Today’s environmental requirements are increasingly prompting us to combat overconsumption and use recyclable materials. Today, the use of such solutions is no longer a rarity in home interiors. At the same time, everything is used – from building materials to packaging, especially if the materials are made from natural and safe components.
In the list of such materials, there are also some kind of favorites – something that becomes a trendy solution and, over time, gains significant popularity. This is precisely what happened with wooden pallets, which today are actively used in various design and decoration areas – and primarily in DIY. There are many options for using industrial pallets today; however, such solutions turned out to be the most demanded in the design of sleeping places. It is the headboards of the beds that are of particular interest in the framework of the latest trends. What are the advantages of pallet structures in bedrooms, how-to DIY, and in what interior styles you can use them – let’s take a closer look.
Why pallets have become so popular in the interior: pros
Pallets began to be used during World War II (1939-1945) to facilitate the delivery and transport of certain goods. The product packages lifted by small cranes were tightly placed on their surface, and the low sides significantly reduced the risk of falling.
Traditionally, one of the areas where pallets are most commonly used is the agri-food sector. However, since the late 90s, when the eco-activist movement began to develop actively, pallets were noticed precisely as an excellent example of products made from natural materials that can be reused.
Gradually, pallets’ potential aroused designers’ keenest interest who were looking for eco-friendly and extraordinary solutions for stylish interiors. Wooden pallets fully met expectations and today are among the materials in demand both for those who like to create something with their own hands and in furniture workshops. Such popularity is quite natural since it was due to the following advantages:
Pallet in interior design: appropriate styles for such solutions
Of course, not every interior will be friendly to this use of recycled materials, especially when it comes to the bedroom – where every detail’s aesthetics and perfection are valued above all else. However, there are directions in design in which such a solution seems not only harmonious but almost the only possible one. Let’s talk more about the most popular ones.
Industrial and loft
Using the attributes of trade and industry in the interior is an excellent move for industrial style. A bed with such a headboard will perfectly harmonize with concrete, metal, and rough textiles.
Scandinavian
The simplicity and unpretentiousness of pallet structures is the best match for the laconic Northern European interiors, which gravitate towards natural solutions.
Farmhouse and rustic
Rough and time-worn wood fits into the concepts of both design options – however, in the first case, the wooden elements will need more subtle processing.
Minimalism
Only natural wood and nothing extra – this is entirely in the spirit of the times, welcoming ergonomics and laconicism. Just don’t forget about the impeccable fit and careful handling of the elements.
Modern
The pallet headboard is the perfect backdrop for the various color accents and decorative elements that characterize the most modern bedrooms.
Can pallets be used for the headboard?
Since the headboard will be located near you during rest, it’s time to talk about the safety of this kind of materials. At first glance, it may seem that there can be nothing terrible in an unpainted tree – however, this is a dangerous delusion.
The fact is that the wood of pallets can often be contaminated with toxic chemicals, harmful bacteria, and other substances and microorganisms, which is categorically undesirable in a residential building. That is why it is essential to pay attention to the following factors:
Pallet use
Borrowing wooden pallets from grocery stores and industrial plants is considered the riskiest decision. In the first case, the risk of harmful microorganisms remaining on the surface, including E. coli, is exceptionally high. In the second, no one guarantees that chemicals and other toxic substances were not transported on pallets.
The best way to prevent this is to buy a new pallet – especially since the products are inexpensive, and for a bed, you do not need so many pallets. However, if you still want to save money and take advantage of used structures, then take them from trusted stores – where there are no food products and hazardous chemicals.
Processing method
Wood for all pallets is necessarily processed following specific requirements. Each country has its own department responsible for this – for example, it is the US Department of Agriculture in America. Special treatment prevents the spread of pests and pathogenic microorganisms in the event of cargo arriving at its destination or in transit; therefore, this aspect is monitored especially carefully.
Today, there are two processing methods – thermal (in special ovens with heating to a high temperature) or impregnation with methyl bromide – a somewhat toxic pesticide that poses a certain health hazard. Although the use of methyl bromide has been significantly limited over the past few years, no one can guarantee that you will not get a pallet from the past.
In this case, stamps will come to the rescue, which must be affixed to the wood. Thus, pallets must be marked with IPPC – International Plant Protection Convention. The decontamination method is also indicated using the following stamps:
Of course, if you take new pallets, in most cases, you will hardly be able to find all the pallet documentation and study it thoroughly. However, the stamps will definitely help you out. If there is absolutely no marking on the material, then it is better not to take it for the headboard: you don’t joke with your health after all.
Pallet condition
Not sure if it’s worth saying that heavily soiled, cracked, or foul-smelling pallets shouldn’t even be considered for use in a headboard. Moreover, some designers do not even recommend considering slightly stained pallets. Of course, you can clean them and treat them with a disinfectant, but wood is a somewhat porous material, which means that treatment will not always help eliminate certain “harmfulness”.
However, even if the pallets are dusty or darkened but retained their integrity, you can reasonably trust such material. However, we will repeat: processing and disinfection of pallets are strictly required.
