DIY Pallet or Deck Board Wall/Island

Beautiful Things - March/April 2018

Transforming a room with a little paint and some salvaged pallet or fence boards is easier than you think.  DIY diva Holly Lemoine Raymond shares her secrets. 

Hello everyone! Hope you are ready for another DIY project with Beautiful Things. This project is a quick, low cost way of bringing new life to any wall or island in your home. Whether you are trying to update your home, prepare it for selling, or just looking for something a little different, this project is for you. 

Our current office location was a former pediatric orthodontics’ office full of fun, bright colors. The building is a great structure and I couldn’t wait to put my personal touch on it. 
 
As many of you know, I don’t throw away things that can be salvaged and brought back to life. This is especially true when it comes to wood. I hold on to old fence boards, deck boards, and pallets for projects like these because there are so many ways to recycle and repurpose the pieces. From window frames to barn doors and most anything in between, a little salvaged wood goes a long way!

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The "before" picture of Holly's office reception area.

When our clients and visitors come in, one of the first things they notice is the pallet wall with our logo on it. It’s a great focal piece and makes a great conversation starter. When I tell them that using recycled and repurposed wood created the pallet wall, island, and other features around the office they are amazed. 

One of my favorite things about recycling wood is that the wood is never perfect. It’s a great reminder that nothing and no one is perfect. I’m an imperfect person who likes to take old, worn out items and turn them in to beautiful things. 

To make the pallet wall or island you will need the following supplies:

• Dark Paint
• Fence Boards or Pallets
• Safety Glasses
• Sawzall
• Circular or Compound Saw (Compound Saw is a little faster)
• Gloves
• Tape Measurer (Always measure twice and cut once!)
• Nails
• Hammer or, for faster results, Nail Gun
• Carpenters Pencil
• Paint Brush
• 220 Grit Sandpaper to smooth out some of the rough edges

Now that your supplies have been gathered let’s get started!
 
Step 1: Pick the area to be updated and remove any existing trim or outlets. Prep the area by wiping it down and removing any excess dust. 

​Step 2: Measure the area you will be working with so you can be sure to have enough paint and boards.
 
Step 3: Using a dark color, paint the area and allow it to dry. Remember, this does not have to be perfect. The purpose of the paint is to hide the small imperfections of the boards.  The color I used was Gauntlet Gray. 

Step 4: While your painted area is drying use this time to deconstruct your pallets, deck or fence boards. 
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Depending on the look you are trying to achieve you can stain or white wash your boards. I prefer to leave the boards in their natural color.  This gives more of a rustic or industrial look, which is the style I prefer. 

​Step 5: Let’s cut our boards down to size! I like cutting the boards in random sizes. Some boards I trim off a little on the end, others I cut in half or three quarters. 

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Step 6: Start putting your puzzle together. Stagger your pieces and vary the shades of wood. Again, more imperfect the better!

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Step 7: Stand back and enjoy the view!

​I hope you enjoyed this project. It is fun to bring things new life. If you’d like to see how we used recycled wood in our office, please stop by for a visit. Our team would love to see you and have you sign our chalkboard wall!
 
Thank you for reading Beautiful Things!