The Indians of a bygone era never believed in travelling light. They carried huge trunks, chests and caskets made of wood, steel or iron which weighed nothing less than ten kilograms at the least. Yet the sense of security lent by these strong boxes made those people hold on to them all their lives. As travelling light became more fashionable with the introduction of leather, canvas and polymer baggage, these luggage items made a quiet exit from homes or just glided into anonymity in the cellars and attics of homes.
If you are the sort who is very sentimental about these antiques but can really find no use for them — think again. Bring out those boxes and clean them out and sun them. A coat of paint will see you through the initial exercise. Then if you have similar sized boxes they can be arranged as extra seating arrangements. Get colourful quilts and throw them over these seats so that when they are draped over these boxes, they cover them completely. Toss a few cushions covered in contrasting colours and you can place these extra pieces of furniture in the children’s room and wherever else you think they will fit in snugly. The insides of the box can be used as extra storage space to stock things you do not need on an everyday basis.
If you have slightly smaller and shorter wooden boxes they can be polished well and can be placed in wide staircase landings or in the living room of your home. You could place artifacts, clocks, picture frames or flower vases on them or even use one as a coffee table especially if it is embellished. This way you can be very sure that your sturdy novel furniture in dissimilar shapes can be a cynosure in your home.