Types of wooden pallets for the headboard
So, if you decide on a headboard of this type, it’s time to think about pallets’ right choice. In this case, designers recommend paying attention to four factors, which will be discussed below.
Pallet materials
Today, pallets are supplied to the market from various materials – wood, wood composite, plastic, paper, and metal. Of course, we will exclude the last three points, but it is worth talking about wood and composite in more detail. The fact is that cases when both of these materials are confused occur quite often, so when choosing designs for the head of the bed, make sure that you have ordered just natural wood.
Construction type
Block (four-way) and stringer pallets remain the most popular types of pallets today. The first is a wide surface that rests on wood cubes. This design is beneficial for forklifts that can grip the pallet from either side – however, when using the pallet for the headboard, you have to tinker with it.
Stringer pallets, also known as grocery pallets, are supported on long beams that are perpendicular to the deck surface so that forklifts can only grasp them from two sides. A stringer pallet is most often considered more convenient from a design point of view since it allows the elements to be mounted without unnecessary carpentry work.
Functional surfaces
There are two types of pallets – double or reversible and single or skid. As the name suggests, doubles can use surfaces on both sides as a loading area, while a skid can only use one. If you want a voluminous headboard with wide gaps, you should choose a reversible design. For a more concise solution or planned rework, single-sided pallets are more suitable.
Dimensions
The pallets’ dimensions are recommended to be taken into account when calculating the amount of material for the headboard. Internationally, ISO recognizes six pallet sizes:
Wood pallet headboard direction: options
It is quite logical that when using pallets for their intended purpose, the wooden planks forming the platform are located strictly in the horizontal plane. However, when creating a headboard, you have many more options – and you can arrange them in the order that you think is the most aesthetic. However, today designers offer the following win-win options:
The choice of the direction of the pallet elements at the headboard depends both on the configuration of the room and the chosen interior style, as well as on your personal wishes. In any case, you can try to draw all the options that seem attractive to you – and imagine more clearly, which works best for you.
DIY pallet headboard: how to do
If you feel in you the strength to transform your bedroom’s design yourself, you are probably already searching for a suitable guide. We offer you one of the most uncomplicated instructions – of those that are considered essential today. In this case, the headboard is made in several stages:
Of course, this instruction is suitable for the simplest pallet headboard. If you wish, you can create more complex structures – on the web, you can find a lot of different guides and masterclasses.
Wooden pallet headboard: exciting design ideas
So, we have already figured out how to build a pallet headboard – or, perhaps, you ordered this design in a workshop. Now is the time to think about what you plan to do with it next. If you like strict conciseness with a touch of vintage, then you can leave everything as it is, but if such a solution seems boring to you, then you may be interested in the following ideas:
Art painting
As we said above, decorating a pallet headboard with paint remains one of the most practical and affordable solutions. You can paint the wood in monochrome to match the bed sideboards, use contrasting vertical or horizontal stripes, or even find time to do full-fledged ornaments, patterns, or paintings. In any case, decorating a pallet structure in this way is an excellent way to integrate pallets into your chosen interior style intelligently.
Backlight
The simplest and most effective way to make your bed with such a headboard even more comfortable is to decorate it with a garland of light bulbs – and you can choose their shape, size, color, and glow intensity yourself. This lighting scenario looks cute and casual in modern and minimalistic interiors. However, many go even further when it comes to a farmhouse or rustic – namely, they attach wall lamps of various designs directly to the headboard.
Shelf equipment
If the pallet’s thickness and the width of the gaps between its elements allow, you can use the resulting spaces as a kind of shelves. Of course, a spectacular and voluminous decor will not fit on them, but a book, magazine, photo frames, or small charming trinkets – will be right in place.
Transition to an accent wall
If you are in love with wood, then it is possible that the pallet headboard alone may not be enough for you. The way out in this case is quite simple: you just continue to spread the headboard higher up the wall. You may even feel the urge to go up to the ceiling. However, it is not necessary to suppress such desires since such a solution looks exceptionally stylish.
A small disclaimer: you can only achieve a stunning look with the help of disassembled pallets and dense stacking of wooden elements relative to each other.
Using wall decor above the headboard
With a tight fit of the pallets in the headboard design, you can easily experiment with decor combinations. Best of all, if it is something vintage – black and white photos in shabby frames, posters in pin-up or retro style, as well as stylish inscriptions made in a deliberately sloppy font.
Fixing the decor directly to the headboard
A wooden surface is an excellent opportunity to design your bed the way you have long dreamed of. Regardless of what you use – favorite photos on clothespins, decorative flags, garlands with tassels, organza bows, tin lanterns, or decorative cotton wreaths – you will have a truly personalized bed.
Headboard made of wooden pallets: Conclusions + Photo gallery
The headboard for a bed made of wooden pallets is an environmentally friendly interior solution that meets the most current trends. Having taken care of selecting a safe material and carefully considering the design, you will receive a headboard design option that you are unlikely to find anywhere else.
