Rodney Allen Trice creates witty items for the home from discarded objects he finds at the curb and in dumpsters. Trice doesn’t see what he does as recycling, preferring to use the term refitting instead. His Brooklyn studio resembles a parking lot for things awaiting their next chance at a new life.
He notes, “A lot of this stuff has so much inherent personality. Crutches are made of solid oak, it’s easily grown and one of the most prevalent, least expensive of the hard woods, plus it’s fairly easy to work with. Yet people immediately throw crutches out once they’re no longer needed; who’d want to keep them around? I thought, there has to be a better way.” Voila, the crutch table. It de-contextualizes the upsetting medical connotation of its raw material, transforming it instead into furniture with an elegant architectural feel.
The Johnny Walker veers into social commentary; who says old age can’t be fun?
Other pieces, like the lamp made of paper cocktail umbrellas, provide a charming way to keep something around for a little longer than its expected lifespan. You can see Trice’s entire collection here.