Living Green
A Palatable Idea for a Couch
By Bryan Hayes
Living green. It is not only the name of our column, but it is so much more. It is about making a difference in the world, for the world. The planet is our one constant that supports each and every one of us. It is how we choose to live on the planet that differs for all of us.
Part of the reason I enjoy writing, “Living Green” is that it provides a constant reminder for myself. It is my goal to be living green – however I define that for myself. My intention is to find ways in which I can be living green.
For example, I need some furniture. A couch to be exact, for my living room. After scouring the internet, I found some wonderful examples of how individuals have used recycled items to make furniture, specifically out of used pallets.
The idea is really rather simple. It is a matter of finding pallets that are in good condition, which is where I am at in the process. In my case, I will be looking for a total of twelve used pallets. That should be sufficient enough to make a really nice couch.
When using the pallets, they can be painted or can be used in their present state for a more rustic look whatever is the preference. For me, I am going to wait to make that decision once I place the pallets into the room to see what they look like. There will be six pallets laid on the floor, two by two, in front of one another. For example, it will look like the illustration below.
For illustration purposes, the pallets are separated, but they will actually all be together.
The next step will be taking two pallets and placing them on top of pallets A and B followed by taking one pallet on top of pallets C and D. By doing this it will create a feeling of seating with the three layers of pallets being (with the pallets A and B on the bottom) against the wall for back support.
In top of each layer will be cushions and pillows. I may also on the middle layer use a mattress instead of cushions so someone can either sit or lay down while watching their favorite movie or television show. Another addition I am also considering is building a cup holder and place for plates to sit allowing for eating and drinking.
Considering I am anything but a handy man, this will be a collaboration of assistance from friends to help bring the concept to fruition. What excites me the most is being able to turn an item that may otherwise be thrown into the garbage into a functional piece of furniture. And with any luck, it will also be aesthetically-pleasing and bring a little more life into the room.
Because pallets are wood, the uses are limited to merely the imagination. I have seen tables, chairs, bed frames, and more – all made from used pallets. There was an even a house I saw built entirely out of used pallets, so truly the potential is there.
As a small child, my grandmother had used a large spool (originally for cable) – she took it and put cloth around it, then used it for an end table. It was something I never really thought about then or until recently, but now I realize it was pretty creative of her to make use of something quite ordinary and make into something extraordinary. With just a little imagination, you can do the same.
Bryan Hayes is an actor, amateur photographer, business consultant and full-time lover of all things living. To check out more from Bryan Hayes, please visit his blog at:http://outofthehaze.wordpress.com/