Trunk Redo

My mother found this trunk for me right after I got married.  Over the years it's served as a nightstand, a toy box, sat at the foot of the bed and lately just held up boxes in the basement.  We're starting to finish our basement and it needed to find another place while it's being finished.  I decided I need to update the red to fit into my decor better.

The red just wasn't going to work for me and since it wasn't original to the trunk, I didn't feel guilty painting over it.  I taped off the red and set to painting them black.

And here it is in it's new look.  I painted two coats and then roughed it up a bit.  I decided to turn it into a faux family heirloom and paint the old spelling of our family name and the town in Italy they came from on it's front.

Right now it's just holding our throw blankets and pillows for watching TV.  I may add catch slides to it so it could be a toy box.

So a quick project, but I love how it turned out.  I found some more inspiring trunks on the web to give you some other ideas of using trunks in your home.

(a beach cottage)

I am in serious love with this sea trunk from Australia.  If I ever found one of these...

(coastal living)

Not a fancy trunk, but look at how gorgeous it looks painted.

(country living)

Another gorgeous painted trunk.  I like the metal left exposed.

(Elle decor)

Used as a coffee table.

(hotel pand)

Used at the foot of the bed.  Great way to store seasonal bedding.

(Mayfair)

Awesome low steamer trunk and only $1400! choke, choke...

(pottery barn)

Another trunk used as a coffee table.

(Restoration Hardware)

R.H. is carrying a lot of trunks right now.  A fun look, but pricey.

(southern accents)

I LOVE the painted green and the stripes on this trunk! Find a plain blanket chest or old Lane cedar chest and give it this treatment.

I think this is Restoration Hardware's mirrored trunk.  What a fun glammed up vintage look.

I don't usually like the patriotic paint jobs, but the patina of these red, white and blue trunks are really fun.  It'd be so cute in a child's room.

While these chests are asian, I love the colors they're painted, as well as the stacked look.

Hope you were inspired to grab that old trunk at a garage sale or refab the one sitting in your basement.  Have fun.