Hemingways Cigar Box!

Do I have your attention?

Often when we see an antique we like to imagine what the story was that goes with the piece of furniture. Kind of a little history that tells where the piece was from and who owned it before. This little trunk box sent us to wondering…

The year is 1940, Martha and Ernest Hemingway have just arrived in Cuba. The city at night is a spectacle of sounds and lights with tourists flocking to the island for its weather, rum, and jazz. While the tropical is in full swing, down at La Floridita Hemingway is having a rum and a cigar. Contemplating what he called “the most beautiful women in the world.” As he reaches for another cigar, it comes out of a small box trunk.

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The trunk was owned by the proprietor of the cafe. Music played at night and the socialites that flocked to the city partied the night away surrounded by stars and samba. Idyllic.

Enough of the fantasy, back to the present.

It’s not a trunk, it’s a cigar box.

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Did we have you there for a second?

This little cigar box is the latest from Stacey Christensen from Faux Studio Designs in Alabama.

She took a simple cigar box and made it into a trunk. Using Efex and her latest Faux Finishing Recipe, in less than two hours she created a masterpiece. One look and we were dreaming of old Havana.

The way she used the Efex was just so darn clever.

The center is one of our escutcheons E5, but the rest of the straps are really pieces of a T14 trim.

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She went from this elegant trim to straps on a trunk. Who would have thought?!

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Then to add the authentic rustic, rust she used Modern Masters Metal Effects in Rust

Instead of a simple little box, she painted a story.

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We think that we all have a story inside waiting to come out with our creativity. So if you want to tell your own story we highly recommend Stacey’s Paint Recipes for Furniture and Cabinets. Just grab her monthly subscription and start dreaming up your story.  From Stockholm to Havana and everywhere in between she’s got you covered.

Don’t forget to add an Efex or two to really make your next project unique and customized!

Oops…gotta go, Havana is calling! Off to visit Hemingway’s home to see the trunk in full size.

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