Antique Trunk

I wanted an antique trunk to complete my new bedroom. This was a find from my grandmother’s house, that made it to my house, and before my family members could intervene I started refinishing, which I think is the same as claiming it, right?

Pictured below is the beginning, before I stained my cuticles with wood stain. 

I very lightly sanded any areas that were rough, but I wanted to keep the antique finish where possible. Below is what the inside looked like before I got my hands on it.

I used Minwax, Dark Walnut to stain the outside of the trunk. I love this color. Tip: wear gloves. I also used some q-tips to get into any small indentions, because I wanted the whole trunk to be dark.

After the stain dried, I finished with 2 coats of semi-gloss varnish.

For the inside, I used a 1.5 inch layer of batting from the fabric store. I needed this to cover the occasional nail that poked through the wood. I selected a fabric that I loved, it did not match my room, but that was okay because my trunk would usually be closed. I stapled the fabric to the inside of the trunk.

Ta-da!