It looks lovely, but I think I'd be wary of putting wood with unknown paints and wood treatments on the walls of my kitchen where I'm preparing food. The variant of making a table top that you put glass on top seems safer - or just putting it somewhere where inadvertent ingestion is not so likely.

Neat idea! I'd probably seal the boards with some sort of varnish so it'd be safe to use in the kitchen.

We just rescued an old, white picket gate from our neighbour and I haven't quite figured out what to do with it yet. This has inspired me to hang it on the wall of our closet that we are building out of reclaimed materials. Thank you.

I totally agree! This whole trend of salvaging and repurposing is great, however you cannot just go out and grab any old thing, haul it into your house and start using it in it's raw state. I personally think you should test it or make sure that the use has nothing to do with food or kids or pets. It looks cool, but....

Everybody beat me to the punch! I cringed at the knives and pots in such close proximity to what is likely lead paint.

I agree with the line of thought in other comments here.
The trend of using "pallet" everything as accent walls & in home decor concerns me.
Pallets are more often than not treated with pesticides & what-not to keep from transporting insects, etc. I hate to see them used as headboards for beds, childrens' accent walls, and more. I happen to know a young man affected by serious led poisoning as a child.. old flaky paint is also a very serious issue.
However- that said, I have always loved the look of raw material & the overall look of these trends.
Last year my husband built this cabin - using "weathered wood" on all of the interior walls. Every time I see another pallet wall, I want to recommend a weathered wood alternative. So today I finally am! Here are some photos of an authentic, local, healthy wood look that these cheap pallet versions are attempting.. with risks to indoor air quality & health.
http://ourfunwithfive.blogspot.com/2012/06/smith-cabin-mitchell-watkins.html

My first thought was everyone else's, too. Looks very cool, but no lead-based paint near my food, & I don't have kids--it takes much less to poison them. The paint doesn't need to be peeling to be dangerous; the dust is enough.
Might be a way to seal it, tho', & your county health dept. would love to help.

This is a great idea! Now all I need to do is find a fence.....

I love it. Wasn't lead paint banned by 1978? I might be concerned about insects but a chip off the paint could hypothetically be tested. Worth noting too that people pay top dollar for that "distressed look" paint when the real thing is far better.

I have done this sort of thing for showroom displays. It's a very nice effect and a great way to create character and emotion in a small space.

Another idea is barn siding, which is similar but usually larger pieces of wood. Both can be ungodly expensive though, depending on your location.

Hilarious that everyone is assuming that there is lead in the paint. I am sure that anyone with a brain would not put falling chipped paint near their food areas. Just because it's an old fence doesn't automatically make it covered in deadly poisons. The article states that the fence boards have been used "for 25 years, first covering a concrete beam in his studio with them in their first incarnation..." Twenty five years! I think if the man had lead poisoning from using these boards he would have discovered it by now! I mean, if one is LICKING the walls of their home then one has bigger issues.

Yet no one mentioned anything about all the Teflon-coated cooking pots! Teflon.

This is Daniel, author of the article. The paint on these board is well worn into the wood. Nothing comes off when I rub my hand over them. I considered sealing them, but didn't want anything to interfere with the beauty of the wood. Also, if you desire more home design ideas - please visit the Los Angeles Times' home blog and section, which I contribute to: http://www.latimes.com/features/home/

Also - here are some other LA Times' apartment renovation stories I've written that you may enjoy:

Vintage icebox, repurposed: http://articles.latimes.com/2012/sep/19/news/la-lh-vintage-icebox-turned-into-display-case-20120918

DIY side table made from leaded glass window: http://articles.latimes.com/2012/sep/12/news/la-lh-leaded-glass-window-made-into-diy-side-table-20120912

Thanks - and hope you are happy in your homes!

- Daniel