Red Trunk Makeover

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I got some flack over at Hometalk for doing my last trunk makeover.  Some of those people over there are harsh.  I figure I saved it from going to the dump, it's mine to do with as I please.  We will see what they think about this one when I share it.  Luckily most people there are happy and supportive but it only takes a few to make me feel like not sharing there.  Funny thing is, it doesn't make me want to stop making things over, just makes me not want to share.

This trunk isn't even wood, so I'm not sure if that will save me from the wrath of the "anti-makeover" people or not.  This trunk has been used for storage for at least the last 20 years, how long I have had it before that I don't even know.  As you can see I started to do a makeover at one point, but with four little kids, I didn't get very far.  I stripped off the wallpaper and cleaned the inside.

I painted 3 very thin coats of Annie Sloan Chalk Paint in Emperor's Silk.  This is the first time I have used a purchased chalk paint so I wasn't sure what to expect.  Now I know that I should have just put on a heavy coat the first time and been done with it, but these are the things I learn along the way.

I put a coat of polyurethane on it, and when that was dry I used ebony stain to antique it. 

I went round and round on how I was going to finish this piece.  In the end I chose a rose compass...

and this saying that I found on the internet. Before I put the words on my daughter told me I shouldn't put it over the compass because it would be too confusing.  She thought I should put it across the front of the trunk.  I went ahead with my plan, and found out she was right, why oh why did she have to be right?

I put another coat of poly over the top and then antiqued it again to tone down the white.  After that I outlined the words with Silver Rub n Buff.

Now I finally like it, until this point I was wishing I had gone ahead with my other plan.

 The wallpaper inside was still in good shape, but was quite smelly so I put a couple of coats of varathane on it. 

The last thing I did was put some feet on it.  These are some of the feet that I made while in Mesa for the winter.  Unfortunately it was not a quick process. After painting, antiquing, and polyurethane, I had to make little divets in the top of the feet in order to be able to put them over the screw heads and the bumps that were the current feet.  This was fairly time consuming but it had to be done.

They would be crooked like this if I didn't do something about it.

I dabbed on some red paint so I knew where to make the holes, then went back and forth to the drill press carving them out.

 

I also put another coat of polyurethane on the whole thing to protect the antiquing and stenciling.

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Vintage Trunk Makeover

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It appears as though this post just does not want to be written.  Last night I had most of it written out, and then I lost it, man I hate that!  This morning I was having a hard time getting the pictures to move down so that I could enter text, sheesh!  I hope that's the end of the troubles.

So this is what I was trying to tell you last night :)

Years ago I was banned from bringing any more treasures junk home.  Luckily, I have a short memory when it comes to some things.  This piece however, was not added to my stash in one of my forgetful moments, this piece was delivered by a friend, to my husband.  You see he can't say no to anybody but me!  Now, had the friend brought it to me I truly would have refused it, because it was in terrible shape, and  I didn't think it was worth getting in trouble over.  Luckily fate intervened and I ended up with it.

Notice that the lid is caved in, the wood where the hinges were attached was broken right out, and the inside was a mess, and smelled very musty.

                        
I turned the lid upside down on the floor and built supporting framework, slipped it inside and then stood on it to straighten out the top, then screwed it all down.  It worked, a nice flat top!

                 

Each step of the project was a decision, I started by painting it white and sprayed the hardware silver, I had a few ideas about black and white bold designs, but I kept being pulled toward something a little more rustic.

I added some gray, now if my goal was to make an old trunk look pretty good, it would be done, but I wanted more that.

I decided to go with a Railroad theme.  My husband is retiring from the CNR after 35 years of riding the rails.  The names on the trunk represent some of the sidings between Sioux Lookout and Armstrong, Ontario.

I googled CNR emblems and picked this one that would have been in use when I was a kid.

This is a look at the back.

I stripped the paper off the inside, sanded, stained, and varathaned it.  Notice the supporting framework inside the lid, it should be good and sturdy now.  I also stained the outside so it was aged.  No more pristine white.  It is actually darker and dirtier looking in person.  It looks like it's been around a while.

I added a piece of wood where the hinges are attached because the old wood had broken out, therefore support was needed to re-attach them.  

In the end, I'm happy with it, and that, after all, is why I do this, if you like it too, that's a bonus!
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