A Perfect Palette

A Perfect Palette

 

 

As a designer, I get to work on some pretty awesome projects (both large and small). I'm not gonna lie though, as rewarding as it is to see these creations come to life for others... I also like to be sure I bring some creativity into my own home. Working for a remodeling firm, we get products delivered all the time on palettes... yep... nasty, splinter-filled palettes. Like a lot of things though, one mans trash is this designers treasure! 

 

Meet my palette.

This beauty measured in at about 48" x 48" and it was ready for its' shining moment. All it needed was some elbow grease, a power sander, and some polyurethane!

 

The first step was to remove some of the center boards to expose what would later become my "shelves". This was no easy feat. It was the middle of August in Atlanta and it was H.O.T.  hot that day (hence the miniature white fan)! After prying off the center boards... it was time for the power sander.

 

I'm a girl that likes to get dressed up and do my hair, but I'll be honest... I seriously LOVED using the sander. I had my safety goggles on and I felt invincible. Before my eyes, the rough surfaces of the palette became smooth and the character in the wood really started to expose itself.

 

Oh yeah... I was proud of myself! After this photo op, I hosed down the palette to get all of the small dust particles off of it and let it dry overnight.

 

I went back and forth on what color I wanted the finished product to be, but after seeing how great the natural look of the wood was, I decided a clear coat of polyurethane was all it needed. This was a great call... the natural beauty of the wood was even more pronounced after applying this finishing coat.

 

Now it was time to give this perfectly-sanded palette its new home! I have a buffet in my Dining Room and it was screaming to have something installed above it. I didn't want the palette to be sitting directly on the buffet for fear of scratches, but I wanted it to appear that way. After some measuring and some hammering, the picture hooks were in place and ready for the final installation!

 

Voila!! Here it is... the finished product! I bought some antique martini glasses a while ago that fit perfectly on the shelves. A few bottles of wine and some other accessories I picked up while traveling in Italy, and this palette went from drab to fabulous in just a couple days!

 

 

 

Materials Needed:

- Palette (Picked up for free from work)

- Hammer (Used one that I already had at the house)

- Power Sander (Borrowed from a friend, but you can rent these at Home Depot, Lowes, etc)

- Polyurethane (~$15)

- Paint Brush (~$6)

- Picture Hooks (~$3) (I recommend choosing some that hold considerably more weight than what you are hanging... better to be safe than sorry)

Total Project Cost:  $24

 

 

Hope you enjoyed this DIY craft... until next time...

 

 

All photos are my own