What Do We Do With All the Samples?
- Leo Wood
- Jul 18
- 2 min read
At Kinder Design, we live and breathe materials.We pore over tiles. Stroke textiles. Collect slivers of timber and sheets of stone. Samples are the lifeblood of our studio - helping us test palettes, explain ideas to clients, and bring a sense of texture and tactility to every scheme we design.
But like every design studio, we’ve run into the same dilemma:
What happens to all those samples when we no longer need them?
The Problem with the Sample Pile
Some samples become studio staples, they’re our go-to references for certain finishes or colour ways. Others… just hang around. Quietly piling up on shelves, in drawers, or under desks.
And while it might be tempting to “clear the decks” every once in a while, throwing out materials that still have value feels completely wrong, especially when you’re trying to run a thoughtful, sustainability-focused practice.
We’ve experimented with different solutions over the years:
Donating to art colleges and local design schools
Posting bundles on Gumtree for crafty people to rehome
Sorting leftover materials into boxes for kids’ craft projects or creative friends
All helpful in their own way. But not scalable.So we’ve been keeping an eye out for something better.
Our Favourite Sample Reuse Initiatives
We’re thrilled to see more organisations stepping up with creative, circular models that make reuse easier and more joyful.
A brilliant initiative running pop-up resale hubs across London, Renee Materials collect and re-home samples that would otherwise go to waste. From textiles and tiles to timber and trimmings, they make it easy for makers, students, and local creatives to access affordable, inspiring materials and give samples a second life.
The Sample Project Founded by Sophie Halliday, this joyful project packages up colourful, tactile offcuts and sample swatches for kids’ craft kits. Sold via Etsy, it’s a brilliant example of reuse that’s both low-waste and creativity-boosting.
Long known as a one-stop-shop for design samples, Swatchbox has launched something we’ve been hoping for: Second Life Samples, a scheme for returning unused or unwanted samples. It reduces delivery emissions, cuts down waste, and keeps samples in circulation.
Where Do We Go From Here?
As designers, we need to keep asking:
What happens after we’ve finished with a material?
Because the story doesn’t end once it’s off the moodboard.
We’d love to see more suppliers offering return schemes, and more industry-wide support for creative reuse. But in the meantime, we’ll keep experimenting, donating, and supporting projects like the ones above.
Let’s Share Solutions
Are you a designer or studio facing the same sample mountain? Have you found smart ways to reuse, return or repurpose your materials?
Or are you a supplier ready to introduce a take-back scheme of your own?
We’d love to hear from you. Let’s make the sample conversation a shared one and help push the industry towards something more circular, creative and conscious.
