The focus on palettes continues. I was staying in The Bunkroom Hostel recently which had a tiny social space outside. As with all hostels, this was created on an ad hoc and shoestring budget. Naturally this means lots of potentially transferable ideas to cash-starved schools and early years settings!
As Chester was once an important sea port in North-West England, the theme was beach-orientated. According to staff, the shack was created in the summer after seeing palettes being re-used elsewhere and noticing that they may be able to get some for free. Concrete memories of such events should always be recorded…
The owner of the hostel, decided that some fake grass was needed and this was probably the most expensive item in the outdoor area.
The materials, and mattresses were begged, borrowed and donated. They really make the place very cosy and even in November, the place was being well-used every evening.
And here’s the view from the inside…
The roof was created with plastic corrugated shed material. Rolls of hazel brash have naturalised the space a wee bit. I love the assortment of accessories – prayer flags, driftwood, a buoy and a fishing net.
The welcome sign is an old piece of wood and the chairs below blend nicely with the pallets too.
Enjoy the close up view…
It did occur to me that many teenagers might enjoy building such a shack as a project and then theming the layout too. In most secondary schools, the pupils rarely have true ownership of any space and opportunities like these could be welcomed. I think this sort of technology and design project would be a lot of fun. The actual construction of this one is pretty straightforward.
Finally, please do point me in the direction of any other interesting backyard projects. It’s always good to see creative approaches to small outdoor spaces.
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