June | 2014 | UpwithFurniture

Cedar chests have been used for centuries. It is believed that the aroma of the cedar repels moths and fungus which is why people have traditionally stored woolens in these cedar-lined boxes. The Lane Company of Virginia is a well-known producer of cedar chests and in the first part of the twentieth century, they marketed their products as hope chests that every young woman wished to possess to store her wedding trousseau in. This poster using Shirley Temple is an example of their marketing:

My chest was bought at a garage sale and was in rough condition on the outside. The veneer was peeling in many places but the cedar inside was still in great shape. It was made by the Honderich Company of Ontario and has a key as well as the original stamp saying it is Tennessee Red Cedar:

I removed the veneer from the top and the sides and had to do a lot of filling and sanding of the wood underneath. I painted it in AS Pure White but wanted something to highlight the trim and molding. I layered French Linen and Graphite on the edges with a wash of white. I actually did this a few times to get the right effect. I have to credit my AS vendor, Katrina, of Malenka Originals with the idea. She painted a dresser with Gustavian detail and wrote about it here. The handles are also painted this way and have a bit of silver gilding added to them as well.