Turning Waste Into Wonder: Our Journey Into Creating Modern Marquetry From Local Offcuts
A New Chapter Born From Offcuts
This whole idea of us making Modern Marquetry products, artwork, and bespoke designs entirely from waste stream materials all started quite simply—with our own offcuts. Running a woodwork and furniture business meant we were constantly generating waste. And like any woodworker knows, throwing away timber offcuts—even the tiny bits—just doesn’t sit right.
We started collecting it all. At first, it just piled up, taking up space. But then we began to repurpose it in our spare time, creating one-off artwork pieces that we hoped to sell. These pieces were the beginning of our product journey. You can check them out on our online shop.
Up until then, 100% of our business income came from bespoke interior projects—think kitchens, café fit-outs, reception desks, fitted furniture. But selling our own artwork was the spark that lit the fire.
Plastic With a Past: From Salvaged Acrylic to Colourful Collaboration
At the start, all the coloured plastic we used in our work came from reclaimed acrylic that Co-Founder, Ravi, salvaged from his part-time job at Falmouth University. These colourful bits were like gold dust to us. But as our stocks ran low, we started exploring new options—and that's when we came across Matt Nott from One Blue Eye in Helston.
We reached out to Matt and began working together to create handmade plastic sheet material. This was new territory for him too, so we even built moulds for his machines to help melt and press the plastic into sheets. The plastic we got back was incredible—vibrant and full of story. Think plastic bottles, Celebration chocolate tubs, fishing crates—much of it collected through community drives and beach cleans.
You can check out Matt's work here:
Website: One Blue Eye
Instagram: @oneblueeyeplastic
The Realisation: There’s So Much Waste Out There
That collaboration really set things in motion for us. We began looking around our own homes, asking friends, checking in with contacts—anyone we knew. And the realisation hit: there’s so much waste out there. And so much of it just goes unused.
We reached out to our network. Apply Works, who we use for CNC cutting, were amazing and set up a system to put aside their offcuts for us. Digi Fabricate in Falmouth and Bercot Joinery in Newquay have also been incredibly generous with their waste materials.
Digi Fabricate: digifab.ltd
Bercot Joinery: bercotkitchens.com
Apply Works: applyworks.co
The generosity has been amazing—but we know there are hundreds more businesses out there doing similar things and creating similar waste. We’d love to connect with more.
Talking With the Big Guys: A Glimpse of What’s Possible
We’re now in talks with some much larger companies, to see how their waste might be repurposed. This is where things get really exciting. The more waste we can reclaim, the more we can make—and the more we can divert from landfill, skip hire, or being burned in stoves.
Why It Matters: Our ‘Why’ Behind the Waste
Every time we take on more waste, we’re able to create more. More artwork. More bespoke projects. More products. And here’s the really exciting part—we’re now building a product range of ‘off-the-shelf’ designs. From coffee tables to bench seating, and even Marquet Flooring—each piece can be customised by the customer.
They choose the piece. Then they choose the type of Modern Marquetry they want & what form it takes—full cover, stripe etc. The marquetry options we offer are directly inspired by the materials we regularly reclaim, like plywood and timber offcuts. It keeps the process efficient, repeatable, scalable and rooted in sustainability.
This Is Just The Beginning…
We don’t see an end to this. Waste streams will change. The appearance of our work will evolve. But that’s what makes this so exciting. We’re not just trying to create nice things—we’re trying to do it with purpose, and with a real story behind each piece.
We’re building something bigger than just a product line. We’re building a way of working that’s circular, creative, and community-connected. And we’d love for you to be part of that journey.
If you’re a business with clean offcuts, materials, or plastics that you'd like to see reused creatively—please get in touch.
