Steamer Trunk: The Plan



The Beginning

 Wonderful news! I was perusing the wonderful world of Craigslist when I happened upon something rather familiar. A cherished antique that I had to leave behind was being sold by the new owner. I couldn't believe what I was seeing. There it was, for $20 no less, the old steamer trunk I had fished out of a pile of junky "antiques" in an overly cluttered antique store in Tacoma, Washington 4 years ago! I had haggled the price to a cool $50 and drove home as fast as I could. Once home, I cleaned it and set to covering the inside basin of the trunk with a soft cream fabric pinned in with brushed brass upholstery pins. I loved everything about this trunk and was so excited to have one for myself, finally. Some time down the road, however, when I was moving I wasn't able to take the trunk with me because I had no way of transporting it. That was two years ago. And now, in that moment on Craigslist, it was right there! Dumbfounded that it was being sold for only $20 (when it surely could have sold for $150!) I emailed the seller as fast as my fingers could type and hoped upon hope that it hadn't sold yet - it had been posted for 10 minutes, but $20 was a steal and I knew I wasn't the only one in the know. A text message later of "Yes, you can have it" and I was through the roof.




Ada is a fan already!

This happened last Sunday and after waiting, anxiously, until Friday to pick it up - we were reunited at last! I know it seems silly to put so much effort into a piece of furniture, but it was my trunk and I found it again. After assessing the two year's long wear and tear I am inspired to refurbish the entire piece back to its original glory. It was painted dark red with gold trim years ago by a previous owner, thankfully leaving the metal hinges and hardware alone. The inside fabric needs to be redone as well as it has come rust stains now and has become loose in some areas.





The plan is to sand out the paint, remove the canvas that is glued to the wood of the trunk, stain the trunk, paint the accents black to match the hardware, and restore the inside of the trunk to a deep wood stain and rich glaze. I have done some research online to get me started and I think I have a pretty good base plan to start.



The Goal



The intent is to use the trunk as a quilt chest for all of the quilts that my Great Grandmothers made. A great way to keep the quilts handy and organized as well as keep them safe from time. How wonderful would this trunk look at the foot of a wrought iron bed in the vintage garden themed guest bedroom? I think awfully wonderful.

More posts to follow as the process begins. Wish me luck!

Sanding the night away,

~ Birdie



I LOVE the inside of the lid.