The Great Lakes & Iron Bed History

The beginning of a large iron and steel industry in the Chicago region during the nineteenth century was a function of entrepreneurial effort and a geographical advantage. Mills could obtain raw materials from the vast iron ore deposits in the Lake Superior region relatively cheaply and easily. Because most of the iron ore used by…

The Pro’s & Con’s of Using an Interior Designer

What are the pro’s and cons of using an interior designer ?The profession of Interior Design is relatively new, constantly evolving, and often confusing to the public. The best way to know if you should be using a interior designer for any of your decorating needs is first to ask yourself what will they be…

Canadian Clients……Thank You

Over the years we have continued to sell more and more antique iron beds to our neighbors to the north, Canada. You’d think those sales would have increased because of word of mouth, or the ones we shipped having been seen by friends or family members. Although we’ve been very fortunate to have always turned…

Shepherds Staff…….

Few antique iron beds you’ll ever come across will have such a unique corner casting and design. This bed has always been referred to as the “Shepherds Staff”, for obvious reasons. We came across this bed in the Chicago area where  foundries were nearly as plentiful as those in the Pittsburgh Pa area, back in…

Interior Design Using Old Iron Beds

  Up until recently most interior designers have used “reproduction” iron beds for all their bedroom design needs. Why? Rather simple answer….it was easier and “reproductions” offered todays larger sizes, that weren’t available back in the 1800’s. It was quite easy to go “on-line” and look up any number of companies that produced reproductions and…

Iron Beds Tradition for the 1800s

It was the traditional bed for that period. Yes there were wooden headboards. But the majority of the population slept on iron beds. What made them so popular were a number of contributing factor’s. The first few were practical ones…….they elevated the person sleeping in the away from the drafts that were close to the…

Top Of The Food Chain

The biggest problem over the years has been replenishing my inventory at the rate that they’ve been selling. One of the reasons there are an abundance of reproduction companies making “pretend” iron beds……..and I stress “pretend”, is that there really aren’t enough around anymore to satisfy the demand. That’s always the reason you’ll encounter “reproductions”…

Antique Iron Beds for Extreme Home Makeover

Few projects I’ve been involved in, with regards to iron beds, have been as fulfilling as this bed that we did for a very deserving couple on the TV show Extreme Home Makeover. It was just one of many beds we’ve done over the years for the popular TV series.Art Nouveau, Victorian Our original connection…

Chicago Iron Beds

Outside of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania…….Chicago has probably more historic background as it relates to iron beds in Chicago back in the 1800’s than any city west of the Mississippi. There were numerous steel mills and steel producing factories in Chicago back in the 1800’s. So getting the materials that small independently owned foundries needed to build…

Miami Iron Beds

What is it that makes Miami one of the largest iron bed markets in the United States. Well first of all “good taste”……… secondly the amount of people from the Manhattan area, or largest market, that decide to retire and move to sunny Florida. There comes a point as we grow older that we ask…