meet the Team
Owner & Restorer
John Gardiner
Johns career in restorations services started back in the 80s working in the high pressure, automotive industry. After realizing he wanted a change of career, John fell in love with furniture restoration, after restoring an old Georgian house back to close to original condition. He went to work for high-end reproduction furniture and antique restoration company called Arabesque. There, he worked on furniture for high-end clients, television shows, movies and for the National Trust in the UK. After many years at this company, John picked up his family and immigrated them to Maine, where he started working for a company called Finley Restored in Yarmouth.
John fell in love with trunks, after getting to transform the old, beaten and battered trunks that clients would bring into Finley Restored. After the birth of his Grandson, John needed toy storage and decided to restore on old trunk. Not only did the trunk look amazing in the house, but his little grandson adored the trunk and always referred to it as the ‘pirates treasure chest.’ From that point on he has taken a keen interest in Trunks and always considered restoring and selling them as a side hustle. After many years of consideration and with a the nudge of his daughters encouragement, he kicked himself in the ass and started building a collection.
Co-Owner & Business Manager
Lilly Gardiner
Lilly, who used to attend Brunswick High School, graduated in 2016 and moved back to the UK to attend The University of the West of England. Since then she has obtained a BA (Hons) Business and Events Management degree. After working in the events industry for many years she now runs Citrus, a dance club in Portland Maine where she is using her experience and education to bring diverse curated experiences to Maine.
Lilly often visits her family home in Maine and after falling in love with her dads saratoga dome trunk with alligator pressed tin, she noticed her dad had a rare talent that needed to be exploited. Lilly and John recognized that there could be a market for a business which specializes in Steamer Trunks, due to the extensive maritime history in Maine. Lilly never forgets Brunswick, and although she is often far away, she still wants to contribute to the community that raised her and wishes to open more start-ups in Brunswick, which adds to its unique charm and culture.