Here is a photo of a slight adjustment we did to an iron bed finish we did for a client. We have made a habit of emailing our clients what we refer to as “final approval” photo’s, before we ship their bed. Because all of our antique “finishes” are hand applied to our beds, there…
DetailsProblematic Conversions……No Problem!!!!!Why? Because the largest size iron bed being made back in the 1800’s was a double/full size. Back then there were no queen or king sizes. So to accommodate those individuals with either a queen or king size mattress, it’s necessary to have us convert it. The conversion process our beds go through…
DetailsActually a variation of Black. Regular Black can be a very dull lifeless color for anything, especially an iron bed or large piece of furniture. Yet with a few simple “tweak’s”, an otherwise lifeless color can come to life and have a rich organic look to it. Here are the steps that go into our…
DetailsOne of the more popular custom antique faux’ finishes we do on our iron beds is the “Distressed Crackle” finish. It came about as a result of the response I continually got from my customers that would see old beds I’d get in, that had 150 to 200 years of paint that had crackle and…
DetailsNearly 50% or more of all iron beds made back in the 1800’s had corner castings or “finials”. These are the decorative castings on the top of the corner of the head and foot board. They are as diverse in their style as the beds they go on. So what can be determined from corner…
DetailsOne of the more enjoyable things about being in the antique iron bed business over the past 40 years, is having been able to see countless beds be “re-born”, in the refinishing process, after a “storied” past of close to 200 years. It really is like the rebirth of an old piece of furniture that…
DetailsWhat comes to mind when you hear the word iron bed. It can be as varied as those from the same Rorschach ink blot. Some people, mostly men, believe iron beds are pure femininity…….there’s nothing masculine about them. Other people feel they embody the Victorian romantic era and still others feel they were purely beds…
DetailsI’ve done numerous blogs in the past about “art display panel beds”. Many of them were actually made by a foundry/manufacturer in Chicago called the “Art Bed Co.” These particular beds had flat metal panels that served as canvases for different floral bouquet’s, pastoral scenes, or even abstract Victorian designs. But there were a select few…
DetailsMost all of the beds I sell, our customers have me put on an authentic antique finish. Because all our beds are original old antique iron beds…..not reproductions, our customers want to make sure the finish reflects their age and authenticity . That’s why we have so many old antique faux’ finishes in our repertoire.…
DetailsAs most of you know…the largest size iron bed being made back in the 1800’s, was a double size. So when someone wants a larger size, and still wants to use an antique iron beds, it becomes necessary to convert that original double size in one of a couple different ways. When converting your bed…
DetailsHaving been in the iron bed business for close to 40 years, I’ve seen most beds more than once. I have albums upon albums of different bed styles I’ve come across over that period. But it always amazes me when I get a bed in that I’ve had in the past that looks so uniquely…
DetailsMost people think of antique iron beds in one of two ways…….either ultra fancy and scrolled or plain and Austere. Although many of them do fall within those style parameters , there are many that have a subtle yet elegant understated look……..as is the case with the bed in this photo. True……there are many simple…
DetailsIn the past forty years, I’ve never encountered a more prolific iron bed than that of the “Pagoda” . It’s name comes from the corner casting that resembles a oriental Pagoda. Coupled with Victorian scrolls, it’s a bed I’ve seen copied by at least half a dozen different foundries. Back in the 1800’s small independent…
DetailsClose to 40 years ago I started buying and selling antique brass beds. It was purely a part time hobby that turned in to a career I’ve been doing the better part of my life. Although I now specialize in iron beds from the same period of time in the 1800’s. I started in brass…
DetailsOne of the most utilitarian iron beds ever made was the “campaign bed”. “Campaign’s” derivation comes from a series of military operations intended to achieve a particular objective, confined to a particular area, or involving a specified type of fighting, an organized course of action to achieve a particular goal. These “campaigns” as they were…
DetailsYellow is sunshine. It is a warm color that, like red, has conflicting symbolism. On the one hand it denotes happiness and joy. but on the other hand yellow is the color of cowardice and deceit. Yellow is one of the more popular colors being used on iron beds back in the 1800’s. Because of the high visibility…
DetailsThis was not a new idea – the Romans used beds, which they could fold and carry easily – but for some unknown reason the fashion never caught on until the 1851 Great Exhibition. A’ French’ double iron bed from Birmingham was selling at the rate of 400 per week in 1849, and shot up…
DetailsIn history, there was a definite “transition period” where the design of iron beds changed radically from the ornate, detailed castings, and scrolled Victorian lines…….. to a much more “stream-lined” less decorative. Three of the more distinct “innovations” to help usher in the Industrial Revolution, and that were closely linked to it, were Textiles and…
DetailsThe use of the symbolic meaning of flowers on iron beds and particularly in their detailed castings to represent emotions was developed to a high degree during Victorian times. Due to the strict protocol of the times, emotions, wishes and thoughts were not openly expressed between men and women. Instead, subtle things like bed designs…
DetailsOver the years I have been very fortunate, largely because of where we are locate, to have come in contact with quite a few people in the entertainment industry. In that period of time we have sold iron beds to more celebrities than I can remember. The fun thing about watching the Oscars is seeing…
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