Friday, June 7, 2013

Reclaimed Realness: Pallet Furniture - Recycled, Stylish & Cheap

Pallet Furniture!
If you are looking for a low-cost, simple, and stylish solution for furniture; consider reclaimed pallets.

Turn this:

Into this:



With a little of this:

With today's economy and well just the price of stuff, I am constantly searching for economical ways to meet my client's needs without breaking their budgets.  One way to create a lot of furniture at a little cost is to use discarded construction pallets.  These are those rough wooden platforms you find under large products in warehouses.  They are often discarded upon delivery and are great for reuse.  If you live in an urban area they are especially easy to come across.  Craigslist is a good source or there are some places that even collect and sell them.  Your best bet is to ask the manager of a local hardware, storage/shipping warehouse, or grocery store if they have any pallets to spare.  With any luck you will have free materials to turn into just about anything you can imagine.

Some argue that pallets shouldn't be used for furniture because they're exposed to insects, rodents, weather, bacteria, etc.  That might be a an overzealous logic, however, just be reasonable about the pallets.  Be sure to wash and inspect them. If you're still nervous about potential harm then just stick to using pallets for outdoor projects.

Helpful hint: If you want to take the pallets apart, the easiest method is to use a SawZall or recipro saw to cut the nails. Pulling them is quite a task, and you tend to split more boards than you get off. If you don't want the nail heads, turn the board over and whack it on the ground, then punch the ones that are left.

Here is some inspiration:

 
Completely made from pallets with a custom slip cover and cushions
 
This great sofa is just two pallets on the floor 




This is my favorite pallet table with mosaic tile infill




 
Wall finish of pallet slats creates a rustic barn wood look

 
Super simple head board

 


 
Entertainment console and wine rack


 
Pallet pathway


 
Pallet planter

 
Pallet stair with storage underneath.

 
Pallet barn, the slats spacing allows light and air to infiltrate the space.

 
These photos are of a pallet partition in a warehouse space used for a pop-up performance art space in Los Angeles


 
Or go all the way and make the whole house out of them!















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