Reclaimed Wood Project!

My husband scored with this. He knows me well. Last week he was describing these cool things in the stockroom at work, sitting there for ages and they were supposed to be tossed. (omg, TOSSED as in GARBAGE!). So he was describing them to me, in a way that didn't sound too amazing, but I knew that if it was something that he was willing to pick up from work and shove into our already overstuffed garage, that it must be pretty cool...
Today he brought them home....thus begins an amazing project. We are both so stoked!

 

He brought home two vintage shipping crates from Europe. OMG they are just so kick ass, when I saw them my head just about exploded in a million pieces. Full of vintage shipping stamps burned in the wood. Seriously, WOW, Both are unique with different stamps. Metal on the corners...Yow-za!

We decided that we are going to keep one and hinge the top, create a base and make it into a storage chest/coffee table. The other one, we are going to do the same, but sell that one. We only have one top, which as you can see is much newer looking and doesn't quite match the rest of the crate....so we had to get it dirty and weathered. We didn't want to stain it because that would create a new clean consistant look...my husband just grabbed a handful of potting soil that was next to him in the garage and ground it into the wood...omg, perfect finish. And free. Nature will provide!

For the other crate, we are going to purchase some reclaimed wood for the top. Fun! I love these kind of projects!

 

 

^Dirt^

 

 

Decided to put Evan to work. He likes this sort of thing. Here he is...just grinding dirt into the dampened porous wood.

 I asked Avery if she wanted to help, but she was sitting on the sofa wearing roller skates in her underwear playing Mario Galaxy. Its her new thing, to put roller skates on while she is still in her PJs and not even skate around. Just wear skates in her PJs...(underwear and tshirt) She will wear that until 1 or 2 pm unless we are leaving the house and make her change into clothes.  PJs and roller skates. So she didn't want to join us in the garage for the renovation fun.

I made Evan do the dirty work, rubbing potting soil on wood. Then we all jumped in the pool fully clothed. Full of dirt and sweaty, not a good combo.

Here is how the top came out

 

 

Can you believe it? Potting soil and water! Come to find out that this reclaimed furniture has a nice resell price. A couple of problems: 1) I don't have a bricks and mortar shop and 2) These things are insanely heavy, and it is not something I am interested in shipping. (shipping a shipping crate in a shipping crate...)

So, I have checked around and there are a few places that will hopefully purchase from me and sell in their retail shop. These things sell for a pretty penny, so I suppose receiving half of their retail price would still be pretty decent. We have access to several more of these shipping crates, so if all works out, we are going to make some more. They are the perfect coffee table size and having the top hinged makes for awesome storage. If you are local (Tampa) and interested, let me know.

 

 

I am so excited about these. And Greg (hubby) is also geeked that he found something that is so on the mark. This is a fun family project....as soon as we get Avery off her roller skates and join us in the hot garage with a pot of dirt, so she can be a part of all of this!

 

 

Also we have an industrial metal (greenish gray) map chest that (maybe) will be on our selling list. Again, heavy as shit, so it will not be shipping. It is perfect coffee table height and has casters. (I really really want to keep this one, I just have to find the right place for it) Which is why I am not picturing it. I am not 100% sure that I want to part with it.

 

 

 

Any projects that you are working on? Any suggestions of local places that will buy our super amazing reclaimed wood coffee table/trunks (without me having to do monthly booth rental) So far we are looking at Broccante in St. Pete and Rare Hues in Carrolwood....Any others that you know of?