Reframes - reclaimed wooden frames and more

Photos and a painting framed in fence wood and old Victorian floorboards
Photos and a painting framed in fence wood and old Victorian floorboards.
Rain-sensitive outdoor art framed in discarded construction timber
Rain-sensitive outdoor art framed in discarded construction timber.
Painting framed with packaging wood.
Painting framed with packaging wood..
Broken microwave oven cases turned into crates with pallet wood
Broken microwave oven cases turned into crates with pallet wood.
A tablet holder made from part of an old door, some twigs and discarded filing cabinet parts
A tablet holder made from part of an old door, some twigs and discarded filing cabinet parts.
Spice racks made from twigs, kitchen furniture and packaging timber
Spice racks made from twigs, kitchen furniture and packaging timber.
Discarded packaging timber, ready to be reclaimed and reframed
Discarded packaging timber, ready to be reclaimed and reframed.
Pen tidies made from fallen trees and construction timber offcuts
Pen tidies made from fallen trees and construction timber offcuts.
Photo frames made of planed fence wood and an old window
Photo frames made of planed fence wood and an old window.
More photo frames made from planed fence wood
More photo frames made from planed fence wood.
Street book swap library made from floorboards, decking and fridge shelf
Street book swap library made from floorboards, decking and fridge shelf.
Mirror frame made from old decking
Mirror frame made from old decking.
Bottle crate made from discarded plywood, broken clothes rail, rusty nail, venetian blind and a twig
Bottle crate made from discarded plywood, broken clothes rail, rusty nail, venetian blind and a twig.
Key-hanging board from scrap wood and twigs
Key-hanging board from scrap wood and twigs.
Studio cable-hanging rack - fencewood and twigs
Studio cable-hanging rack - fencewood and twigs.
Office cable-hanger - floor board and twigs
Office cable-hanger - floor board and twigs.

What are reframes?

Amateur (very!) Bristol-based carpenter Paddy loves rescuing and re-using wood. In 2019 he started turning some of this wood into bespoke picture frames with a unique finish displaying the grain and patina of the working wood from which they are constructed.

How are the frames made?

All the parts are salvaged: wood from discarded pallets, builders’ skips, old floorboards, broken furniture, felled trees… Corners are joined using slats from a thrown away blind. Nails are from a closed-down workshop and the hanging wire is unwound from broken electrical equipment. Even the wax used to enhance the finish is from a thrown-away pot.

There is no glue used, so it’s an entirely chemical-free process.

Some power tools are used in construction but the electricity comes from renewable sources so construction has a very low-impact on the environment. Even the offcuts are re-used for heating.

What do they cost?

You’ll be asked to make a donation to a charity of your choice based on: what you can afford, how good you think each frame looks and the fact that someone’s spent 2-3 hours work on it. Professional bespoke frames cost around £20 for a small frame, increasing to a lot more for larger sizes.

What are they like?

The picture is inserted into slots in the frame. The frame can be pulled apart if the picture needs to be removed. OR Paddy can make frames where the picture can be replaced easily. Due to the materials used, frames may be a bit wonky and uneven. You can specify a planed natural wood finish or a more “lived in” finish.

Do you do any other kinds of woodworking?

Paddy will have a go at all kinds of things, though his work is functional rather than finessed. He’s made a ramp for cats to get into kitchen window, a rain-proof book-swap box, a tablet holder, spice racks, makeshift bench, trestles, pen holders… Contact Paddy by email.