Antique Trunks
Buy the best antique trunks selected and recommended by interior designers. By Chloe Hughes.
Not only are antique trunks an ideal piece to follow you around from home to home as you journey through life, they also make for amazing storage units to keep extra blankets and everyday home items. Antique trunks are often designed with charm and personality as they can bring warmth to a space as well. Our experts have selected the best antique chests and trunks that will add a sense of purpose as well as classic appeal to any room.
Antique Trunks
Buying Guide
Chloe Hughes
Interior Design Expert
Chloe is a highly-regarded expert in all things vintage and antique. She’s excited to share her vast knowledge with readers and clients wishing to infuse their homes with a mixture of old-time warmth and modern comfort. In addition to her design work, Chloe regularly volunteers at her local community center, teaching DIY projects to adults and kids.
The easiest way to tell if a trunk is antique is to check when it was made: in fact, antique trunks must be at least a hundred years old and, if we want to get technical, they shouldn’t have been restored. Check with the seller the trunk’s origin and look for labels inside the trunk for its authenticity.
However, well-restored antique trunks are still a prestigious and valuable choice.
When it comes to lining antique trunks, you've got two options. The first uses wallpaper, which is a common choice but needs to be replaced sooner than the second option, which is fabric.
Fabric is recommended as it looks good and is also more durable than paper and easy to clean. When it comes to choosing a type of fabric, you can either opt for upholstery fabric that is stiff and prevents sagging and wrinkling over time or use cotton fabric with sheets of poster board attached to give the lining a crisp look around the edges.
The best way to maintain an antique trunk is by cleaning it regularly. You can start by vacuuming the inside and outside of the trunk and using a brush attachment to vacuum along the inner walls and corners of the trunk.
Vacuuming the exterior of the trunk is also recommended to get rid of hair, dust, and loose dirt. Before washing the inside of the trunk, use saddle soap in a bucket and warm water. However, if the inside of the trunk is lined with paper or other paper decorations, avoid using the warm water and saddle soap solution on it.
If you have an antique metal trunk, clean it using a mixture of one part water and one part vinegar in a spray bottle. If the interior of the trunk is lined with paper, gently clean it by spraying the water and vinegar solution on a clean cloth and wipe down gently.
Once you've cleaned, allow it to air dry completely to combat musty odors, and as the last step, leave a bowl of baking soda inside the truck trunk once it has dried and close the lid. The baking soda will sit inside the antique trunk overnight and eliminate any unpleasant odors.
The last step is optional, but you may choose to oil the wooden parts of the antique trunk with lemon oil.