Diana Searl, AmeriCorps Field Operations – NRPP/LHFA

After moving into the center room of a high-ceiling Marigny shotgun, I decided a headboard was the piece to pull the room together. With plans in tow (http://www.ana-white.com), I began my lumber search at the Preservation Salvage Store for materials. The search was focused on similarly sized boards with interesting paint details for the cross sections. I purchase 3 pieces of window trim that could be trimmed to 5 feet for a full-sized bed, and two true 4×4s for the vertical posts.

The process: Before making any cuts, I cleaned the salvaged boards with diluted bleach solution and a scrub brush and allowed them to dry thoroughly. Next, I stained the boards with an espresso-colored wood stain, covering painted and raw wood. After two coats of stain, I used spray polyurethane to seal the boards. I laid out the cross sections on the posts, spaced for perfect reclining, and attached the boards using 3 inch screws. To stabilize the headboard, I attached footings to the posts made from 1/2 inch scrap lumber, and added a cross bar towards the bottom in order to attach the headboard to the bed frame. While the decision to use salvaged wood made for a project heavy on TLC, my headboard is, without a doubt, one of a kind.

Feeling inspired?

The ReUse District has complied a list for “Everyday ReUse” of household items.

For those in the daily grind, coffee may be one of your most common everyday uses. But when you are done with your pick-me-up, the coffee grounds do not need to end up down in the trash. Explore 8 Ways to ReUse Coffee Grounds and discover how coffee can be reused as fertilizer for your garden or a face mask to exfoliate your skin.

Look into this and other “Everyday ReUse” ideas at the ReUse District’s website: http://thereusedistrict.org/how-to/

If you have any of your own creative reuse stories or have reused salvaged materials in your home or project, the Preservation Salvage Store would love to see them. Send you pictures and/or stories to .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) and receive a discount from the Preservation Salvage Store! Check out their website at http://bit.ly/kidMVL