A set of garden furniture built entirely from discarded oil drums and reclaimed wood, no strict plan, just materials that were already sitting around, and an instinct for what they could become.
Overview
I started this project because I wanted to work more with discarded materials. It felt important to learn how to use what we already have, especially given how things are going in the world, upcycling is a creative and necessary way to approach design, and I wanted to explore that further.
I began by collecting old materials, mainly wood and metal that would otherwise have been thrown away, in this case, a set of used oil drums. After cleaning and sorting everything, I just started building. There was no strict plan; I let the materials guide the process and responded to what they allowed me to do.
That's sustainability and hands-first design working together: building straight from what already existed, with no screen in between, kept the whole set out of the waste stream instead of just talking about it.
Nothing on the finished set hides what it used to be, the drums' original curve and rivet lines are still visible on purpose, material honesty instead of disguising the upcycle as something it isn't.
Process
This project ran in reverse from most: material first, plan second. Click through to see how a stack of used oil drums turned into seating and planters.
The project began with a search for discarded material rather than a sketch. A batch of used oil drums, Shell, Mobil, Valvoline, whatever had actually been thrown out, became the raw material for the whole set. Working with what's already around felt like a more honest starting point than ordering new sheet material.
Once the material was in front of me, I sketched out a few directions a cylindrical steel drum could take: a lid, a low stool, a scooped-out chair. The shape of the drum did a lot of the design work already, the sketches were really about finding the cut line, not inventing a new form.
After cleaning the drums out, some were cut at an angle and fitted with a cushion to become chairs. Others were left upright and split into quarters with wooden dividers, turning them into compartmentalised planters, one drum, four plants, no wasted volume.
The basic structure is done, and I'm now at the point of refining it, adjusting proportions, adding detail, and polishing the rough edges. It's a hands-on, experimental process, and that's exactly what I like about it. This project was never really about perfection; it's about finding new value in what's already around us.
01, One drum, cut one way
The chair keeps almost all of its steel drum shell, cut at an angle for a backrest, sanded, and fitted with a simple cushion. No cladding, no disguise. The dents and the old paint are left visible on purpose; they're proof of what the material used to be, not a flaw to hide.
02, Same drum, a second function
Drums that weren't right for seating were split into quarters with simple plywood dividers, turning a single barrel into four separate planting compartments. It's a low-effort way to get real modularity out of a material that was never meant to be modular in the first place.
Detail
Three spots on the drum chair worth a closer look, click a marker.
Old paint, left visible
The rust spots and worn paint inside the drum are untouched, not sanded away.
They're proof of what the material used to be, not a flaw to disguise.
Cut edge, trimmed safe
The drum is cut at an angle for the backrest, then the raw edge gets a trim so it's safe to touch.
Change only what needs to change to make the material usable again.
Waterproof, made from offcuts
The cushion cover is a waterproof fabric made from leftover material, not something bought new for the job.
It can sit outside in the rain without the seating turning into the one part of the piece that isn't reclaimed.
Gallery
