Trunks have been fundamental furniture items throughout the history of humanity. Owned mostly by rich nobles in the medieval period, trunks were used both as luggage carriers and for storage purposes. Today, however, antique trunks are majorly used as multipurpose pieces of furniture, doubling up as coffee tables, foot rests, unique bedside tables, and for storage of clothing and other valuables.

Common Features of Antique Trunks

While majority of trunks were made from wood, some were metallic. They also had leather, canvas, steel or tin lining. A few also had handle fixtures, which made them easier to move. Other types of antique trunks also featured keys and locks. Wooden antique trunks were mainly made from mahogany or oak, cedar, and pine.

Choosing an Antique Trunk

Buying antique storage trunks UK can be daunting, especially if you are new to the antique furniture world. To ensure that you don’t overpay for an antique trunk that’s unauthentic and not its original form, here are certain factors that you need to consider:

Rarity

Good trunk models were produced in limited quantity and had unusual components and features. The best quality storage trunk, therefore, should feature unique elements, including leather edging, brass hardware, and leather handles among other unique features. On the other hand, low quality trunks have ordinary features including metals handles and black metal edging.

Completeness

Finding an intact antique trunk with all its original components (shoeboxes, locks, drawers, compartments, mirrors etc) is rare considering that many parts could have been lost over the years. If you find storage trunk with all its components, its value will be higher.

Size

A smaller trunk for storage in the 14-inch range should be half valuable as a 17-inch tall trunk. Put simply, the larger the trunk, the higher it will cost you.

Hardware

A trunk for storage should be durable, so endeavor to go for the highest quality hardware. Trunks made from gray metal hardware are often the best, followed by those made from solid brass and black-painted metals. Brass or copper coated trunks should cost lower.

Bottom-line

Antique trunks occupy a very significant part of our history, and are still valuable today. Antique storage trunk is a perfect piece of furniture to accompany your lounge items or living room. They not only conjure up the nostalgic thoughts of our civilization journey but also provide a practical and attractive storage solution. If you are interested in antique trunk or any kind of bespoke furniture, Tandem Arbor Furniture is the furniture store to go to. They have a wide range of bespoke collection that will awaken your seating dreams in perfect size, color, and shape.