When Felicia Neuhof first eyed the crab, scallop, and oyster shells piling up behind Providence eateries, she didn’t see waste—she saw wonder.
In a tiny kitchen lab at the Rhode Island School of Design, this former art director from Vermont began experimenting, curious if these discarded shells could be repurposed.
That moment sparked Shellf Life, a design revolution now reshaping how we think about waste, materials, and the possibilities hidden in everyday discards.
A Journey Rooted in Frustration and Imagination
Neuhof spent seven years immersed in plastic-heavy advertising in New York. Frustrated by the disposable culture surrounding her, she relocated to Providence to pursue a master’s in architecture and sustainability. As she indulged in regional shellfish, she couldn’t shake the question: what happens to all these shells?
Retrieving bins of shell debris from restaurant dumpsters, she began molding them in her stove—crushing, binding, curing. What emerged was extraordinary.
Her first tile was not just functional; it captured the hues and textures of the sea—iridescent mussel fragments, coarse clam pieces, shimmering abalone flakes—forming architectural surfaces that felt alive.
Scaling Up: From Kitchen Lab to Microlab
Winning the prestigious Terra Carta Design Lab competition, overseen by King Charles III, empowered Neuhof to shift from homemade prototypes to serious production.
She opened a micro-manufacturing hub at Providence’s 50 Sims—a creative collective workspace. The facility now churns out furniture, tiles, bowls, and lighting, all crafted from what was destined for trash.
At 50 Sims, workspace sparks innovation: mixing methods, refining binder formulas, experimenting with translucency, strength, and form.
Liz Maillie, leasing director for Scouts that manages the space, remarked, “Felicia’s incredible vision… she can get dirty and make a mess in”—a nod to the hands-on experimentation driving the process.
Environmental Impact by the Numbers
The potential impact is staggering: a single Rhode Island shellfish processor produces enough shell waste annually to create 30,000 square feet of tile—one processor alone could tile dozens of homes.
Across New England, those shells could cover nearly 300 homes every year. To put it simply: what is considered garbage could very nearly meet housing-scale construction needs.
Installing shell-based concrete in coastal infrastructure is also underway; City Island Oyster Reef laboratories are experimenting with combining shell aggregates into concrete substitutes—proving that this isn’t just decorative—it can be structurally transformative.
A Sensory Experience
Neuhof describes her tiles as “beautiful bespoke design elements,” each imbued with the ocean’s textures and tones: mussels mimic polished granite; clams echo raw sea salt; abalone glitters like pearl. Her designs elicit visceral connection—surfaces you can almost taste—tying interior space back to the marine world.
Even King Charles was enchanted when Neuhof presented him a shell-crafted bowl at Hampton Court Palace. His appreciation—calling the idea “genius”—signified more than royal approval; it signaled mainstream potential for upcycled, eco-conscious materials.
The Binder and Carbon Capture
While shells provide structure, the secret lies in a binder Neuhof blends with crushed shell matter. Like a chef fine-tuning a recipe, she crafts formulas that cure to form rigid, flexible, or translucent panels. Remarkably, this material sequesters carbon during curing, adding an unexpected climate benefit to its eco appeal.
On LinkedIn, Neuhof referred to her work as “regenerative systems that actively improve our environment while building resilient local economies”, and notes she’s building a 2026 waitlist for R&D collaborations with architects and designers.
Community, Economy, Circularity
Shellf Life’s approach embodies the circular economy: from shellfish farms to restaurants, every stakeholder gains. Local businesses donate waste, Shellf Life transforms it, and new products—tiles, furniture, luminaries—flow back into the market. As Neuhof emphasizes, sustainability begins at the foundation of the materials.
The startup’s regional ecosystem supports artists, apprentices, and small-scale manufacturing—all housed in the collaborative atmosphere of 50 Sims. It’s not just reducing waste; it’s creating local jobs and reinforcing community-based innovation.
Challenges and Aspirations
Scaling remains a challenge. The process has to remain affordable and accessible. As one Reddit user commented:
“Great idea, but this is rich person only type of thing… Get the price down… then I will clap.”
Neuhof is acutely aware; her mission extends beyond boutique tiles to affordable, scalable materials. With growing production capacity planned at 50 Sims and beyond, her commercial line—expected to launch later this year—may help bridge that pricing gap.
Transport logistics, binder sourcing, and regulatory certifications (especially for structural or habitat-integrated products) present hurdles. But Neuhof’s R&D focus—blending accessible materials with traditional processes—suggests her models are designed for reproducibility and broader adoption.
A Hope for Regenerative Design
What makes Shellf Life so compelling is its elegance and promise. It marries craftsmanship and science, sustainability and aesthetics. It manifests a hopeful vision—where waste becomes wealth, and local ingenuity redefines material systems.
At its core, Neuhof’s vision is simple yet transformative: what was garbage can be beautiful, useful, and environmentally restorative. By creating surfaces that capture carbon, reduce landfill, and employ community, she challenges us to rethink waste.
In Neuhof’s own words: “sustainability begins at the foundation of the materials.” Shellf Life proves that when we start there, even discarded shells can build our future.
