SALT HQ
SALT HQ is a minimal space located in London, United Kingdom, designed by THISS Studio. The project began with SALT’s founding director Celeste Bolte recognizing an opportunity that many overlook. Moving into their first independent space, the communications studio could have followed the predictable path of fitted furniture and branded environments. Instead, they embraced what Bolte describes as a chance to “curate a light and welcoming workspace” that prioritizes adaptability over permanence. This decision set the stage for a collaboration that would redefine what responsible design looks like in practice.
THISS Studio’s response was to treat existing materials not as obstacles but as creative catalysts. The architects discovered beauty in constraint, transforming retired catering tables purchased for £100 each from eBay into the workspace’s organizational spine. By cutting down steel legs and mounting them on casters, then crowning each base with worktops crafted from leftover cork and American oak trim, they created furniture that embodies both mobility and permanence. The larger table, stretching 3.6 meters, accommodates eight people while maintaining the flexibility to reconfigure for events and photography shoots.
This approach required what the studio calls “a flexible vision, as well as time and patience for sourcing and a little bit of good luck.” The design process became an exercise in creative problem-solving, where each salvaged element – from stainless steel butcher’s shelving repurposed as bookcases to kitchen carcasses relocated for storage – demanded innovative integration. The chocolate Valchromat cabinet doors, treated with raw Osmo oil, demonstrate how industrial materials can achieve domestic warmth when handled with care.
The patchwork linen curtain deserves particular attention as both functional element and cultural statement. Bosson’s textile intervention does more than provide acoustic dampening and spatial division – it introduces a textile sensibility that softens the industrial framework while celebrating the grid patterns found in the building’s windows and brick columns. The curtain’s removable mounting system ensures the space can adapt from intimate workspace to public venue without permanent alteration.
THISS Studio’s material palette reveals deep understanding of how contemporary makers are rethinking industrial aesthetics. The decision to coat existing black steel beams and columns in rust-toned paint from sustainable brand Bleo creates visual cohesion while adding warmth. Thin steel sheets appear strategically throughout the space – on worktops, joinery surfaces – creating material conversations between salvaged elements and purposeful additions. This restrained approach demonstrates how material consistency can unify disparate elements without overwhelming them.