4 Creative Ways to Use Hardwood Planks Besides For Flooring

We’re back with part 2 of the four unexpected ways to use Engineered Hardwood Planks besides for flooring.

Previously, in part 1, we discussed the first two ways to use leftover wood – creating doors and frames. Growing in popularity, wooden doors, such as front doors, bedroom doors, or cabinet doors, are perfect mini projects to repurpose your leftover materials. They are especially great for those who love the wood look all over their home – from flooring to ceiling and anything in between.

As for frames, such as window frames, mirror frames, and picture frames, these projects are perfect for small leftover wood quantities and beginner DIY projects. Not only do they keep mirrors, pictures, and glass safe, they also add a stylish element to them.

The last two unexpected ways to use hardwood planks besides for flooring are creating wall accents and wood furniture.

Wall Accents

For DIYers, lovers of the hardwood look, or anyone bored of a basic wall, another way to use your leftover engineered hardwood floors is to create wall accents!

With wall accents, keep in mind that you may need more wood planks than what’s leftover, especially if you plan to accent more than one wall. So, if you’re interested in adding a wall feature, we suggest ordering a few extra boxes. Let’s take a look at how some wall accents are done:

Bedroom with hardwood wall accent and gray bedding

odern kitchen with hardwood cabinetry and dining area

Living room with dark hardwood herringbone wall and beige sofa

At Villagio, we also have a wall accent. Just like our window frame, we also used Lucca from our Venetto Collection to cover a whole wall and we are o b s e s s e d with it! Check it out below:

Office with hardwood chevron wall accent, black desk, and chairs

Wall accents have gained popularity, especially amongst DIYers, and for good reason. Obviously, they’re stunning. Regardless of which color floor you choose, a hardwood wall accent adds remenous elegance, modernization, and even coziness to any room.

Wood Furniture

This one may not be as “unexpected” as the other three, but with wood furniture, the options are limitless. We’ll list some of the more popular ones as well as some of the less popular to help get the juices flowing.

Tables/Desks – A common wood furniture that can be made with leftover hardwood planks are tables and desks. Not only are tables useful to make with any leftovers, but for most, tables are made because of the color or for functionality. In other words, when it’s hard to find a table that fits a color you have in mind or has all the drawers or features you need, you can build one! This could be for a dining table, a coffee table, or an office desk.

Benches – Benches have become an increasingly popular option for dining rooms. Rather than a dining table with individual chairs. Families, especially families with long dining tables, opt for hardwood benches. Benches can also be used as bed ends or near the front door with shoe storage underneath it.

Shelves – Another popular usage of leftover hardwood planks is to create shelves. Whether a full bookshelf, a shelf for spices or medicines, or a small wall shelf for decorations, this would be the perfect use if you have a very small amount of hardwood planks leftover.

Headboards and Bed Frames – Similar to tables and desks, some DIYers choose to build their own headboards or bed frames to fit their needs. Either for style/design or functionality, using your leftover hardwood planks to build your own headboards and bed frames allows you to create your bed and bedroom of your dreams. This is super popular with families – check out this custom and homemade bunkbed a mom made for her kids!

Children's bedroom with custom homemade bunk beds and built-in storage drawers

Other unexpected furniture you can build with leftover flooring include:

Homemade Wood Toys
Homemade Wooden Coasters
Hardwood Door Mats
DIY Home Sports (e.g. basketball courts, bowling alleys, etc.)
DIY Tools (e.g. T-Squares, Cleats, Levelers, etc.)
Leg Rests

If you have leftover hardwood planks after completing your flooring, there’s no need to throw them away. Instead, use them for a DIY project!

How much hardwood you have left over will help determine which project may be right for you. In this article, we mentioned four unexpected ways to use hardwood planks besides for flooring. To recap, you can build:

Doors
Window Frames
Wall Accents
Wood Furniture

Whether you’re a pro DIYer or a beginner, here are a few ideas for your next DIY project with your leftover hardwood flooring. Let us know which one you’re building next, and if you’ve tried out one of these ideas, show us how it turned out!