Well that's a pretty paradox situation I have here.
My fiancée's brother pointed out, that starting a minimalist journey with a purchase is something you can call uncommon, he suggested that it would be better if I declutter first and then try to find something in which the remaining objects can fit.
But that was not the point.
I know myself, because we are living together for almost thirty years now, and I know that if the stuff has to choose it's place then a five story hunting castle or the Tower of Orthanc would be a better option than any kind of steamer trunk for storing my belongings.
I always imagined myself as some kind of a victorian gentleman, with wonderful collections (roomfuls of it to be precise) a giant library, great halls and saloons covered with eclectic stuff from specimen jars to hunting trophis. A home freshly out from Addams family, or Crimson peak. Since my teenage years I collected stuff which would fit into a home like these despite the fact that I never had the money to afford a home like these.
So the "plan" (because as I wrote before, there wasn't really a plan) was:
-Find a steamer trunk,
-Purchase it,
-Fill it with thoroughly assorted stuff,
-Get rid of everything else.
For the past two weeks, we lived in our self made hell, known for mundane people as home renovation. Our stuff was put away, in boxes, bags, wardrobes or under other stuff.
We had to live in a very small space, with only those things which we needed in our everyday life.
That was quite a revelation. And helped a lot in letting go many-many items, but about that in another entry.
Finding a steamer trunk (especially one in good, or at least usable condition) in a country, which does not have access to any kind of sea or ocean, is quite difficult. I don't think that a lot of Hungarians had steamer trunks, even at the turn of the century, when it was fashionable and useful.
I wrote for many antiques dealers in search for a standing steamer trunk, they either did not have it, or it wasn't the type I needed. The conception behind the standing steamer trunk was not only that it's big and practical for storing stuff, but that I could display nicely my remaining belongings. So I had to stick to that type.
After hours of web searching, I finally stumbled upon on that black one I showed you before. It was in a wonderful shape, something right out of a movie. Everything still intact, every bit of it in mint condition. So it was a real heart brake when the seller told me it can only be rented...after all I can't blame him. They make most of the period movies in Hungary, and they get all the props locally, so I can imagine that this little beauty has made it's worth for a dozen times.
After a small breakdown - which has been witnessed by all of you, here,- I started to search on international waters for a trunk.
It turned out quite fast that in Europe I won't find anything, but from America the price for the trunk itself plus the shipping cost will be tremendous...something I can't really afford neither between normal circumstances nor during a renovation.Then I remembered a Hungarian online market which specializes in antiquities, page after page I searched for the trunk, when I stumbled upon this:
Someone - the seller himself, as it turned out eventually - upcycled the trunk into a wine rack, with a wineglass holder on the opposite side. When I saw the makeover I knew I found it. Because if there was someone who did that, there will be someone how can undo it. The seller was really helpful, he said that it can be rearranged with shelves, we spoke three or four times on phone, and he sent me pictures during the making. He was really professional and we discussed every detail thoroughly, including even the thickness of the shelves, so they won't look out of place and style. He worked fast, and in a blink I found a steamer trunk in my living room.
My fiancée often recites the phrase: "Good things come to those who wait" which is often followed by my sigh, saying: "I ain't in a patient phase" But this time, it was worth waiting, not only because a minimalist project is worthy of patience, in the name of slow living and so on. But I looked for an item which is perfect, in every aspect. The black one with it's many drawers was beautiful as a trunk, but I needed display surfaces, which I got with this one. It's not perfect, the time has left its marks on the surface, it can be seen if you take a closer look, but those imperfections really add to the aesthetic of the trunk, and it has a really nice unison with the things that found it's way inside.
About that: in another entry!
But that was not the point.
I know myself, because we are living together for almost thirty years now, and I know that if the stuff has to choose it's place then a five story hunting castle or the Tower of Orthanc would be a better option than any kind of steamer trunk for storing my belongings.
I always imagined myself as some kind of a victorian gentleman, with wonderful collections (roomfuls of it to be precise) a giant library, great halls and saloons covered with eclectic stuff from specimen jars to hunting trophis. A home freshly out from Addams family, or Crimson peak. Since my teenage years I collected stuff which would fit into a home like these despite the fact that I never had the money to afford a home like these.
So the "plan" (because as I wrote before, there wasn't really a plan) was:
-Find a steamer trunk,
-Purchase it,
-Fill it with thoroughly assorted stuff,
-Get rid of everything else.
For the past two weeks, we lived in our self made hell, known for mundane people as home renovation. Our stuff was put away, in boxes, bags, wardrobes or under other stuff.
We had to live in a very small space, with only those things which we needed in our everyday life.That was quite a revelation. And helped a lot in letting go many-many items, but about that in another entry.
Finding a steamer trunk (especially one in good, or at least usable condition) in a country, which does not have access to any kind of sea or ocean, is quite difficult. I don't think that a lot of Hungarians had steamer trunks, even at the turn of the century, when it was fashionable and useful.
I wrote for many antiques dealers in search for a standing steamer trunk, they either did not have it, or it wasn't the type I needed. The conception behind the standing steamer trunk was not only that it's big and practical for storing stuff, but that I could display nicely my remaining belongings. So I had to stick to that type.
After hours of web searching, I finally stumbled upon on that black one I showed you before. It was in a wonderful shape, something right out of a movie. Everything still intact, every bit of it in mint condition. So it was a real heart brake when the seller told me it can only be rented...after all I can't blame him. They make most of the period movies in Hungary, and they get all the props locally, so I can imagine that this little beauty has made it's worth for a dozen times.
After a small breakdown - which has been witnessed by all of you, here,- I started to search on international waters for a trunk.
It turned out quite fast that in Europe I won't find anything, but from America the price for the trunk itself plus the shipping cost will be tremendous...something I can't really afford neither between normal circumstances nor during a renovation.Then I remembered a Hungarian online market which specializes in antiquities, page after page I searched for the trunk, when I stumbled upon this:
Someone - the seller himself, as it turned out eventually - upcycled the trunk into a wine rack, with a wineglass holder on the opposite side. When I saw the makeover I knew I found it. Because if there was someone who did that, there will be someone how can undo it. The seller was really helpful, he said that it can be rearranged with shelves, we spoke three or four times on phone, and he sent me pictures during the making. He was really professional and we discussed every detail thoroughly, including even the thickness of the shelves, so they won't look out of place and style. He worked fast, and in a blink I found a steamer trunk in my living room.
 |
| The outcome of the make over, still in the seller's workshop. |
About that: in another entry!
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