Reclaimed Palette Daybed

We scored some very nice heat treated oak palettes (lookout! these puppies are heavy!)

Checking out the spot on the patio for the new daybed...deciding on size and placement

When I was ready to begin this project, the cushion you see here was sold out. So, being determined...like a pit bull...I found three ottoman cushions on sale from Pottery Barn in the same design so I made an adjustment and designed a super long daybed. Large enough for me to recline and hubby to sit and read at the same time.

Since our cushions were square, Mike decided to square the palettes by removing and trimming the boards. I know this seems to defeat the purpose of using them "as is" but it was necessary to keep the cushions and palette base on an even keel. Oh, btw, über talented husband Michael did all the hard work while I played with pillows...one of the many qualities I love about him.

 Galvanized pipe and a flange for the "arms" (soooo NOT expensive and won't rust)

We used Luan to create a "clean" barrier between the raw board and the cushions. I didn't want my nice new cushions to end up with sap and splinters. Mike adhered, then nailed the board to the surface.

He added four locking wheels to each of the three sections and.....drum roll please!

Voila! The great thing about our design...you can wheel the sections around to create different configurations and it is so easy to move for cleaning. With the wheels locked...it doesn't budge. Also, we could customize the size, as most daybeds we found are too short, only 5' 5' and too narrow.
Finished size: 109"L x 32"W x 17"h.

So...did this project save any money??
Keeping the budget (or lack thereof) in mind, I was determined to keep the cost down. Palettes, $0 cost; hardware, including screws, etc., about $30; the locking wheels from Lowe's $48 (we already had 4); the cushions on sale from Pottery Barn, 3 for $300....pricey, I know, but they are made for the outdoors and covered with Sunbrella fabric and they were exactly what I wanted.

I found the paisley pillow on sale from Pottery Barn for $13. and the birdcage pillow for $9 (end of season!). Striped bird pillow, done by a Madrid artist, cost $20. (It was my color inspiration). The two button-down linen pillows are from West Elm for $48. (I already had the Euro pillow inserts). I found a wonderful company called PillowsXpress on line and had them custom make the bolsters and one of the pillows. The price for two 32" x 10" bolsters? Only $45.00! I bought extra covers for only $12 more. I may tea-stain them to tone down the bright white..haven't decided yet (feedback, welcome).

The rug is a 100% wool, a yard sale find for $10. and the curtain is a cotton painter's drop cloth, hung with clip rings on a cable. Cost for two curtains, rings and cable, plus hardware...$50. So, less than $600 total, including rug and curtains...not bad when you consider that the Pottery Barn price for the 5' outdoor daybed with mattress alone was over $1,400.

Now we are thinking of other uses for the palette wood; a wheeled storage box side-table for the pillows. A small deck for another section of the yard.....!

Didn't Michael do a great job getting the frame all squared up! We now have a cozy daybed from which to enjoy our 320 days of sunshine/year!! Thank you honey! If you have questions about building your own, shoot me an email...happy to help. Cheers and have a relaxing weekend! Victoria