Baggage Claim

4/17/2015

Believe it or not I have owned these handsome, vintage tweed suitcases for about 15 years. They have been nightstand and photography props, including for my son's birth announcement photo shoot.

Vintage suitcases as props for my sons birth announcement

They have since landed in my sons room as a side table next to my glider. The perfect surface for baby bottles, sound machine, books etc. Not to mention they bring tons of additional storage into a small room.

So much character in these portable pieces just the way they are. Of course maybe "al natural" isn't your style so here are some cool D.I.Y. up-cycling projects for vintage suitcases or trunks.

This metal steamer trunk gets a makeover by Dessert Domicile. She makes this piece shine, while maintaining its original industrial patina. Read her thorough the step-by-step instructions with clear images, that take it from trunk to table.

Looking for a more glamorous piece? Check out how a similar metal military trunk transforms from drab to fab. Found this one where else, but on Apartment Therapy.

How about this fancy little lady? She's a Belgian beauty from the award winning woon blog. She's got great legs! Seriously the dark wood, mid-century tapered legs and simple construction really work for me. I've seen lots of similar versions of this suitcase table. Sadly, most of them don't work visually because the have attached a base or legs that just don't have the same vintage vibe of the suitcase. See more step-by-step visuals, sorry the written instructions are in not in English.

D.B.O (Done-By-Others)

Rather spend more time traveling with a suitcase then tackling its transformation? Here are some great options that cost as much as a bus ride and some as much as a first class plane ticket.