Vintage Trunk

In the 1960's my Mum came home to Sydney from the UK, ready to pack up her remaining belongings and return to marry the man of her dreams. She'd been working in the university her brother / my uncle was studying in, and fell in love with one of his friends. To make the return trip she bought this trunk, second-hand, and packed all those things that were precious to her, ready to start married life in London.

The day before she was to leave Australia it all fell apart. Her fiancee called and broke off their relationship, leaving Mum broken hearted... even to this day I know she carries it with her. She kept the trunk, often stowed away dusty and dirty in the garage; from its start in our family as a glory box of sorts (who knows what adventures it had before she bought it), the trunk has also been blanket storage and our childhood dress-up box. I can't tell you how many times my sister or I took everything out and just hid inside it. And now it's sitting in my family room...

I've always loved it... even with it's past. It makes me think of traveling the world, or taking opportunities, even love.

I spent ages thinking about what to do with it. Should I paint it? Re-cover it? In the end I decided that less is more, and I gave it a good clean and then painted it with shellac. The polish brings out the colours - I love the honey tone of the 'bones', and the canvas has a greeny-blue undertone that shows its age. It's beaten up and I like it.

I have the perfect setting in mind for this. A vintage globe, maybe an atlas...

I'm doing my first ever link at Primitive and Proper!