Every piece of furniture has a story, say Dennis and Cyndi Dwyer, owners and operators of Pallets & Pickets, the latest retail shop to open its doors on Main Street in Center Moriches. Pallets & Pickets – headed by the husband-and-wife team from Manor Park – offers customers everything from custom-made coffee tables constructed from wine bottle crates, to personalized, handmade American flags.
Pallets & Pickets comes from humble beginnings, starting in the Dwyers’ garage some 20 years ago as more of a hobby for Dennis. Although he always enjoyed working with his hands, tinkering here and there with personal household projects, it wasn’t until Dennis volunteered for ABC’s Extreme Makeover, in 2006, that he really got the bug to build.
With his toolbox in hand, Dennis took a week off from his day job and traveled to Queens, where he was part of a large team of volunteers who helped transform the home into the owners’ dream house. It was during that time that Dennis got an appreciation for repurposing furniture and recycling material. The owners’ children were huge cricket fans, Dennis recalled, so the design team incorporated old cricket bats into the redesign of their bedroom. In another room, old movie reels were fashioned into a shelf. But it was the old ambulance that was cut in half to make a desk that truly impressed and inspired Dennis.
“It was cool,” said Dennis. “It made me realize that I didn’t always have to go to Home Depot to get material.” So instead, Dennis began to look at discarded items in a different light. There was the small bench that a neighbor was going to get rid of because their dog had chewed on the corner – Dennis loved the legs, so he used them to build a coffee table. Then there was another neighbor’s garden fence that was no longer being used that found its way to Dennis who used it to construct a hallway tree. One of the Dwyers’ favorite pieces is a shadowbox table that came from a windowpane of the historic La Grange Inn in West Islip.
As their business grew, the Dwyers moved Pallets & Pickets from the garage to an old barn in Moriches, then to a building at Forge River Nursery, also in Moriches, before finally finding their new home at 376 Main Street. Their successes are due in large part to both Dennis and Cyndi’s creative talents. While Cyndi doesn’t usually get involved in building furniture, she does provide Dennis with a ton of ideas. The wine crate table was her brainchild, as was the display used for candles in the new store. Cyndi also hand-paints the various wall hangings, signs and other gift items, such as wine glasses. She also serves as store manager.
The other part of their success is the quality of their work and beauty of their designs, but also their attention to service, according to many of their satisfied customers. At the grand opening on Oct. 2, one of their satisfied customers sought Cyndi out to let her know that she had been following Pallets & Pickets since they were working out of the Moriches barn. Another happy customer, Sandra Tysz of Center Moriches, stumbled upon Pallets & Pickets when shopping at Forge River Nursery. Her collection now includes a live-edge table and a bench.
“I love the uniqueness of their designs. Everything is customized. I also like the fact that they repurpose,” said Tysz during a recent visit to the store, where she was greeted with a big hug and kiss by the Dwyers, who say for them, one of the best parts of owning the business is the time they get to spend with their customers. They also consciously try to keep their prices reasonable, because they don’t want their items “to be out of reach.” Creating is their passion, say the Dwyers, and it’s something they want to share.
Cyndi will also be hosting on-site Pallet Paint Parties, beginning in November. The cost is $40 per person and will include all required materials.
As the Dwyers are settling into their location in Center Moriches, they say they couldn’t be happier with the welcome they have received.
“There is such a spirit in this community,” said Cyndi. “It’s tangible. You can see it and feel it. There is no other Main Street like this around here – this is Main Street USA.”
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