"Wood" you believe I found this on the side of the road?
It's been a long time habit of mine to spot a treasure now and again on the side of the road. In the best cases, these curb side finds are someone else's cast offs so a quick stop and grab does the job. This isn't true for an amazing pile of wood that Jon and I had been passing daily in our regular commute. To call it "pallet wood" isn't very accurate and doesn't do it justice because it isn't the typical pallet wood you would imagine. Although it had probably been used for shipping, this wood was about 2" thick and each piece was around 3-5' long. Jon decided to knock at the stranger's door and inquire about this seemingly forgotten pile of lumber (which I felt in my heart we desperately needed.) The first try was a bust with the elderly owner explaining to his adult grandson that he was, "keeping it to burn this winter." I'm pretty sure you could literally hear my heart break at the thought of it. The grandson asked us to return later (while grandpa was napping or out I presume) so that we could work a deal. When we went back a few days later we struck a deal.about 100 pieces for $50.we were pleased. Okay, I realize while writing this that our purchase might feel a smidge shady. But, I think it is important to note that the yard was full of old appliances, some other piles of woods, and a variety of "projects" I'm sure grandpa was not going to get around to. I like to think we did them a favor by clearing a small part of their yard. :) Hey, a girl's gotta sleep at night. And, we just took a small part of the pile. And, I'm sure the grandson used the cash for something very important and not Friday night beer money (okay, I can't vouch for that.)
We are not certain what type of wood it is, but Ken "the wood guy" says it is a hard wood. We had him mil the pieces in half and voilà our stash was doubled! So far we have used this questionably acquired wood three times and each project has been delightful.
First, it was used as an accent wall for Hensey. We kept most of the wood dark and only white washed a few pieces to lighten in up.
The second time was at the Cove to cover a horribly placed fuse box which was right in the middle of a kitchen wall. This new wall on hinges could be a great family message center or frankly it's just pretty to look at.
Finally, we used it again in the Cove in the master bathroom there to accent the sink wall. This time we painted all the pieces a different variation of white so that it fit better with the white tile and didn't clash with the wood vanity top.
Look for "how to's" on these projects later. But for now, keep your eyes peeled when out and about for treasures of your own.
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