to crackle or not to crackle...

Coming up with a side table for the living room was tough. While in the loft, my shoe storage unit and extra night stand doubled as a table for my 'living room' portion of my loft. Suddenly with the house, we have so much additional space!

While this presents itself with some fun options for adding a side table, we also have very small closets for storing items. Not that we own a ton of stuff, but extra blankets for the couch need a place to call home.

If you follow my Instagram account {if not, shameless plug here if you want to see what I am up to frequently, follow me @darkaykuips} you may remember a shot of my trunk that doubled as seating and storage for my small space. Few things I love more than crackled paint and antique trunks, especially when I can use them for storage and decor. No judgement here, please. 

An old trunk seemed like an ideal resolution to the table/storage purpose I was looking for. The search for the perfect trunk ensued. Granted, every time Brett and I are junking he is pealing me away from a trunk I feel is needed. This mission couldn't be that hard considering my luck with ubiquitous trunks. Bonus points if it has crackling paint, frayed fabric or cracking leather.

This brings me back to the story of the estate sale that scored us a second dining table, frame and the trunk on wheels. In my moment of weakness, somehow Brett leveraged the trunk in a negotiation with the estate dealer to purchase items in bulk. Still, I haven't found a use for the stinking second table...blast that quarter sawn table top for being so irresistible to my lumberjack.

So, this little masterpiece was the perfect size. It fits the depth of my couch just so, and hinges open on the top to store items inside. The flat top allows it to serve as a necessary surface for resting remotes, glassware, etc. No ordinary side table would do, so I love the addition of the handles, caster wheels, and wood motifs. The fact that the wood was cracking, nearly melted my heart. It was trunk love at first sight. 

Being a similar wood finish to the floor, I have not yet decided if I should change it. My first instinct was to antique finish it white, but then I would loose the two-tone effect of the inlay. Low and behold, I stumbled across a tutorial from Annie Sloan that demonstrated white washing and {dramatic drumroll}...how to make your chalk paint look as if it is crackled! Sweet mercy, I almost decided to paint all the furniture in my house.

Still, I can't decide on a color{s}. Enjoy the details of this neat piece. Leave a comment below with some color suggestions! I have also contemplated some stain or chemical treatments.