The Art of What's Left Behind

In a country that trashes more than 12 million tons of furniture every year, one resourceful woodworker is proving there's beauty—and a business—in the scraps

- BY KELLY AIGLON

Milwaukee-area wood artist Ike Wynter didn't set out to launch a studio; he simply wanted to keep good material out of the landfill. “I’ve always been a dumpster diver,” he says. While working for his family’s junk-removal business, he noticed a frustrating pattern: Metal could be recycled and clothing donated, but flawed or chipped wood was destined for the dumpster.

Curiosity led him to start collecting it—boards from demolition sites, pallets from alleys, and fencing from yard waste piles. “I started picking it up and thought, Could we repurpose this?” he says. That instinct sparked a practice that still guides his work today. Here are just a few of the factors that led Wynter from tinkering with would-be trash to finding his niche, growing an audience and collaborating with major figures in sports and entertainment.

Starting Small

Between 2016 and 2020, Wynter experimented on nights and weekends. Armed with just a few basic tools, he started cutting, fitting and reimagining his collected scraps. Pallets were a favorite: “They’re free, they’re versatile and they’re everywhere,” he says. They were also tough to cut, which helped Wynter sharpen both his patience and precision.

At first, he built coffee tables—nine in a few months—but he soon discovered a passion for more artistic pieces, creating bold mosaics that highlighted the textures and colors of weathered wood.

From Hobby to Hustle