Milan 2015: Italian design duo Alcarol has launched a collection of furniture made from worktops taken out of Italian quarries and marble processing labs (+ movie).

Andrea Forti and Eleonora Dal Farra debuted their Marble Ways Collection at Spazio Rossana Orlandi during last week's Milan design week.

Three different sizes of table are made from wooden worktops, which are removed from marble quarries and labs once they become irreparably damaged by the circular blades that are used to cut the blocks of stone placed upon them.

A transparent resin is poured onto the uneven surface, levelling it out for use as a table and trapping powdered marble residue inside – a similar process to previous collections by the pair, which include benches made from worm-eaten Venetian canal poles and seats formed from blocks of minerals sealed and preserved in resin.

"Ever since we started to use stone in our products, we have frequented the quarries and processing labs," Forti told Dezeen.

"We were immediately fascinated by these wooden worktops as they are incredibly rich in history and also have an incredibly modern aspect, almost futuristic. We were very sorry to see these wooden slabs being thrown for pulping."

"The collection aims to capture the unusual atmospheres of some impressive Italian workplaces by freezing time at the end of the material’s life cycle, thereby giving it a new life," he added.

Each table is characterised by the type of marble that was most recently cut on it, as dust from the stone is caught in the grooves formed by the blade. This dust creates a colour contrast that appears like an irregular checked pattern on the tabletops.

"The powdered and granulated marble that – through the water used to cool the steel blades – is deposited between the myriad slits on the wood, creates an unusual and irregular checkerboard similar to an urban planning model of a future metropolis, with crossroads, squares, buildings and uncountable ways," said the designer.

Each table is supported by laser-cut sheet-steel bases and legs, in a reference to the blades used to cut the stone.