I used this old steamer trunk (an auction score for a couple of bucks) as a coffee table for a long time, and it was just totally ratty and grungy. I upgraded to a fabulous antique wood tool chest and stashed the old one until I decided what to do with it.
A chest like this is great as a "coffee table" because it also adds clever storage to a room. I store my hundreds of vintage 80s and 90s "Victoria" magazines in mine, and in the summer, my stash of warm fuzzy blankets we throw all over the sofa during cold weather. Out of sight, out of mind.
So earlier this winter I finally decided what to do with the Old Grungy,and started looking at buying some caster wheels like this, except new..... meh. I despise buying anything "new". Enter the husband - who, apparently, has every cool thing a DIY junkie's heart desires in his stashes of stuff disguised as "crappola".
"Oh... I have a set of vintage iron caster wheels," he says. Sure enough, he did.
BAM. A little watered down white chalk paint, a little antiquing glaze on a very wet rag, a little sanding block in all the right places - and I had the perfect "new grungy" finish on the canvas trunk.
Note: there was no saving or refinishing this trunk. It was plywood covered in canvas; not pretty wood. It was water damaged on the bottom and messed up in every way possible. Painting it did not break my heart. Trust me.
Kevin added a piece of wood to the bottom to reenforce, and on went the caster wheels and there you have it - a steampunky steamer. I only wish the wheels were more visible..... oh well.
For sale in our shop in North Carolina. If interested, drop me a line.
2 comments:
I have 2 of these trunks! I'm looking for design inspiration. I think they soon will look like yours, after I remove rust, paper, layers of paint, lining, etc. Thanks for the post (even though it was a while ago).
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