Brits turning to pallet furniture …
Most often used for stacking goods, Brits are turning to recycling pallets and adapting them into furniture. These flat wooden structures are commonly used for the transportation and display of goods in the likes of supermarkets and storage facilities but… have you ever thought of a pallet table or sofa?
Although this idea may sound rather bizarre, pallet furniture is becoming ever more popular in the UK, and it’s a great way to recycle used timber. Recent Google search data found that ‘pallet furniture’ is becoming an increasingly searched term across the UK, increasing from just 4,400 searches in January 2019, to 74,000 by May 2020.
So, just how can pallets be used in our homes and offices? UK social housing provider, Believe Housing, offer some insight:
Pallet tables
Whether it be for the central dining room piece or a stand to display your favourite family photos on, the term ‘pallet tables’ has experienced significant increases in monthly search volumes from January 2019, accounting for 880 searches, to 6,600 searches in May 2020. It seems the nation is looking for creative new coffee tables too, with the term ‘pallet coffee tables’ increasing from 1,600 searches in January 2019, to 4,400 searches in May 2020.
How to make:
Firstly, decide what size coffee table you want and purchase three pallets that match the size. Alternatively, saw the pallet you have to be the size and shape.
Since pallets tend to have large spaces between each wooden slat, remove the slats from one of the other pallets using a hammer and chisel and nail them in between the gaps of your main pallet. Make sure to remove all the old nails out of the pallet and secure the slats with new ones. Already, your coffee tabletop has appeared!
For the legs of the table, use the third pallet you have and saw the slats to meet the length required of the tabletop. For extra strength and balance, use the full thickness of the third pallet, rather than just the individual slats. Then nail them to the tabletop using carriage bolts for extra strength. Finally, smooth the surface down using sanding paper and paint with wood stain.
Once the woodwork is done, decorate the table however you please…
Pallet bed
Although a wooden pallet doesn’t sound like the comfiest surface to sleep on every night, it can make for a stylish and rustic frame for a low-platformed mattress to be placed on. So much so that the term ‘pallet bed frames’ has dramatically increased on Google over the last year, going from being searched 720 times in January 2019, to 1,600 times in August 2020. As for the term ‘pallet bed’, this is found to be increasingly talked about. This term rose from 5,400 searches in January 2019 to 12,100 searches in August 2020.
Garden furniture
The term ‘pallet garden furniture’ has found to be an increasingly searched for choice of décor, with the term increasing from 1,300 searches in January 2019, to 14,800 searches in June 2020. For those that are looking for a new addition to your deck area, the term ‘pallet sofa’ has excelled in popularity over the years. The phrase was searched for 880 times in January 2019, rising to 12,100 searches in July 2020.
With the recycling of pallets as furniture pieces on the rise it seems that, when it comes to quirky home décor, there is inspiration wherever you look!
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