Saturday, June 14, 2008

Trunk love...

Everywhere you look these days you can find people and their trunks...showcasing a piece commonly thought for storing junk, as the focal point to a space. It can fit itself into many arrangements, from just another accessory to the perfect furniture piece. I'm quite fond of vintage trunks and luggage and their many applications, so here's a bit of inspiration I've found so far...

(image via HGtv)

In Tommy Hilfiger 's home, a vintage Louis Vuitton trunk is used as a coffee table, designer Cindy Rinfret says: The trunks make the room feel well-traveled, as if things had been collected over time...."

At the end of the bed in another great option, I love the simplicity of the room that designer Nathan Egan has created, it contrasts nicely to detail in this vintage trunk...

(Elle Decor/Sept. '07)

And as a side table another great scenario here, designer Ray Both creates a rustic natural feel to his own living room with a vintage trunk combined with newer transitional pieces...


(House Beautiful/July 2008)

Luggage works great too as furniture, when I opened up the pages of this month's House Beautiful to find a lovely cottage designed by Ken Fulk...and then was even more pleased to see this creative bedside table made up of two vintage Louis's stacked atop wood blocks and with a serving tray...well I thought to myself, "now if only I could find someone on Craigslist selling them with out a clue..."

1st dibs of course has a great collection of vintage trunks of all styles, above is a leather Campaign trunk from , which has great detail in the nailhead design...
Donna Parker Antiques has done some of the work for you to make this Steel trunk into a side table by adding the wooden base...
This is a fun one with the wicker inlay, leather banding, and castors from Laurin Copen Antiques...would make a great lil coffee table!!

Retail furniture companies are hopping on the bandwagon too and producing their own vintage trunk inspired pieces...



Above is the Williams Trunk from William Sonoma Home, it's available in a couple colors and also a side table version called the Williams Cube...


Ralph Lauren Home put a nice twist on a classic piece by adding this brushed aluminum frame to their version, called the Mayfair Trunk...check out their site for additional trunk inspired pieces as well...


Casasugar was craving this Sundance Steamer's Coffee Table Trunk a while back, you have the option of a top grain leather or stainless steel inlay, and even includes canvas lined drawers for storage...


For a contemporary twist on this idea, check out Turquoise LA for this piece designed by Jordan Cappella, featuring a vintage Goyard inspired trunk under a lucite base...

See, not just for junk...these trunks have real character in a room setting. I've been searching for a vintage one myself and hitting up all the antique shops till I find the right one!!

Do you have a trunk that you love, and if so how is it used??

23 comments:

Brilliant Asylum said...

We keep an antique pine trunk in our living room full of...usb cables, extension cords and adaptors. In the same room, we have antique box full of various remote controls.

Kara said...

I've had a trunk for a few years from Bed Bath and Beyond. It's not the highest quality but it's sturdy and a lovely place to store photo albums and quilts.

Anonymous said...

Great post. I especially love Jordan Cappella's take on the traditional trunk - very cool. You should check out our website, www.hermitagedallas.com - we have a large selection of the vintage LV travel trunks and a couple Goyard, too.

Pigtown*Design said...

YAY for Jordan! There's a picture I didn't post of my parents' room with a huge old cedar chest at the foot of the bed. We also had a lot of steamer trunks from my grandparents... not LV though!

Vie Chaotique said...

I got a great steamer german steamer trunck from the 18oo's with a few interesting claim tickets - my favorite being the Paris one. I also have one on feet that was supposed to be a dog bed but I use it as a funky printer stand.

You know I wanted to send you a picture of a guy in a bathing suit and tell you that those were my favorite trunks. But I thought that was too cheap a joke. So why'd I tell you?

katiedid said...

Nice post Kate!

And TAG you are IT! Comeover to my blog to check out the rules/questions. You know the drill!

girl meets glamour said...

I like that idea to store remotes and what not, those are always getting in the way. Thanks for the comment BA!!

~Kate

girl meets glamour said...

I think Trunks are ideal for blankets too Kara, my mother always kept her extra ones in her trunk at the end of her bed.

~Kate

girl meets glamour said...

Thanks for the comment Angie, I'm heading over right now to check your site!

~Kate

girl meets glamour said...

I just love Steamer trunks Fairfax, but theirs nothing like an LV!

~Kate

girl meets glamour said...

A trunk as a dog bed, that's a great idea!!

Love the joke too VC, it is summer and there's probably a lot of good trunks out these days :)

~Kate

girl meets glamour said...

Thanks for the tag Katie, I'll have to check out you post :)

Suzy said...

Love that first image! Funnily enough, I spotted those trunks on the Williams Sonoma website this morning and was thinking how great they looked.

Mélanie said...

For me , Louis Vuitton's is the perfect one

Anonymous said...

Hey Girl!

This is becoming one of my best sellers! I love that you can use the trunk as storage as well as a coffee table.

Thanks for the support pigtown!

Jordan

girl meets glamour said...

They do look great don't they Suzy!!

~Kate

cotedetexas said...

one of my favorites companies of all times GJStyles.com have such great trunks - great post! and the last one is an all time favorite.

Alya said...

i'd love to find a vintage one at a flea market.. I like the roughed up look..

Decor To Adore said...

I have an antique chinese chest/trunk that is in the bay window area of my kitchen. It holds my collection of vintage and antique linen that I switch out every few weeks.
I like the idea of the lucite covering.

Saucy said...

I have a sweet ol' blue steamer trunk that I use as a coffee table/book table in my office. Love it. Inside, I stash all the "extra" cables and jazz that usually clutters office space... I just might need some of it someday and I'll know where to look.

I'm flipping a house right now and guess what I found in the attic? The brown cousin to my trunk. It's coming home with me after I sell the property but I'll use it for staging first.

Brown Button Trading said...

Kate! What a beautiful blog! My extremely stylish friend at White & Wander bought trunks at an auction with her mother - two amazing red ones and had them as coffee tables, her mum has stunning blue ones. Not sure if it is just an Australian thing but we have a store here called Coco Republic that literally makes me weap with joy and they have my ultimate coffee table - its a dove crate. kind of a trunk....Actually you've inspired me to blog about it! Will send you the post! check out coco republic at www.cocorepublic.com.au x

Jennifer said...

I love trunks. I have an old steamer trunk that I rescued from my Grandmother's basement. It's in the garage right now, but I have used it as a coffe table and combined with an antique suitcase as a night stand. It will shortly stand at the foot of our bed again, I think.

Natalie Gill said...

That bedroom is absolutely beautiful. I love the elegant safari feel.