Project: vintage suitcases

A pile of vintage leather trunks and cases, stacked neatly at the end of your bed or on top of a wardrobe can provide handy storage space for bedding, towels and blankets, as well as looking pretty flippin’ fabulous. But, such delights often come with a hefty price tag – a vintage 1950s leather suitcase will set you back a cool £80 in Cabbages and Roses, for example. Ouch!

To get the look for less, head to your nearest car boot sale. Old suitcases and trunks can often be bought for next to nothing – I recently picked up a fabulous metal trunk and two 1940s leather suitcases for just £20! They needed a bit of a clean, but look lovely after a bit of baby-wipe action. To give cases an authentic, well-travelled look, you could buy a set  of reproduction luggage labels from the Italian stationery gurus at Cavallini & Co, then leave the labels spread out next to a window for a week or two of sunshine to fade them so they look aged. Decorate your cases with a few of the stickers, and tie a traditional brown card luggage label (make your own or buy some from Hobbycraft) to the handle with some rustic-looking string, so you know what’s inside and to complete the retro look. – Ellie