Painted Suitcase Ideas: How to Transform Vintage Luggage into Unique Decor

Looking for painted suitcase ideas to give your vintage luggage a fresh, creative twist?

Discover how to transform an old suitcase into unique vintage decor with a simple paint makeover that adds charm to any room.

With these easy steps, you’ll breathe new life into your favorite flea market or thrifted finds, turning them into statement pieces you’ll love.

What Is a Vintage Suitcase?

A vintage suitcase is an old-fashioned piece of luggage crafted from durable materials like leather, wood, or metal, designed to protect belongings during travel. These vintage suitcases feature charming details such as leather straps, metal hardware, and decorative stitching, giving them a unique and nostalgic look. Available in a range of sizes from small carry-ons to large trunks, vintage suitcases are now often used as eye-catching vintage decor in homes. Many people love their distinctive character and historical appeal, making them perfect statement pieces for creative styling.

Creative Painted Suitcase Decor for Vintage Style

Vintage suitcases are a beautiful way to bring charm and nostalgic style into your home decor. Here are some creative ideas for decorating with vintage suitcases and making them standout pieces in your interior design:

Vintage suitcases are not only functional but also have historical value and character. Incorporating them into your home decor can add a sense of nostalgia and uniqueness to your space.

Painted Vintage Suitcases: Hard Shell Makeover

Over the years, I’ve collected many vintage suitcases, and some of them have become dusty and worn with age. To give these old luggage pieces new life, I decided to clean them up with a fresh coat of paint and repurpose them into unique vintage decor for our home. For this painted suitcase project, I’m using two hard shell vintage suitcases that are perfect for a bold, creative makeover.

Vintage Luggage Restoration with Paint

Restore your vintage luggage and give it a brand new look with a little creativity, fresh paint, and charming details. Transform old, worn suitcases into eye-catching pieces of vintage decor that add unique style and character to your home.

Materials needed:

How to Paint a Vintage Suitcase Step-by-Step

1. Start by choosing paint colors that complement your vintage home decor. I picked an alabaster white paint that matches the trim in our home—and since I already had it on hand, this painted suitcase makeover cost nothing.
2. Next, carefully apply painter’s tape to your vintage suitcase, covering any leather straps, metal hardware, or handles you want to protect from paint.

Using materials you already have is a smart way to keep your DIY painted suitcase ideas affordable and eco-friendly.

I love how the white paint highlights the vintage suitcase’s leather straps and metal hardware, adding contrast and character to the old luggage.

Keep in mind that hard-shell vintage suitcases can be quite dry and textured, so you may need several coats of paint to achieve smooth, even coverage for your restored vintage decor piece.

• 3. Using a paintbrush, start painting your vintage suitcase in all the uncovered areas, taking care to avoid getting paint on the buckles, leather straps, or hardware—these original details make your repurposed vintage suitcase stand out as unique decor.

If you accidentally get paint on these parts, don’t worry. A little Goof Off or a gentle paint remover can help you clean up any mistakes and keep your painted suitcase looking neat and professional.

Finished Painted Suitcase Reveal

Here’s the vintage suitcase after applying two coats of white paint. I tried freestyling parts of the painting process, which led to some paint overlapping onto the leather and hardware, another reason I recommend carefully taping all the suitcase details before you start painting.

My vintage suitcases ultimately needed three coats of paint to achieve the smooth, bright finish I wanted. Keep in mind that the number of coats can vary depending on your suitcase’s material, age, and how dry the surface is.

Adding Stripes to Your Painted Vintage Suitcase

Once the vintage suitcase was fully painted white and completely dry, I felt it still needed a little extra flair. Adding painted stripes gave the luggage more character and a fun, unique touch.

To add stripes to your painted suitcase:

Painting Pale Yellow Stripes

I chose a pale yellow paint for the stripes that matched our home’s wall color at the time, adding a subtle pop of color to the white-painted vintage suitcase. I already had this paint on hand, which kept this DIY painted suitcase project completely budget-friendly.

I waited 24 hours for my painted vintage suitcases to fully dry before bringing them inside to use as unique decor. Allowing your painted suitcases plenty of drying time is important to prevent smudges or marks when you start decorating with your restored vintage luggage.

Vintage Suitcase Repurposed into Home Decor

Before removing the painter’s tape, I let the painted vintage suitcases dry for at least 24 hours to ensure a smooth, durable finish.

Once completely dry, I brought these vintage suitcases into our sunroom and repurposed them as charming side tables and eye-catching display pieces. These painted suitcase ideas are a perfect way to add unique vintage decor to any room in your home.

These vintage suitcases now look clean and fresh while still keeping their charming vintage vibe, making them the perfect statement pieces for unique painted suitcase decor in your home.

More Vintage Suitcase Decor Ideas

Looking for more inspiration on how to decorate with vintage suitcases? Here are some creative vintage suitcase decorating ideas you’ll love for adding unique charm and character to your home:

Vintage Luggage Rack Decor

Don’t forget to style with a vintage luggage rack, too! These charming pieces look adorable in guest bedrooms, adding both function and nostalgic flair. Vintage luggage racks are easy to customize with a fresh coat of paint, and you can personalize them by adding ribbon or leather straps to coordinate with your interior decor.

Conclusion: Painted Suitcase Ideas for Unique Vintage Decor

Transforming old luggage into painted vintage suitcases is an easy and budget-friendly way to add unique vintage decor to your home. Whether you’re using your painted suitcases as side tables, display pieces, or charming storage solutions, these creative painted suitcase ideas bring nostalgic character and one-of-a-kind style to any room.

Ready to start your own vintage suitcase makeover? Share your painted suitcase projects with me in the comments below, and don’t forget to subscribe to the blog for more vintage decor ideas and DIY inspiration!

Pin forLater!

Shop This Post

This post may contain affiliate links, which won’t change your price but will share some commission.