Here’s a hint to what’s been going on around here:
This bit of dark awesomeness is a chest that belonged to my father-in-law. And his mother before him. And her father before her. Seriously, we don’t know how old it is.
It’s been tucked into my FIL’s house for years, storing his vast collection of photo albums. We almost let it go into the estate sale, but at the last minute, neither Himself nor I could let it go. We wrestled it into the car and drove it home, where it now sits in a our family room, awaiting a final resting place.
It needs some TLC. I wiped it down with a damp rag and gentle strokes. It was REALLY dirty. It’s still not perfectly clean – I think that will take serious work and some research into methods and material. It’s wood, with metal and leather strapping and suede-covered panels. It’s torn and worn in places but essentially in good shape. It deserves to be restored to a pristine condition. Hopefully, someday.
Handsome, isn’t it? So where should we put it? And what should we store inside?
Marlene Dotterer 
Restored it can be used as a coffee table. If you don’t want it in the living room put it at the end of your bed and store blankets in it. It’s really a nice piece.
It’s beautiful. It’s big enough to use as an architectural detail in an unused corner, maybe with a tall lap standing next to it. Store blankets or treasures for the next generation.
My daughter has a trunk that she uses as a coffee table, storing jigsaw puzzles and extra pillows. I think it should store your manuscripts, wrapped in velvet ribbons.
I thought of that too! Well, not the velvet ribbons…
I was wondering if there is a way to make it a sort of historical holder of things. Then pass it down generation after generation storing someing from each, a sort of floating family time capsule or something. Oh I don’t know. I think I lost my train of thought lol!!
That’s an awesome idea Angela! Of course, you can never depend on future generations to keep something up, but it’s worth starting it. I’m already thinking of storing each year’s family calendar (loaded with pictures) in there.