Hardwood furniture production is full of odds and ends. While designers and suppliers work diligently to reduce waste and optimize efficiency, the fabrication process inevitably entails some awkwardly sized leftovers. But these small, narrow and irregular pieces of wood can become a treasure in their own right. Case in point? The Offcuts — an elegant new collection of small residential furnishings by Montreal-based studio Kastella.
Conceived and crafted in collaboration with Kastella furniture maker Raphaël Dinh, The Offcuts comprises a trio of functional and gracefully streamlined designs: the La Souche stool, as well as the Le Tabouret à lattes and Le Marchepied à lattes step stools. Available in Black Walnut and White Oak (both with an oiled finish), the collection deftly translates Kastella’s understated yet expressive style — and trademark material honesty — onto a smaller scale.
While The Offcuts are made with leftover wood, their quality is undiminished. “Our Offcuts are born from the same beautiful boards we use in our furniture production,” says designer and Kastella founder Jason Burhop. “Just as robust, resistant, and unique. We generate a significant quantity, and it has long been our mission to use these pieces in a meaningful way.”
Although The Offcuts collection is fabricated in smaller quantities of only five to 10 units each, the pieces are made with the same traditional woodworking techniques and standards that define the Kastella portfolio.
A playful riff on a tree trunk’s cylindrical form, the La Souche stool (which can also serve as an end table) is fabricated using a pair of distinct techniques — cutting board-style glue-ups, as well as faceted wood — to assemble offcuts into a solid form. Meanwhile, both the stepped Le Marchepied à lattes stool and the gracefully versatile Le Tabouret à lattes — which can serve as both a stool and a tabletop — are made with solid wood offcuts.
For Kastella, the new collection is a testament to both design ingenuity and a reduction in waste. The result is a trio of sustainable — and subtly striking — additions to the home.
The Montreal-based company transforms leftover hardwood into a versatile trio of stools.