An interiors and furniture label to look out for? Custom No. 9. Founded and run by Amy Grace Mill, this Dubai-based brand recycles leftover materials by designing a range of contemporary household and home décor products. It launched its online platform and first product line in April this year, featuring mobile phone stands, exquisitely made using Terrazzo and marble.

In an exclusive interview with Villa 88, Amy said that she couldn’t bear the thought of throwing away beautiful leftover pieces. This is where the concept of using leftover materials to create monthly ‘Off Cut Drops’ was born, which are limited-edition products launched on the 9th of every month, in keeping with the name of the brand. “The idea was to offer something small, easy-to-make and affordable each month, inviting everyone to be a part of the Custom No.9 story, ” stated Amy. Pricing of all ‘Off-Cut Drops’ ranges from Dhs70 to Dhs200.

“As soon as I started Custom No.9, I tried to find creative ways of using leftover steel pieces in our workshop,” she said. “The planter and plant stands that we’ve been selling online for the last year actually began as prototypes from leftover materials,” she added. Initially, the idea was to use leftover materials to create a few gifts for family and friends, but the orders were growing so quickly that the team couldn’t use everything up.

The brand’s vision is to end mass production and create a bespoke experience for its customers. With Amy’s desire to introduce a more creative approach to curating furniture, the brand puts the customer in the designer’s seat to help bring their expectations to life.

A few months ago, Custom No.9 launched a fundraising campaign called ‘Boards for Beirut’, comprising the brand’s highly sought-after serving boards, which were available to purchase online in their signature terrazzo, cloudy blush marble, and grainy charcoal travertine shades.

All profits from the sales were directed towards Beb w’Shebbek , a community-driven initiative that has been helping rebuild windows and doors of houses destroyed by the Beirut blast, dated 4 August. Around 150 homes are to be fixed each month until their goal of rebuilding 3,000 homes is accomplished, whilst preserving the architectural heritage of the city.

With sustainability at the heart of Custom No. 9, the brand’s key goal is to ensure customers are offered products that people could purchase with the confidence that they won’t be harmful to the planet. “I think every business should be thinking about the ‘quick wins’ when it comes to sustainable initiatives. We now live in a world where waste is a huge problem.” Amy noted. “When you’re in the business of manufacturing, it’s very difficult to tick every box, but we’re slowly learning how we can do this.” And that’s all it takes.

Information about the monthly drops is available at Customno9.com. Follow @Custom_no.9 on Instagram. Images courtesy of Custom No.9