I needed some more storage, and this trunk/chest was reduced at the local antiques store, so… I guess I’m a pirate now?
At some point (I think 1960s from the colour of the wallpaper used) someone has replaced the original embossed tin with galvanised steel sheeting which they’d painted a fairly awful green, and then relined the inside with some wallpaper. I removed the wallpaper (and found some of the original decoration underneath) and repainted the green sections. I left the original black tin in its weathered state. I considered buying proper tin to replace the green parts but it’s already been taken apart once in its life and I wasn’t confident I’d be able to put it back together. Plus my sheets and blankets live in a pile on the floor, so I needed something sooner than that would entail.
Next step is to replace the rot strips on the underside (which were falling apart) and reline the lower layer with some cotton ticking after a quick layer of shellac. Not the best restoration overall but it’s definitely an improvement.
