It started like this: I was getting a sandwich at this cute little place and saw a collage wall of boxes they were using as display. I'm not sure if they took existing boxes and put them together or carefully crafted a wonderful random wall, but I filed this image away in my 'someday' file for the right client.

The second part of the inspiration came during my visit to Maker Faire over the Summer. My sister alerted me to the Ply-90 booth which featured an intriguing piece of hardware (and I confess she said the guy there was really cute, so I beelined over!). Yes indeed...the hardware was excellent and I decided I would find a project which would give me a chance to try it out. Ply-90 makes a streamlined aluminum bracket that allows a simple right angle between two pieces of standard plywood. No screwing, gluing or other carpentry skills are needed.

Finally, the opportunity to use BOTH ideas presented itself, with a blank wall in need of storage. My first design was fairly straightforward, but the clients (these are the kind I like!) wanted something a bit different and more creative, but not too expensive.

Since a collage wall with boxes a la the coffee shop would be labor intensive and thus expensive, I designed a hybrid, using IKEA kitchen and Besta cabinets and incorporating the Ply-90 bracket and Plyboo  (eco-friendly bamboo plywood) into the design. It took a bit of juggling, but finally the design was approved, and we were ready to install.

it always looks easy on paper!

the finished wall - now I just need to style it...any ideas?