Think that broken piece of furniture, busted boat or scrap siding from a renovation is trash? You’ll think again after seeing these 10 marvels of creative and sustainable thinking. From a cottage made of discarded Tudor furniture to the world’s tallest treehouse made of salvaged wood of all sorts, these structures inspire us to take another look at materials that might otherwise be thrown away.
Creepy Cottage Made of Junk Furniture
This may be just an art installation rather than a real house, but it could provide some inspiration for a kooky and creative upcycled home built on the cheap. Packwood Follies by artist Hilary Jack is one of several structures made from found materials and discarded Tudor furniture, nailed every which way to the exterior. It has a fun fairytale feel, and effectively sends a message about the value of materials that often go into the trash.
Scrap Wood Coffee Shop in Vietnam
The ‘Salvaged Ring’ coffee shop in the Vietnamese countryside by A21 Studio takes its name from the scrap wood used to build the unusual structure. Timber of all shapes and sizes has been made into decorative panels covering the inside and outside of the cafe, to absolutely stunning effect.
Byproduct Wood Chips as Flooring & Wall Surfaces
Wood chips that would normally go to waste were used as flooring and wall covering at the Upcycle House by Lendager Arkitekter, a structure that aims to use as many post-consumer waste materials as possible. The home has two shipping containers as a base, cork tile floors, bath tiles made of recycled glass and facade panels made of pressed post-consumer granulated papers.
Picture Frame Ceiling in a Handmade Tree House
Driftwood railings and scrap cladding are just the beginning of this quirky treehouse made entirely from trash and recycled materials. Enter this adorable house built by Dan Philips of The Phoenix Commotion and you’ll find a ceiling made from picture frame samples acquired from a framing store.
Organic Winery Built from Salvaged Boats
Salvaged boats are among the many creative reclaimed materials used to make the Vena Cava Winery, an organic vineyard in Baja’s Guadalupe Valley. Architects Alejnadro D’Acosta and Claudia Turrent used boats from a nearby port to create cathedral-style roofs for the subterranean buildings.
19th Century Log Cabins Inside Twitter Headquarters
Would you ever expect to find a pioneer log cabin inside the headquarters of a tech company? Olle Lundberg Design has helped Twitter repurpose two homesteader cabins salvaged from historic ranches in Montana for use as an atmospheric dining area at its San Francisco offices. This image comes courtesy of Twitter employee Mark McBride.
Tiny House Made from 25,000 Pounds of Salvaged Redwood
Artist and woodworker Jay Nelson built this amazing 200-square-foot house on the Hawaiian island of Kauai using 25,000 pounds of salvaged redwood. Built on top of a platform to avoid flood damage, the house features an asymmetrical roofline and took less than two months to build.
120-Square-Foot Studio Wrapped in Salvaged Redwood
When a beautiful redwood tree was felled tow den a highway in Sonoma County, Califonria, Sarah Deeds saw an opportunity. The designer used the tree to clad Small Studio, a 120-square-foot office set in the backyard of her Victorian home.
World’s Tallest Treehouse Made from Reclaimed Wood
Tennessee Minister Horace Burgess has spent the last 20 years (but only about $12,000) building what is said to be the world’s tallest treehouse using almost entirely reclaimed materials. The 97-foot-high creation is built around a 12-foot-diameter, 80-foot-oak tree, and includes six additional trees. Images by Stephanie Rogers via WebUrbanist.
Renovated Re-Cover House Reuses Wood from Original Structure
An update to an old house doesn’t have to mean a bunch of wasted materials. Bates + Masi Architects reused the wood from the original structure as cladding on the exterior of the new one, minimizing the need for new materials.