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Melbourne’s Ella Saddington established design practice Cordon Salon to interrogate traditional thinking around art, craft and design through research, collaboration and play.
Reflecting BETA and STH BNK’s experimental spirit, Cordon Salon is dedicated to working outside the confines of empirical understanding and current codes.
A CURIOUS PRACTICE
Curiosity is at the heart of Cordon Salon. Ella Saddington and her team take an open-minded and inquisitive approach. Contemplating design problems from uncommon angles brings new solutions.
Showing a rare appreciation for often-overlooked, lost or forgotten materials, Cordon Salon creates limited edition functional art and collectable design pieces. Taking an across-genre approach to design, Cordon Salon brings together the disciplines of art, design, and craft by borrowing skills and techniques from each to result in outcomes unbound by the obvious.
“I wanted to think about salvaged materials as a precious resource rather than abundant waste. In doing that it changes the way you design with it. I’ve tried to use as much of that material in its dimensions and condition as possible.”
Ella Saddington
DESIGNING WITH WASTE
“Globally, buildings are responsible for 30% of raw materials used, 42% of energy used and 40% of atmospheric emissions. The issue is staggering and sadly the problem is accelerating,” says Ella Saddington, founder of experimental design studio Cordon Salon. “It’s an issue we need to tackle from both ends: through better designed buildings that are future-proofed and made to last, and better streams for waste generated during construction, refurbishments and demolition.”
The construction and manufacturing sectors are laden with ecological concerns. A huge amount of waste is sent to landfill, and there are environmental impacts throughout all phases of the building process – from the sourcing of raw materials to their disposal. During her Atelier residency, Ella will explore the role of waste within the design practice by creating new works out of repurposed materials salvaged from within Hanover House, such as light fixtures, ceiling tiles, windows and even wiring – to reuse in a series of experiments. These reclaimed materials will be turned into beautiful design objects, like side tables, lamps and baskets.
REUSE RATHER THAN RECYCLE
By reusing rather than recycling we can lengthen the life of existing materials and in doing so minimise the impact of that material. Cordon Salon will also utilise denim waste from the textile industry, reforming these remnants into sculptural forms. The denim will be shredded and combined with bio-based epoxy resin, made from 77% bio content and plant-based carbon.
The benefit of redirecting materials slated for disposal and recycling, away from these streams enables energy savings, avoidance of greenhouse gas emissions, water savings, avoidance of waste, and significant reductions in natural resource use, eutrophication of waterways and airborne pollutants as a result of the recycling process.
By approaching the waste as you would a raw or virgin material we speculate on an alternative approach. What if design started with maximising usage of waste materials? Can the ‘End of life’ be the beginning point for new design work with minimal processing?
“BY REUSING RATHER THAN RECYCLING WE CAN LENGTHEN THE LIFE OF EXISTING MATERIALS AND IN DOING SO MINIMISE THE IMPACT OF THAT MATERIAL.”
Cordon Salon on designing with waste
ABOUT CORDON SALON
Cordon Salon is a Melbourne-based experimental studio that uses research, collaboration and play as a method to speculate on approaches to art, craft and design. The studio focuses on the creation of finely crafted limited edition, collectable design and functional art.
Often working with lost, forgotten or overlooked materials, crafts and processes to achieve innovative outcomes. Since its founding in 2018, the studio has developed work for local and international clientele. Exhibited experimental work for Alt.Material, Friends & Associates, At the Above and Sophie Gannon Gallery as part of Designwork 05 for Melbourne Design Week 2021.
Learn more about Cordon Salon
Cordon Salon Website
ARTISANS IN RESIDENCE
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ABOUT BETA BY STH BNK
BETA is a revolutionary testing area to explore the future of retail space, programming and new business models and is designed to give Melburnians a feel for what can be expected as part of Beulah’s transformative and visionary mini-metropolis, STH BNK By Beulah.
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