Create A Beautiful Pivoting Plant Storage Wall To Spruce Up Your Space

Storage space is a big deal. In a recent survey of realtors, nearly everyone polled believed that homeowners crave closet storage over spaces in other areas of the house.  So what do you do when your home doesn't have enough closet space? Instagram user Camilo Calle  solves the problem of his cluttered balcony by crafting a pivoting plant storage unit. Bedecked with greenery, his creation not only pretties up the space but also carves out a nook to store unsightly household items. With a combination of repurposed scrap wood, some paint, a bit of hardware, and some elbow grease, he cobbles together a brilliant and practical piece in just a few hours.

To pull off a similar build for your home, try an easier version that saves you time and energy. Keep the project green by making it a simple pallet wood project even beginners can do. With two block pallets like this one attached vertically, one on top of the other, your own unit will maximize space with less construction time. Within an afternoon, you can construct a stylish wall unit that doubles as a plant holder and discrete storage solution.

First, don't launch into this project until you've measured the wall this unit will be depending on. With standard ceiling heights being 7.5 feet, your best choice for your structure will be two 42x42-inch wooden pallets rather than the larger 48x48 inch size (These are the two most common sizes of wooden pallets.) However, make sure your final product will fit in your space before you begin.

Source two wooden block pallets of the same size, both 1-inch and 2-inch wood screws, 6-inch metal brackets, four locking caster wheels (so that it won't roll open accidentally), and four door hinges. How do you know what's the right screw for your DIY project? Save time and trouble with self-drilling wood screws with star heads. These handy inventions eliminate the need to pre-drill holes for your screws, and star head screws are easier to drive than Phillips head screws. Also purchase metal corner brackets to secure shelving inside the unit.

You'll also need an electric screwdriver or drill with a screwdriver bit, medium-grit sandpaper, and a hand saw or circular saw. For finishing, purchase plant hangers, hooks for hanging supplies inside your unit, and a paint or stain to protect the wood. For an eclectic look, repurpose household objects to use as stylish hooks instead of purchasing plant holders.

With two pallets end-to-end, your shelving unit will have an interior storage space and a wall-height exterior surface to display your plants. Locking caster wheels allow you to open the shelf away from the wall to reach your storage, and the locking function will secure the unit against the wall when you're not using it. The pallet slats will run horizontally for this design.

Lay the two pallets face-down, and cut away all of the back support slats from both pallets except for one slat at each end. Join the two pallets along their sides with two 6-inch metal brackets per side with the pallets' cut ends touching each other. Screw in a hook or two from the top of the unit's interior to hang your mop and broom.

For interior shelves, turn the pieces you cut from the back of the pallets 90 degrees in order to have a flat surface. Reattach the cuts between the vertical edges of the pallets and the vertical center slat with two metal corner brackets per shelf. Sand the wood, and secure the casters to the blocks in the ends that will stand on the floor. Paint or stain the unit and let it dry. Fasten the door hinges at even spaces down the edge of the unit that will be affixed to the wall, and anchor your hinges securely to a stud in the wall. Hang your plants on the exterior and enjoy your new creation.