What are pallets? And why should anyone care? Is a good question being asked a lot since Pinterest came into popularity. Pallets are used and abused wooden platforms used in conjunction with machines to move heavy loads around warehouses and stores. A surging DIY movement is bringing these pieces of equipment out of obscurity and into people’s homes as popular do it yourself foundations.

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A classy wood dining table can add a simple, rustic look to decor. A nice indie bird backdrop only accentuates the mood. Everyone loves kitchen islands, and huge (EXPENSIVE) granit counter tops. Why not create a pallet island, skip the granite, and have an awesome conversation starter that costs almost nothing? Pallets are durable. This means they can easily be kept outside on a patio without worry of them falling apart, just like the beautiful patio table pictured above.

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Now these are coffee tables! It doesn’t take an incredible amount of skill to put together a gorgeous pallet table, since the pallets themselves are already put together. Then again, there’s always a way to make something easy… way more difficult. Adding a drawer will create a more unique and complex table with some storage space. If you’d like to stick to the easy road, just stack two pallets and add some pre-made wheels.

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The Victorian style of having library walls covered in rich, old growth forest wood, polished to a sheen and carved into intricate designs is just not that practical any more. Enter the pallet walls pictured above; two walls appointed with the naturally aged and personality-filled wooden slats torn from retired wooden pallets.

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A little creativity can turn a pallet into the perfect addition to a kitchen. The appeal of real wood is universal. Using wooden slats, one can form a beautiful shelf to hold anything from magazines, to plants, to a fine wine collection.

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When green thumbs find themselves with limited space, they have to get creative. With only the slightest modifications, retired pallets can become the perfect vertical greenhouses, as their slats turn into tiered shelving ideal for crawling plants or vegetables.

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The possibilities of pallet furniture are endless. A modern atmosphere can be accentuated with a carefully manicured pallet couch, and an outdoor space with an informal air can be made more unique with a simple chair. Making pallet stools is surprisingly easy (and colorful), and a TV stand comes as no surprise for the pallet aficcionado. Even an elegant dresser can be formed out of one of the most mundane products of our “better in bulk” culture. Pallet reuse is definitely great for the environment, and great for home design.