Before & After: A Wallpaper Makeover Lends “Vintage Vibes” to a Thrifted Trunk
Kelly decided it was finally time to give one of her vintage trunks a new look. A well-timed wallpaper sale helped her solve the riddle of exactly how to go about revamping the item, and she was so happy with the results she’s not going to stop at just one!
From Kelly: I had multiple vintage trunks from estate sales and Goodwill shopping trips over the years, but had no idea what to do with them. I toyed around with several ideas. Maybe I could paint them? Meh, too boring. Maybe I could glue aluminum pieces on the trunks like the Restoration Hardware ones I fancy? No, too complicated. Mod Podge antique maps onto it? Nah, too overdone and cheesy.
At my last visit to ReStore they had bins upon bins of wallpaper. Designer rolls too! Plymouth Wallpaper Furnishing & Gifts located in Catonsville had closed its doors and donated their stock. After several minutes of digging I came across this awesome pattern. As soon as I saw it I knew it would be perfect for my trunks! It had this upscale vintage vibe, plus the neutral tone allowed it to blend with any decor I had in the house.
I measured the trunk, cut the wallpaper to size and used an X-Acto knife to cut around the hardware. Next, the wallpaper was glued to the trunk using wallpaper adhesive. Once it dried, I painted the trunk’s hardware black. I found two more rolls of the same wallpaper.
The “after” gave the trunk a new purpose! I love it. I don’t think I would do anything differently. I’m actually planning on using the same wallpaper on a different trunk and stacking the two to make an end table.
Kelly’s words of wisdom: Depending on the age of the trunk you may or may not be able to take off the hardware. The hardware on my trunk was riveted so that was not an option for me. Do not let that deter you. I just took my time painting and used an artist’s brush
Thank you, Kelly! You can see more on Kelly’s blog P is for Potential.