Meet Patrick Bilazzo and Carlina Sacco | Self taught creators

We had the good fortune of connecting with Patrick Bilazzo and Carlina Sacco and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Patrick & Carlina, is your business focused on helping the community? If so, how?
We strive on recycling and inspiring. We take local fallen trees, pallets and other scrap woods that would inevitably fill our land fills and give them new life. We’ve also seen a lack of community since the pandemic and have been bringing people together in many ways to try and bring that “community” back. Some of them, including “mosaic nights”, where we have groups of people come and build art together. We show them that, even if they don’t consider themselves to be artistically inclined, they have it in them to create beautiful works of art.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
What sets us apart is the way we reclaim wood and turn it into art and furniture. There are tons of other artists out there doing what we are doing, but very few are doing it with reclaimed materials. People love watching the process of taking old beams from a 100+ year old home and seeing them turned into a beautiful table. Our finished products have a story behind them. A story that can be told to friends and family and can be passed down for generations. There were a lot of challenges in getting to where we are now. Every challenge that has come our way, we have turned into a learning experience, which has made us who we are today. We have learned patience through woodworking, as it can be a very intricate and delicate skill. A skill that takes hours, weeks, months, or even years to grasp. Learning a new craft can be scary but with time and practice you are only going to get better!

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
It’s a quick trip and you only have a day to enjoy with us! You get off the plane and we pick you up at the Philadelphia international airport. It’s a state away but only 45 minutes from the shop. Since it’s a nice summer day we take a drive down the shore to Ocean City, Nj and hit our favorite breakfast spot, “Bungalow Bowls”. We snag one of the best açaí bowls on the east coast and a quick coffee from “Positively 4th” and get on our way! A short walk on the beach and the boardwalk and we head back to the shop. Nestled deep in the woods of the Pine Barrens, we create some fun art for you to take back with you. It’s now around noon and we’re getting hungry! A short drive through the woods and you get to our favorite lunch spot, “LBs Lunch Box” in Lower Bank, NJ. We always recommend the crab cake sandwich and some coconut shrimp, but you can get whatever you’d like! Be sure to play some of the handmade games while you wait, created by yours truly! On our way home we throw the truck in 4 wheel drive and take a short drive through many of the dirt trials that have been here since the 1700’s. Stopping along the way at the historical village of Batsto and taking in the peacefulness of its surroundings. A short hike around the lake and we’re on our way back to the shop. Once back, we jump in the pool to cool off and walk about 40 feet to the shop where we decide to create a few more trinkets for your family and friends back home.

It’s almost dinner time so we get changed and head into the town of Hammonton. Just 10 minutes from the woodshop, Hammonton has everything you would want within walking distance. We stop by “Rocco’s Townhouse” and get a bite to eat and then checked out the hidden “speakeasy vibe” whisky bar below the restaurant. From there we head to one of our favorite little shops “Exit 28 Boutique”. Bouncing around, we hit a few of the local breweries and some more little shops, as the day slowly winds down.
The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
In the beginning we inspired one another to build this business and to break from the norm. We were always testing eachother artistically but through the years we have been heavily inspired by the “maker community” that we have stumbled upon on the internet. Social media holds an entire community of makers from all over the world that are always down to inspire, help, and share knowledge. Without them, we wouldn’t be where we are today!

Website: www.pinebarrenpalletworks.com

Instagram: @pinebarrenpalletworks

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