Castings Are A Beds Fingerprint

The major thing that give metal beds their distinction from any other type of bed, are the cast iron castings that are the decorative pieces that are poured around all the “joints” of rods and tubing in the design of the iron beds. They are the “fingerprint’ of the foundry that has designed them ,…

Antique Beds Examples

Great  beds come in all shapes and sizes. Here are but a few of the many antique beds we’ve come across. There were thousands of differet styles being made and to this day yet unseen styles and designs still are surfacing.Please note the uniqueness of all of these individual designs. Some are pure Victorian and…

Refined Elegance and The Antique Iron Bed

It’s unfortunate that a number of people have the opinion that metal beds can only go into a Victorian or elaborately fanciful setting. That school of thought couldn’t be  farther from the truth. Any antique iron bed can be adapted to the setting by it’s surroundings and the way the owner chooses to dress it.…

Iron Beds Are A Reflection of The Times

Throughout history how we dress, where we live and the homes we live in, flect the attitude of that period. So it should come as no surprise that iron beds were also a direct reflection of the times they were designed and built in. The rigid conservatism of Victorian England fostered beds that spoke volumes…

Antique Iron Beds With A Religious Motif

Religion is not something you’d normally associate with iron beds. But……..throughout time there is very little that religion hasn’t had some influence in in some way or another. Whether in architecture, furniture design or clothing, we have always chosen to display our beliefs in a visual manner……be it subtle or demonstrative. The two topics most…

Iron Beds for Lighthouses

Over the years I’ve sold iron beds to people that have had every imaginable style home, apartment, estate, farmhouse, beach house,adobe, penthouse , etc. that you can imagine. But I’ve never sold  a bed to anyone with a more unique home than a couple in upstate Maine who happen to live in a “lighthouse”. From…

The Butlers Iron Bed

Not something traditionally seen in this country…….but the Butler’s bedroom was a common setting amongst the upper class throughout England. Because the butler held a rather important role in the families day to day living, it was important his private sanctuary be befitting his station in life. Often great pains were taken to make his…

“Mountain Top vs Flat Top” Iron Beds

Antique iron beds came in every possible design and after having been in the business for forty years I continue, to this day, seeing designs I’ve never come across before. But there is one consistency when it comes to styles and designs that you can count on. Iron beds will always fall into one of two…

Gendered Iron Beds

What, you ask is “gendered iron beds“…….. Quite simply it means taking any antique iron bed and establishing it’s gender by the “finish” you apply. It’s actually quite simple. You can take a beautifully scrolled Victorian or Art Nouveau bed that has soft flowing feminine curves and design……. and make it look masculine. Maybe not…

“The Hills are Drying Up”

“The Hills are Drying Up”, has become the catch phrase for every antique picker that is still in the business. When I started as a wholesale “picker”, over 40 years ago back in Washington DC., the “hills” were load with merchandise. The “hills” are the backwoods, that are away from cities and densely populated metropolitan areas.…