“The goal is to maximize the usefulness of the material and at the same time showcase the beauty of the plywood and shredded skate graphics,” said Podlaski.
The result was Deckstool, a cleverly crafted seat made from the remnants of skateboards. Soon, Podlaski began acquiring unusable skateboards from skate parks and skate shops and he discovered that some of them were not wide enough to create a stool. So, he came up with the idea of cutting them into sections and joining them to form a bench, which he called the Deckbench. Podlaski found that skateboards are made from an ideal material to create furniture.
“The boards are made from high quality seven-ply Canadian maple plywood and incredibly strong where not broken,” said Podlaski. “It would be shame to waste a material with so much viability and character. The plys of the wood are often dyed vibrant colors which creates a beautiful edge detail. The skateboard artwork and graffiti is wonderfully distorted by the patterns of wear on the boards. Beautiful, one-of-a-kind compositions are created when boards are combined to form a single piece of furniture.”
Deckstool has evolved into a one-stop shop that makes custom furniture from skateboards. In addition to the stool and the bench, they make tables and cushions, along with whatever you can dream up. If you want to send in your old broken skateboards that you just can’t seem to part with, Podlaski and his team can repurpose them into something a little more usable.
Although Podlaski dreams of having two Deckbenches to use as picnic-style benches at his dining table, he can’t seem to hold on to a pair long enough — customers keep snapping them up! However, him and his brother, do keep several stoop prototypes around their home.
“Skateboarding is a passion and a lifestyle,” said Podlaski. “People want to integrate it into their lives. Passionate skateboarders love it and want it in their homes. Beyond that, the material is simply unique and beautiful. Non-skaters can appreciate the furniture for the beauty of the material, the cultural relevance, and the functional designs.”
For more information, visit deckstool.com.
