When Polly, the creative force behind FUTURE re MADE, sets out to design a new piece, she’s not starting with slick software or trend reports. Instead, she reaches for her trusty grid pad and maybe even a cornflakes box. “We're old-school,” she says with a laugh. “We use upcycled materials for mini-models—sometimes it's literally out of packaging that's lying around.”
Designer Polly Cadden pictured with NEO bedside table with recycled plastic top in Stone & drawer in Plum, and upcycled laminate frame in Seed. Photo credit James Geer
This joyful, hands-on approach defines everything Polly and her team do. It’s a process rooted in creativity, collaboration, and a deep respect for materials. At FUTURE re MADE, the offcuts are the heroes, the leftovers are celebrated, and waste is just the beginning of something wonderful.
The Magic of Making
Polly's process is refreshingly tactile. Once the initial sketch is done, she heads to the factory with her mini table models in hand to meet her collaborator, Heidi—a joiner who helps to bring Polly’s designs to fruition. Heidi takes Polly’s whimsical ideas and feeds them into precise manufacturing tools, helping turn dreams into prototypes by the end of the day.
“It’s very fun,” Polly says. “We use offcuts from the factory, and somehow by the end of the day, we’re most amazed with ourselves that it worked.”
That sense of wonder runs through everything FUTURE re MADE touches. There’s curiosity, resourcefulness, and a serious respect for the materials.
MONSTER side table with handle pictured left to right - upcycled laminate in Seed, recycled plastic in Stone, upcycled wood veneer in Walnut.
Scrap to Statement
The brand’s latest pieces are built using a combination of post-industrial HDPE recycled plastic and whatever beautiful materials are lying around. “We’ve created a lot of hybrids,” Polly explains. “We’ll mix the plastic with laminates that are leftovers from Heidi's other cabinetry jobs that would have become landfill. Instead, they now have a bright new future.
Those forgotten fragments—navy, seed, sage, walnut veneer—become design elements in their own right. Recently, Polly spotted some Perspex in the factory and convinced her team to give it a go. The result? A show-stopping prototype made entirely from 20mm Perspex—beautiful, surprising, and totally one-of-a-kind: MONSTER table with handle.
MONSTER side table with handle in upcycled 20mm perspex.
“It’s a bit of an expensive process,” she admits, “because they’re cutting small pieces at a time. But the value that comes out of it is next level.”
Not Just Pretty—Practical, Too
Sustainability isn't just a talking point for Polly. It’s baked into every part of the process. The recycled plastic sheets come from Australian post-industrial waste, and leftover scrap and materials are continually repurposed. The brand doesn’t mass-produce or rely on overseas manufacturing—each piece is made locally, and Polly is always present to oversee production and hand finish each piece.
“It’s just a (quality) control thing,” she says. “You can be a lot more hands-on and bespoke with your design when you're working locally.”
This local-first, low-waste approach means FUTURE re MADE can also offer custom-made pieces. Polly recently completed a bespoke table for a local customer—a project that simply wouldn’t be possible with off-the-shelf furniture or overseas production timelines.
NEO bedside table with recycled plastic top in Stone & drawer in Plum, and upcycled laminate frame in Seed.
Elevating the Recycled Aesthetic
For Polly, the biggest misconception about recycled design is that it has to look rough or unfinished. “People often think that if it’s recycled or upcycled, it has to be ugly,” she says. “But we are providing something elevated. Beautiful. Design-forward. A sustainable designer solution ”
Bambi Bench in BubbleGum
And thanks to a growing community of like-minded makers, Polly sees the perception changing. “When we were first in the market using recycled materials, it was such a commercial space,” she recalls. “But now, there’s more of us. It really helps to shift mindsets.
Waste Not, Want Everything
In Polly’s world, waste isn’t a problem—it’s an invitation. An invitation to reimagine materials, to forge local relationships, and to find joy in making things the slow, considered way.
From Perspex petals to HDPE hybrids, FUTURE re MADE is proving that upcycled materials that could go to waste can be the beginning of something extraordinary. After all, when you combine a love for materials with a bit of imagination, there’s really no such thing as scrap.