Decorating: Genius Ways to Put the Humble Pallet to Stylish Use

Freely available and fantastically useful, pallets are just waiting to be given a new life in your home...

Siobhan Lam 16 July 2014

I'm a Houzz contributor/ interior consultant based out of Dublin and I'm utterly obsessed with interiors and houses - there's nothing I love more than creating a few inspirational moodboards of an afternoon! My typical day involves running my on-line art & interiors store April and the Bear, as well as writing and shooting for fabulous HOUZZ and my design and D.I.Y. blog (www.aprilandthebear.com/blog). A few of my favourite things include; hanging with my dog 'Gizmo', watching 80's John Hughes movies, devouring interior & fashion magazines and eating crisps with my partner, Jamie.

I'm a Houzz contributor/ interior consultant based out of Dublin and I'm utterly... More

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Wooden pallets are one of the most underused and openly available pieces around, often just waiting for you to take them home and make of them what you will. Whether you deconstruct them and use their wood to create extraordinary pieces of furniture, or leave them unaltered but with a new purpose, pallets can have a useful and decorative second life. Take inspiration from these 10 easy-to-achieve ways to use pallets in your home.

Ashley Meissner

Stick up cool cladding
You don’t have to use your pallets as they are. Why not deconstruct them and use the planks to clad a wall? It will take some patience and dexterity to complete, but, with such a striking, cosy result, will be totally worth the effort.

Slice and stack
In a smaller space, try cutting a pallet in two and stacking the sections to create a neat occasional table. Here, they have been painted white to fit in with the contemporary space.

Louise de Miranda

Create a hanging garden
These pallets have been cut in two, painted white and mounted to create a stunning wall garden. Copy this innovative idea or deviate slightly and create a handy bookcase instead of a cascading garden.

Nicole Crowder Design

Set on casters for a cool coffee table
Pallets are pretty much ready-made coffee tables. Screw in four casters and – bingo – a low, manoeuvrable table with slots for books and magazines. Here, the base has been painted lime green to give it a contemporary feel.

Amber Wilhelmina Design & Interiors

Take it outside
Pallets can be used outdoors as well as inside. Take inspiration from this garden, where six pallets have been stacked together to create an innovative outdoor seat. Just throw some large cushions on top and you’ve created a great spot for a tipple in the sun.

Eclectic re-purposed materials and headboard.

Make a stylish headboard
Pallets are perfect for a cheap-chic headboard. Simply sand a couple of pallets back to smooth the surface and reveal the grain, then team with toning bed linen for a laid-back industrial look.

Learn how to make your own shabby chic headboard

Louise de Miranda

Build a bargain bed base
Pallets work really well in bedrooms – the warm texture of the wood adds a relaxing rustic softness. Here, several pallets have been used to create a unique bed base complete with bedside tables.

Becky Cunningham Home

Ramp up rustic style
Raw pallet planks are the perfect addition to a romantic farmhouse bedroom. Simply break up a pallet or two and arrange the planks at different heights to create a unique rustic headboard.

RVGP Photo+Graphics

Design a wine rack
Store your favourite bottles of Merlot in a visually stunning stack of wooden pallets like this. It’s certainly a more innovative – not to mention affordable – way of displaying your wine collection.

Explore 10 ways to store your wine

Judith Balis Interiors

Devise a media centre
You really don’t have to be a DIY pro to use pallets in your home, as this industrial TV unit demonstrates. It is literally two rows of six stacked pallets and nothing more. This unit holds wine, but you could just as easily slot in a smart TV box or DVD player.

TELL US...
Do you utilise pallets at home? Share your tips in the Comments.