Upcycled Cooler Becomes a Planter

I went to the International Contemporary Furniture Fair at the Jacob Javits Convention Center back in May. As a person new to the industry, I thought it would be a good way to get a sense of what was going on. I found it to be fascinating. I’ve been to a bajillion trade shows in other industries, but this one was different. It made the inner artist in me happy (I was a Fine Arts minor in college, and I’ve been known to paint a canvas every now and then), and I was psyched to see how much sustainability is a part of the furniture industry. But that is a blog post for another day….

On my walk across town from the train station to the convention center, I ran across a really interesting example of upcycling at Lezzette Restaurant in Hell’s Kitchen:

Look down there in the corner of this picture, and you see this:

Someone took a cooler and turned it into a planter. Presumably it was no longer useful as a cooler? Maybe someone lost the lid, or the bottom got cracked? Whichever, but by taping it up, filling it with dirt, and sticking flowers in it, this plastic box has a whole new life. And the addition of the wheels allows it to be brought inside at night to avoid theft or vandalism…don’t want any revelers puking or peeing into it at 3 o’clock in the morning, now do we?

In all honesty, I think it’s ugly, but the beautiful flowers do draw your eye away from the white duct tape, and I’m sure it’s a conversation piece for the restaurant’s customers and other passers-by, so bonus points for that. And, of course, it’s one less big honking piece of plastic going to the landfill, and that is a really good thing.

What do you think? Good like it is, or would you have done something to make the exterior more attractive?