Pieces & Offcuts: A Second Life for Small Pieces
Small things that come out of the work, and where they end up.
When we build balustrades, there are always small pieces left over from the cuts.
Too small to use structurally, but too good to throw away.
They tend to collect in the garage.
It’s hard to discard a piece of wood that still feels useful, even if you’re not quite sure what that use is yet.
For a while, that’s all they were. A growing pile of “maybe useful.”
Then a neighbour up the street — a local artist, Kathrin von Dehn, who works in pottery and painting — came across them and asked if she could take a few.
She saw something completely different in them.
Those small offcuts became the base for miniature houses — painted, layered with paper, textured and detailed in a way that reflects her work.
Each one ends up with its own character.
They now end up in mystery bags for a local charity auction.
It’s a small thing. Just leftover pieces from a job.
But it’s satisfying to see materials carry on in a different way, not wasted, not forgotten, just… used differently.
Artist Credit: Kathrin von Dehn
Some pieces are cut away, set aside, or kept because they still feel useful. From time to time, those pieces find their own purpose.
