Antique suitcase gets new look

This post is a little DIY inspiration as we take an antique piece and give it a totally new purpose. An antique suitcase gets new look, as it maintains it’s integrity but definitely looks chic, hip, and fresh.

I kinda feel bad that I had this piece for several months and finally got around to making it a priority. Finally making it’s way back to its owner.

A friend in club was telling us about an old suitcase that she had stashed away. It’s been in her family for many years and she wanted it to be useful instead of residing in a closet. She proceeded to mention that she wanted it made into a table or something useful.

I volunteered to do the job and put a creative spin on it. She gave me liberty on painting it or not, and whatever I saw fit. Her one request, to make it useful.

I love when I have the liberty to be creative and work on something fun. This piece was just that! It was just a matter of making time to do it and get it finished. So when the weather decided to cooperate and I had a few hours to spare…it was game time.

The suitcase itself was made out of very thin wood (1/4″ thick). Which was impressive that it has survived all these years. The idea was to turn it into a side table using wood legs and keeping the original hardware. In order to do that, I had to add some more support underneath in order to add some legs.

The antique store in town usually has a stash of table legs and I managed to find 4 of ’em that matched & would work perfectly! Yay, cause I don’t know how to turn wood and create legs myself. #maybesomeday

After a good cleaning and cutting them down to a shorter length, they were ready for paint!

I decided on a neutral color and “dove” was what I chose, (a mix between a gray and a white). When I mix paint up and it comes out exactly the color that I was dreaming of using, I can’t be happier! This blend turned out exactly the shade I wanted!

Here’s what I did:

Removed all the hardware (soaked in vinegar overnight, scrubbed and rinsed)
Cleaned hardware & suitcase & took it all apart
Sanded it lightly
Screwed the bottom support underneath (3/4″ plywood piece)
Applied two coats of the chalk paint mixture I blended to all the pieces being used (including the legs)
Stenciled the top using antique medium in mahogany
Screwed the mounting brackets on the bottom of suitcase to install the legs
Drilled holes for the furniture leg attachment hardware
Put it all back together
Sanded it lightly to expose some of the original stain and to add character
Lined the inside base of the suitcase by decoupaging some scrapbook paper to it.
Applied a sealant