Trendlet Alert: Well-Traveled Luggage

By Marni Elyse Katz
April 12, 2010

clockwise from top left: Vintage Louis Vuitton trunk in condo of Boston designer Jeff Osborne (photo by Josh Kuchinsky), Brigitta Dresser at Anthropologie, display at Anthropologie, Pottery Barn Vintage Suitcase Storage, Vintage Vuitton in designer Ken Fulk's Napa Valley ranch house (photo by Victoria Pearson), two old suitcases atop a dresser create additional storage space at this photo location in England (photo courtesy of ShootFactory), Vintage Vuitton in a guest room in interior designer Darryl Carter's Washington, D.C. home (photo by Gordon Beall), vintage suitcases at the home of Karen Marsh (photo by Sparrow King for Apartment Therapy)

The Look: Well-worn (not to mention well-traveled) luggage is making appearances outside of the storage closet. We love the look, which lends a sense of once-upon-a-time adventure to even the spiffiest of spaces. And who can argue with suitcases' ability to do double duty? They make perfect storage pieces for everything from off-season sweaters to grandma’s china.

Seen In: The most sophisticated of casual chic décors, in the best interior design mags and books, as well as in chain stores headed by creative directors with impeccable taste. Check out the reproduction vintage suitcase storage chests at Pottery Barn, as well as the luggage-like Brigitta dresser at Anthropologie. This clothing and home décor haven also uses old suitcases to perfection in its displays, as does Boston area boutique Portobello Road.

Karen Marsh, owner of vintage store Mackey Blue in Hoboken, NJ uses old suitcases at her shop (where they’re not only displays but also offered up for sale) and in her home. She’s even bought (and sold) some on eBay. She says of the online marketplace, “It’s where I got my start selling vintage. I use it for purchasing, selling, and as a resource for pricing, trending, and [gathering] information on everything I sell at my store. It’s like a living encyclopedia that’s always being updated—ebaypedia!”

Loved By: Merchandisers aren’t the only ones to flip their lids for these beat up beauties. Top-notch interior designers, including Washington, D.C.-based Darryl Carter and San Francisco-based Ken Fulk are big fans. Carter used vintage Vuitton cases in a guest room in his D.C. home, pictures of which can be seen in his book, The New Traditional (Random House/Clarkson Potter). He says, “The vocabulary [of the suitcases] is intended to welcome; everything in the room is worn-in in order to invite comfort.” Fulk also uses vintage Vuitton—the “it” label for luggage. In his home in the Napa Valley, he propped two vintage Louis Vuitton suitcases on wood blocks and topped them with a silver tray to create an elegant night stand.

Boston-based interior designer Jeff Osborne loves his 1920's Vuitton trunk, which was a birthday present from his parents, who discovered it in Maine. Osborne says, “Based on the number of old cruise line stickers and labels [stuck to it], I’d say it’s been around the world several times. The key was missing so my father called Louis Vuitton and found that they keep a record of all original keys. It was fantastic to receive a new key in the mail from France, and now I can lock it. It has linen-lined drawers on one side and hangers on the other. I keep old letters, cards, and photos in there. I wouldn't give it up for anything, and prefer having an old beat up version than a sparkling new one.”

Need more evidence of the mileage this trend is getting? Renowned fashion writer Lynn Yaeger uses vintage Vuitton luggage at the foot of her bed to store items from her overflowing closet, while Grace Bonney, of popular blog Design*Sponge, has made tables by whitewashing old suitcases and adding legs.