So many people have complimented on the beautiful wood walls within our salon, and they are even more amazed when we explain it is all made of pallets!!! They are absolutely gorgeous and it fuels our soul knowing we were able to keep with our goal of re-purposing. But I have to be honest, the first time I heard of a "pallet wall" I was not impressed. All that kept circling my mind was crappy, old pieces of wood mounted to a wall.......ugh.....really??? Thankfully, my husband drowned out my lack of vision and surprised me with his very own wood wall at his shop! Boy what a shock and, with one look, I was hooked. So the first time we set foot within, the now Chevelure Salon, I envisioned those walls immediately! But just how did we do it? Where did you find ALL that wood? How long did it take? Well folks, you're in for a treat. Join me as I show you, in the hopes of inspiring some creativity in you also....
So where does one begin? With collecting pallets of course. I couldn't tell you how many we used exactly, but lets just say it was a lot ;-) *Note of caution, do NOT just take stuff from behind stores and such. You need permission to remove anything from their property.....even if it looks like trash. For us, we had lots of success looking on Offer-Up, Craigslist, and FB Marketplace. It's amazing how man spots were giving them away, you just needed a truck, a lil manpower and to get there first. We traveled ALL over...locally, Woodstock, even Milwaukee. Many truckloads later, we had quite the stash!
Once collected, this next step was probably the most labor intensive, but very important! Each pallet was pulled apart with a crowbar and a saw used to cut through the nails (this helped us keep the nail heads in the wood for interest). Each board was inspected, damaged parts cut off, and then sanded down. Each board was then measured and put in piles according to their widths.
This may shock some, but we painted all the walls black. This actually serves an important purpose. If you notice, pallet boards are not perfect, nor do they perfectly align. This being said, small gaps will happen when placing them side by side, top to bottom. By using a dark color on the base wall, those "gaps" virtually disappear. And we actually found a can of dark "oops" paint at Menard's which worked perfectly for our needs. Neat magic trick eh??
You may also notice in this pic, that we added thin, wood, strips (also painted black) the whole length of the wall from floor to ceiling. We placed them approximately 1 foot apart. We used these strips to anchor our pallets to the wall. Some sites will suggest liquid nails instead but we found this much easier and less messy too ;-)
Now the fun begins........we had our pallets separated by size and would choose one size width per row. We wanted a more dimensional look, so we did a different width on each row, but you can do all the same size if you prefer that instead. Starting in the middle of the wall grab that first pallet board and (using a staple gun) attach it to the thin strip on the wall. You want to make sure to keep your boards even so the use of a level is helpful. Make sure to finish each row in its entirety. In some cases you may have to cut boards to size. *Another helpful tip* make sure to use different lengths in each row and apply in a brick-lay pattern to avoid seams from row to row.
Once you get a good rhythm, the boards go up pretty quickly.......oh yeah......make sure to refill your staple gun!!! Can't tell you how many times I ran out of bullets and the boards came down LOL. We worked our way upwards and down, again finishing the length of each row completely, before starting a new one. Obliviously you will need to cut around outlets, light switches, etc.
***Remember that although some pieces may look iffy, once on the wall their true beauty comes out. It does not have to be perfect, in fact that's what makes it look so cool! So play a little, mix and match boards and colors, and have fun! Before you know it you will have your own masterpiece to amaze your neighbors with! The skies the limit and the possibilities are endless, so get creative and play. Just remember to send us pics or tag us in your posts so we can see your handiwork and share in your excitement. #chevelursalon Have fun and enjoy much health, hair and happiness! xoxo~ Rene'