By Willy Wilson | May 18, 2011
Jason and Adam Podlaski – 21st century eco warrior
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| Eco warriors: The Poldaski brothers in their studio |
Do you have broken skateboards at home collecting dust? Why not turn them into cool furniture? All you have to do is to ship these wrecked skateboards to Podlaski Design LLC in Pennsylvania, United States.
For US$199.99 (plus shipping cost to and from Pennsylvania), you will get a unique stool made entirely out of your broken skateboard.
The brain behind this creative company is Jason and Adam Podlaski. For the Podlaski brothers, there’s a fine line between waste and taste. Skateboards, like many other wooden goods, usually end up in the landfill once the homeowner decided that they are too old or too broken to be kept.
“Broken skateboards are a byproduct of our culture usually destined for the landfill. The deckstool and deckbench recycle this waste into a unique, high quality piece of furniture,” says Jason Podlaski.
Jason, who is an industrial designer, admits that the idea to produce such furniture came when his brother Adam asked him to design a piece of furniture using his old, broken skateboard decks. When the first attempt proved to be successful, the Podlaski brothers knew they could run a good business while at the same time save the planet.
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| Waste to taste: Quirky and high quality furniture made out of broken stakeboards |
Where design is concerned, Jason says the consistent pattern of breakage displayed by the pile of boards has inspired him. He explains that the scrapes and scars on the decks create beautiful patterns over the original skateboard artwork. All edges and rough areas of the broken decks are carefully sanded smooth to bring out their natural beauty.
“These broken skateboard decks are carefully cut to size, refinished and securely bottled together using a centrally located skateboard truck,” Jason explains.
The finished products, which measure 18.5 inches in height, are finished off with water-based satin coat. According to Jason, each deckstool is produced by skilled craftsmen at his warehouse in Pennsylvania.
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| Cool and compact: With funky graphics in bold colours, the 18.5-inch stools are definitely statement-making pieces. |
The materials used to create deckstool or deckbench include recycled broken skateboard decks, cast aluminum, skateboard truck, silver finish and plated steel hardware.
The deckstool may be used as an occasional stool in the study room or as a side table in the bedroom. With its funky graphics in bold colours, the deckstool could even be a focal furniture piece in the living room where your guests can play video games, listen to music or watch television. Its compact size allows the deckstool to be placed in the corner where floor space is limited.
Although the Podlaski brothers’ ability to turn rags into riches is indisputable, Jason says they are no magicians. Therefore, all components sent to their factory are inspected for any damage that may compromise the integrity of the stool prior to production and parts that do not meet their quality standards are rejected.
Podlaski Design LLC also offers ready-made stools and benches. For more information visit http://www.deckstool.com/
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