This morning the kids and I went garage saling for fun and didn't have much luck until we hit the fourth or fifth sale. That's where I spied five vintage suitcases and noticed they were priced $4-5 apiece. I asked how much they'd be if I bought all of them and was told $15 which sealed the deal. I only had $4 on me so I drove by the bank really quick and came back with the cash and hauled my goodies home.
The ladies hosting the garage sale wanted to know what I was going to do with five old suitcases and I told them they were for decoration. We have a huge ledge on our living room/dining room wall that we haven't done much with and this is the start. We put up fake greenery with white Christmas lights for Christmas 2006 and it's remained there ever since. Naturally it collected a ton of dust bunnies and spider webs since I don't make it a habit to bring the big ladder from the garage in the house to dust up there. Maybe I should, it was GROSS!
After I dusted/vacuumed/swept/and shook out the fake greenery on the grass I climbed up the ladder again and arranged the suitcases up there. I'm not quite happy with it yet, I think I need a few more things to add to it. It's a really long shelf! I might do something different in the dining room though. I've also thought about using antique windows but haven't seen any listed in the free section of Craiglist yet. Let me know if you do!
I love the details on these old suitcases. One of them has a sticker that says it passed through Australia customs. Another is covered in old travel stickers!
My dining room floor after I dusted the shelf. It was NASTY! And yes I coughed. A lot.
Trying to arrange the suitcases centered above the bookcases. Not sure I like that placement though. Maybe to the right over the hallway? That would be dead center on the entire wall though. Left towards the entrance?
Closer view of the suitcases centered above the bookcase. I'm actually pretty sure I'm going to move them. Still haven't put the ladder back in the garage because I'm not happy yet!
5 comments:
I see them spread out a bit more across the entire distance with the wood windows behind them. I have some by the way (for free!). Also shutters would be a cool look along with the windows.
Wow! That is a huge shelf! I think I'd move them - the vent behind them is very distracting.
I thought you were going to say you bought them for photography props :) I can see Ethan and Grace dressed in overalls sitting on the suitcases next to the train tracks... with a vintage wash over the pictures...
LOVE the suitcases! I also have an old wood window you could have.
These are SO cool! I would totally put the old wood window behind them and then prop a couple of them up on their sides so that the handle is facing out and then turned a bit so you can see the top. HOW COOL! I have a ledge . . . I need these!
Oooh! Wouldn't an old lantern sitting on top of one of them, and a cane or some sort of stick leaning against them look cool? Exciting stuff!
Very pretty! Needs some vertical elements too, like lamps or the lantern idea.
Here's some visuals:
http://www.robomargo.com/luggage.html
http://vintage-bella.blogspot.com/2009/06/vintage-luggage.html
Maybe go with the travel theme, a vintage globe?
Nice find!
Julie R
Post a Comment