5 Uses for Vintage Suitcases

Hard-shell vintage suitcases aren't hard to find in thrift shops, and their compact design makes them versatile pieces in the home. We've published a few ways to use them on AT...

• At the foot of the bed, use a vintage suitcase on a folding luggage rack or on top of a bench to hold extra blankets.

• Store out-of-season clothes in vintage suitcases underneath the bed or up high on a shelf to create more space in your closet.

• A stack of small, flat-topped suitcases can serve as a nightstand with built-in storage next to the bed.

• Take the top off a vintage suitcase and stuff it with a pillow for a DIY pet bed. Click here for the how-to.

• Pair a suitcase with legs to create unexpected furniture, like these chairs or this ottoman.

Let us know your ideas for repurposing vintage suitcases in the comments below.

Photo: Suitcases from Ready Set Go

Comments (15)

a vintage cosmetic bag works great as a sewing basket

i have been using my two vintage samsonite suitecases as a bedside table for years. it's a great storage system as they hold my winter clothes in the summer and my summer clothes in the winter.

I have a pair of 60s Samsonite suitcases in a lavender color with the prettiest pink satin interior. I use mine as.. suitcases! They're the perfect size for weekend trips! and much, much more stylish than anything else currently out there.

i've been meaning to buy a train case to serve as a key/wallet catchall for our landing strip.

I use a Tiara train case as a sewing basket.

BTW, a nice coat of Armor-all really makes an old suitcase look good.

Thanks for that idea, "Satamrit". I have a pink vintage cosmetic bag sitting in my closet. Didn't know what to do with it.

I'm totally insane about them.

I have 3 stacked on a closet shelf storing linens. In the bedroom I have one for belts, one for hats, one for headbands, and 2 for sweaters. In the sewing room: 6 for fabric, and 2 trunks for fabric/bits&trims.

Use a large one to store wrapping paper, ribbons, bows, gift bags, and all your gift wrapping goodies.

I *just* saw pictures of vintage hard shell suitcases on a design blog and had an "aha" moment. I've been looking for a way to store old family photographs. I'm not a person who cares that they're in any order, especially as time goes by. When I saw the light blue Samsonite, it reminded me of family vacations and I thought it would be the perfect "box" storage for loose photographs.

design sprout shows how to use one to make a dog bed. so cute. basically buy an old dog bed that fits in there, cover with vintage blanket/afghan.. there you go. very cute.

My room mate in college was a graphic design major and she used her vintage suitcase to hold all her gorgeous work when she went on interviews. It made a great unique first impression.

I use a hard shell suitcase to store DVDs.

I have a few- one is an old tweed covered one that I've used to heighten my lamp on a side board, and the other one I'm using as a case for our turntable- it's a dj model, and I hate the way the cases look for those, so we drilled a few holes into a vintage blue samsonite I found on the street and voila- a stylish turntable case!

hey there! so, i was just doing a search for a link to put on our shop that shows people how to use vintage luggage for all kinds of purposes and i came across this article and did a double take because i shot this photograph!! thanks so much for featuring our set. it's been so cool reading everyone's comments on ways to use luggage- like the anthropologie table....anyways if anyone decides they need some luggage feel free to drop by our shop- we have a garage full of awesome pieces just waiting to be put to good use!
http://GetReadySetGo.ETSY.com
cheers!