Storage Trunks With Soul: A Jamaican Londoner’s Story

When I first saw the circus clown trunk, I stopped in my tracks. The hand-drawn clown staring upside down across the front felt like more than decoration. It felt like a memory of a lost world — a carnival gone by. Old storage boxes aren’t just wooden boxes. They’re time capsules. Before suitcases rolled through airports, stylish vintage trunks for your home were the way people travelled. Built solid, heavy duty, sometimes decorated with brass corners or painted lettering.

I still think about when the circus came to town once a year. Posters glued to walls promised elephants, fire breathers, acrobats — and always clowns. Looking at the trunk feels like it was there backstage, stuffed with costumes and props, waiting for the show to begin. The funny thing is, even though this trunk looks distressed, it works in a modern home. Minimal interiors actually make the colours pop. The scratches and paint chips add contrast you can’t buy in a shop.