Repurposed old trunk
by
Christina D
This trunk was given to my dad by his landlady when he was in college (very early 1960's), it is very old, although neither he or I know much about it. The beautiful blackletter text on it says, "Frank Johann Aus Sinsheim", which translates to "Frank Johann of Sinsheim" [a town in Germany].
Anyway, dad has had the trunk in his backyard for at least 10 years, exposed to weather - rain, snow, heat, drought - you name it. He has known that I have always wanted it, yet I never seemed to be able to have the time or room in my car to take it... until it literally fell apart and collapsed into a lovely weathered heap of boards in his yard. At last, it fit into my car! In its dilapidated state, it was no longer a trunk, but POTENTIAL! So I did the next logical thing - I cut it up and made a shelf. Here is the fruit of my efforts... with the original iron handles and charming old text.
Anyway, dad has had the trunk in his backyard for at least 10 years, exposed to weather - rain, snow, heat, drought - you name it. He has known that I have always wanted it, yet I never seemed to be able to have the time or room in my car to take it... until it literally fell apart and collapsed into a lovely weathered heap of boards in his yard. At last, it fit into my car! In its dilapidated state, it was no longer a trunk, but POTENTIAL! So I did the next logical thing - I cut it up and made a shelf. Here is the fruit of my efforts... with the original iron handles and charming old text.
Trunk repurposed into shelf
Trunk repurposed into shelf, with some favorite antique items - Palmolive jar, enameled finger bowl and Italian vase.
Comments
Join the conversation
2 of 21 comments
-
Love this! I have one that belonged to my grandmother. Thanks for the idea. I will be doing this to mine and will place it in my living room along with all the other pieces I have that I've refinished when I move to my new house which will basically be dedicated to my parents and grandparents.
-
I adore this!
Frequently asked questions
Have a question about this project?