Everything in NEWNEW has a story to tell – and a future to live.

Unveiled for the first time at the Green Design Show this July, NEWNEW is a zero-waste, modular installation created in collaboration between Cultivated, our furniture restoration and buyback program, and Nexus Designs. With a light footprint – both literally and metaphorically – NEWNEW challenges you to see materials not for what they are now, but for what they could become.

This temporary structure, founded on transparency and circular design principles, is a bold and imaginative space that sparks conversation about the processes, people, and products shaping a more sustainable future.

Photography by Timothy Kaye

The Story Doesn’t Stop at 'End-of-Use'

At Cultivated, we believe the most sustainable choice is often the one that already exists. Every year in Australia, around 300,000 tonnes of furniture end up in landfill. By restoring and reusing quality pieces, we can reduce emissions by up to 90% compared with producing new furniture.

NEWNEW brings together some of the most compelling restored pieces from the Cultivated collection, alongside works by local makers, artists and designers who share our vision of shifting the narrative on waste. Each item is proof that with skill, care and creativity, the next chapter of a piece’s life can be just as meaningful as the first.

Pictured: Restored Knoll Bertoia Diamond Chair

Pictured: Restored Eames LCW lounge chairs

Reimagined Classics

Our Cultivated collection is sourced from end-of-lease commercial fit-outs, then restored by skilled local craftspeople using rescued timber, surplus fabrics and non-toxic finishes. For NEWNEW, we showcased reimagined design icons such as the Fritz Hansen Series 7 chairs salvaged from Auckland’s convention centre, now with bold red powder-coated bases and Kvadrat Cifrado upholstery made from 42% recycled polyester. A Knoll Bertoia Diamond Chair, recovered from a Sydney office basement, reupholstered in Stringybark-dyed surplus wool by Heather Thomas, and a Fritz Hansen Span Table from the Danish Embassy in Canberra, paired with NAU desks from Edith Cowan University and Eames LCW chairs in a vibrant new red finish.

Pictured: Restored Fritz Hansen Series 7 chairs and Span Table

Pictured: Restored Ox Chair and Tom Dixon light, supplied by Cult Design

In collaboration with Nexus Designs

To bring NEWNEW to life, Cultivated partnered with the multidisciplinary studio Nexus Designs, who curated the pavilion’s interior with pieces from our collection of over 300 pallets of rescued commercial furniture. Their approach was grounded in ethical material choices, collaboration with local artisans, and an unwavering commitment to circular design thinking.

Nexus Designs viewed NEWNEW as an opportunity to elevate the perceived value of rescued furniture and surplus materials, reframing them as objects of beauty and purpose. By presenting circularity through a domestic lens, they translated a large-scale sustainability conversation into a relatable, intimate space - demonstrating that design integrity and environmental responsibility can work hand in hand.

Pictured: Restored Fritz Hansen Series 7 chairs, Span Table and art pieces supplied by Artbank

Pictured: Corex cladding with signage by Other Matter

Design Rooted in Sustainability

Pictured: Crafted Hardwood White Gum

NEWNEW’s timber structure was built by Mark Tuckey using Crafted Hardwoods, an Australian innovation that transforms pulp-bound trees into premium hardwood. The floors, made from recycled plinths from the Mark Tuckey showroom, were finished with zero-VOC hardwax oil from family-run business Oslek Flooring.

Cladding was created using a locally made, carbon neutral fluted board—25% recycled—and will be reused for Cultivated furniture packing before being returned for reprocessing. Soft furnishings feature surplus textiles naturally dyed with Australian tree species such as Peppermint Gum, Stringybark and Mistletoe by Heather Thomas of Wild Heather Australia.

Pictured: Oslekcustom mixed zero-VOC hardwax oil

Pictured: Naturally dyed fabrics by Heather Thomas

Every detail of this installation celebrates renewal, reframing waste as a starting point for creativity. Cultivated has given iconic designs new life, supporting local craftsmanship, and proving that sustainability and exceptional design can go hand in hand.

Cult is the purveyor of the best in international design with a portfolio of over 35 brands across furniture, lighting, accessories, storage and kitchen – predominantly from Denmark and Italy. Established in 1997 as a showroom destination, Cult has evolved and diversified into a design house that spans more broadly across product development, manufacturing and retailing of Australian design; together with the education and advocacy for authentic design, both local and international.