Inspired at Costco, who knew?

Have you seen the latest issue of Where Women Create?   I picked it up Monday night at Costco of all places (love that it's 30% off the cover price there). I knew I couldn't pass it up when I saw the FABULOUS studio of mixed media artist Gail Rieke.

But it was when I opened the magazine and saw the entire wall that I was truly amazed and inspired.  My first thought, "I want that".   The wall is like a giant mixed media piece of art.
I was so inspired by the photo that I just couldn't stop looking at it, thinking about it, dreaming about it.  How can I do something like that in my house?  Where could I put it?  How many suitcases do I already have?  Can I talk my husband into building it? All valid questions when one is so inspired, right?

If you go to Gail Rieke's website you can click on 'studio' and see the full picture or better yet, buy the magazine so you can see at it, as well as more of the space.

So, I emailed Deb and said, "have I got an idea for Wednesday's blog post...suitcases!" 

After that conversation, Deb went on a hunt to find ideas using suitcases in decor (this is really only half of what she found) to share with you today.  So, now I am sending you over to Deb so she can show you what she found. 

Between Paula and I we have probably close to 45 vintage suitcases, so apparently we like the way they look and all the fun things we can do with them.  They serve double duty not only looking good in our houses but they also are a great place to store all our good junk.  Here are a few ideas we found that we hope will inspire.

Suitcase painted with chalkboard paint-

via A Beach Cottage

appropriate start, right?

Paint the table and suitcase the same color - 

via Songbird

via Indenfor & Udenfor

A table that uses luggage as a pedestal, genius.

Via Syd & Harper

Love this trunk from Restoration Hardware

 also from Restoration Hardware

via Rossana Orlandi

I have always love this idea found in a long ago issue of Country Home magazine.

Stacks, stacks and more stacks....

via Pinterest

via Creamy Life

via Lucyina Moodie

via Prize

via Apartment Therapy

via Anthropologie 

via Apartment Therapy

So do you have suitcases in your decor?  I am sure we are not the only ones!  On Friday we continue our quest for suitcases by showing you how we use them in our own homes in episode  No. 2 of Good Junk. See you then!

label by Chelsea Parsons via Jessica Sprague