Before and After Trunk

I came across this great trunk at a yard sale.



The lock was broken, it was D I R T Y and it smelled musty - I knew I had to have it.


I ended up having to pry the broken lock off the trunk, there was no fixing it. Then I was left with a big hole in the top.

I remembered that I have been keeping this metal medallion FOREVER. It has been sitting waiting in my studio. Waiting to be put onto the perfect piece of furniture.


It fit perfectly!


Then I thought the entire trunk needed a make-over. Everything got a spray of chrome paint, everything that is except the hardware. I loved the rusty finish, so I made sure and taped over everything rusty.



Once the chrome paint dried, I gave everything a rub down with a raw umber glaze.


What a difference the glaze made! It gave it a wonderful warm aged patina.


I peeled off the tape to reveal the rusty hardware... this is the fun part!





And I was finished... I thought. I ended up rusting the medallion. As you can see in theses pictures here, it doesn't match the rest of the hardware.




When it didn't sell at the store immediately... it ended up smack dab in the middle of my morning room, go figure. It fit's perfectly and will probably never make it back to the store - it's the hardest part about selling painted furniture.

I only paint what I like, so my painted furniture always fits perfectly somewhere in my house!


I have a tip for you with old smelly trunks, fill it with several perfumed soaps. After a couple days the musty smell will be gone and your trunk will actually smell really really pretty! So if you come across those little Avon shaped soaps at yard sales or thrift shops, now you know a great use for them! I have many drawers in my garage filled with them too.