak, cherry, Douglas fir, and ash in an ombré gradient. Countertops, vertical dividers, and toe kicks used leftover ash. Old wood floors were revealed beneath 1970s carpeting and were washed and oiled to preserve tar-residue patina, celebrating material resourcefulness and sustainability.

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