Scaffolding repurposed

Audrey Matthysen of Somerset West writes On a recent visit to my mom in Muizenberg, I noticed old scaffolding planks lying in the back garden. So, being the presumptuous person I am, I asked if I could have one.

My husband, an avid woodworker who knows his timber, frowned upon the idea and wanted to know what I was going to do with that weather-beaten, paint-coated piece of wood. Much to his dismay, I loaded it into the car.

After a lot of sanding and oiling, the wood’s natural beauty started to come to the surface. With my husband’s help, we turned the wood into floating shelves; the paintings are my own handiwork, but credit goes to Gina Brown for inspiration. Now to find another piece of wood to rescue...