From Offcuts to Beauty: Behind-the-Scenes of Our Signature Collection
When you look at a finished Stratum Marquetry surface, it’s easy to be swept up in the beauty of the final piece—the bold geometry, the play of textures, the richness of colour. But the real magic starts long before a single cut is made.
Our signature range of Modern Marquetry styles are born from waste. Offcuts. Fragments. Pieces deemed too small or too awkward for conventional use. This blog takes you behind the scenes to see how we transform discarded material into luxury surfaces.
1. Material Gathering: Finding the Hidden Potential
It starts with sourcing. We collaborate with local makers, manufacturers, and recycling innovators to rescue materials from the waste stream. This includes:
Plastic sheets made from Beach clean finds with vibrant colour and story
Unwanted CDs recycled into sheets catching the light in unexpected ways
Timber offcuts with beautiful, varied grain patterns
Once collected, these materials are sorted, and graded by colour, texture, and suitability for inlay.
Workshop racking. Storing materials by tone.
2. Style Drafts and Mock-Ups
Each new design is a dialogue between concept and material. Discovering new types of reclaimed & recycled materials sparks ideas and new Modern Marquetry styles are born. Each of our Signature styles has been specifically designed around the materials we source.
When establishing new partnerships with waste or offcut producing businesses or individuals within our local network, we study the types of materials we have access to and gauge their scalability. If we know we can access a lot of a certain type of material, we start to design a new style around it.
Our Sandwich style, designed to make use of reclaimed plywood and coloured recycled plastic.
3. Modern Marquetry in Action
Once we have designed how the Modern Marquetry pattern will look, we begin by building our block. Often built and manipulated in several layers, we process the block before bonding it to the substrate with eco-friendly adhesives. The surface is then sanded and refined to bring out the full character of each material. Finally, we seal it for durability—ready to withstand daily use without losing its beauty.
Working through the grits of sandpaper
The colours and tones POP as we oil the surface
4. Final Collection Reveal
The transformation is striking. Materials once destined for landfill are now transformed into beautiful, eye catching, off-the-shelf Modern Marquetry styles. A true celebration of sustainable design, a decorative surface that tells its own story.
‘Strata’ - Multi layered timbers, plywoods & coloured recycled plastics
‘Stitch’ - Timber stitched with plywood and coloured recycled plastic
‘Sandwich’ - Coloured recycled plastic sandwiched between plywood
‘Cast’ - End of line waste set in a cast
Each style can customised using your chosen tone or colour & can be applied to any of our products in a form of your choice. Maybe you want our table top to have several stripes of Stitch with blue and yellow… or maybe a bench seat completely covered in Strata, again - using your choice of colours and tones.
Why We Do It
Beyond the beauty, this process is our commitment to sustainability. Every piece reduces waste, supports a circular economy, and proves that luxury design can be both responsible and breathtaking.
Commission Your Own Piece
Every Stratum Marquetry piece begins with a conversation. If you have a space that could be elevated by a bespoke surface, we’d love to work with you.
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