You all know by now that I’m a hoarder. Married to another hoarder, we also raise little hoarders. Combine all of our treasures, put them in a small house, and storage becomes an issue.

I’ve mentioned using suitcases for storage, but sometimes they just aren’t large enough or otherwise practical for daily use. That’s when I call in the big boys: antique trunks.

Antique trunks come and go in popularity, and their prices can range widely. The most precious or desireable of them are the round topped or dome trunks. These were the ones owned by the wealthy. The rounded tops meant that their luggage was placed on the top of the stacks in the cargo bay and therefore were less likely to be damaged by the weight of the others — as well as ensure that their trunks were the first to be unloaded. (Just like travel now, everyone wants to be the first off and on their way.)

I personally don’t own a single round topped trunk. It’s not just the price which keeps me away from them. The same reason these trunks were coveted back in the day is the same reason I dislike them now: you can’t set anything on top of them.

Not only do I like to stack my trunks, but I like to use them as furniture. If the top is round, you can’t set a lamp or candle holder on them, nor books and a beverage. In a small house, anything that doubles as storage and a piece of furniture is a-OK with me.

My very first trunk ever purchased (for $15 I believe) has been an endtable in 5 houses now. The pretty woodwork and fancy embossed metal make it my must-show trunk.

Inside the trunk are all of the videos and DVDs Derek and I own. With its location right by the sofa, it’s easy to take off the candle holder, the beverages, lift the lid and grab the flick to watch. (The kids have theirs on shelves upstairs so they can more easily eyeball what they are in the mood for, but this works well for we grown-ups.)

Upstairs, in the hall at the top of the stairs, we have two trunks stacked (along with my basket of puppets).

The large black steamer trunk one I got at an auction for $1. It’s not the most handsome trunk, but it’s very large and incredibly sturdy, and so it holds (nearly) all of our family games. On top of the big black trunk is the wicker trunk, one of my personal favorites.

Dating from the late 1800’s, the original twine used to latch the hinges on has fallen apart and the previous owner replaced it with fishing line (since it’s clear, you only notice upon close inspection). Otherwise, it’s near perfect. It even has large parts of the original shipping label attached, but it’s too difficult to read the old faded script to find out all the details. Lined with canvas, it was used commercially to ship across the ocean and I love the idea of it bouncing across ocean waves as a delivery box to end up being the only thing saved after all these years. (I paid $70 for this thrill about 7 years ago, and I still am happy to think of it.)

Since the wicker trunk is not as sturdy as the metals ones, and it needs to be kept light in order to be lifted off the other when we need to get at the games from the black trunk, it typically holds blankets or other linens. (When company comes, all the remaining family games from all over the house get put in it too.)

The last two trunks Derek and I both bought have not been quite put to use yet. They are of the smaller footlocker type. One is still in the garage from its purchase last fall. The trunk had been stored in a basement and the bottom had some water damage — enough to warp the wood within as well as rusting the metal. We didn’t pay for it. It was full of paper, art, blueprints etc. which we purchased at an estate sale — the trunk, the holder, was the free container to carry it out with. (When we get around to restoring that, we’ll likely let you know here. *wink*)

The other new-to-us-but-antique trunk we bought for $5 on Friday. I couldn’t pass up another trunk — especially since this still had its tray inside (complete with leather tabs to snap on to close the folding lid). Since none of my trunks have such a luxury item, I’m not sure what to put in it yet. I’m thinking some of my sewing materials… Fabric and notions should be light enough not to damage the tray, and it would be nice to have a place to tuck a project away in one place rather than in several suitcases or bins. (Now I just need to find a place near the sewing machine, so it’s handy.)

As for what trunks can hold, those uses are nearly endless. Anything that needs to both be stored and yet accessable is a good candidate. Just keep location in mind. Videos located too far away from the TV isn’t practical. Trunks packed so heavily that they cannot be lifted by one adult probably should not be placed on top of another. And of course, if your trunk has fancy details that you do not want to risk damaging, you may want to consider its use. Stacking could cause scratches, trunks used as endtables should have coasters, and even the items stored inside could cause damages (especially to fragile old paper linings). So think before you pack. Even if your stuff is never leaving home.

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Article Tags: antique, dome, endtable, hoarding, steamer, topped, trunks

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This entry was posted on Sunday, June 10th, 2007 at 2:51 am and is filed under decorating, flea market finds. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.