11/19/2024
Today I share with you all my first trunk refurbishment!
My customer wanted to keep the antique feel of her heirloom trunk and fix some issues so it could be passed on to her daughter. It needed handles, a lid stay, and work to the latches. I really love heirloom pieces and being a part of their broader story.
The metal portions of the trunk had plenty of grime that first had to be removed. This proved much more difficult than expected! I'd hoped a quick scrub with paint stripper would do the trick but boy was I wrong. What I found to work best was TSP cleaner and a stainless steel brush. I painstakingly went over every inch to get it clean.
The wooden parts were stripped, sanded and stained to bring the grain out. Areas of the trunk that were meant to be black got stove polish to bring back the colour. Finally, I went over the whole trunk with furniture wax to give a nice sheen and prevent future tarnishing.
