diy: trunk transformation

I have been struggling with this little trunk for almost a year. Initially painting it black and spray painting the trim and hardware gold, it never looked quite right. I had been using it as my coffee table, but felt too heavy for the space and the rest of my décor. When I moved back home, I had used it as a place to keep my parent’s stereo, and was shoved into a corner in the dining room and forgotten about. 

This weekend my sister, brother-in-law and two-month-old nephew will be moving in for the summer. My mom and I have been busy transforming the basement (which had been my office/homework space) into a bachelor pad for the little family. 

We installed a wall-to-wall built-in, rearranged the furniture and made several trips to the Goodwill (drop-offs only, no more shopping allowed). We were smart about everything we brought into the room, opting to keep pieces the pieces that were practical, functional and small-scale. 

When it came time to choose a coffee table, I wanted to bring back the trunk. It was compact and there was an opportunity to refinish the inside, and use it for storage (something I had always meant to do, but just lacked the time). That same week while perusing Instagram, I spotted a room Emily Henderson had styled for Target, and noticed that the coffee table she used was a white trunk. Fast-forward a few days later, and my old trunk is now sporting a crisp, clean shade of white. Light and airy, it matches the tone of the room, and blends in perfectly. 

The rest of the room is very close to being complete, but still in need of a few minor tweaks.

**For both versions of the trunk I used a matte wall paint from Para. Hardware and trim was spray painted, and have held up perfectly.