The Demographics of Iron Beds

“Where do you get your iron beds ?” ……… I can’t tell you how many times I’ve been asked that question and how many ridiculous answers I’ve come up with over the past 40 years. My favorite is…….. “there’s a small town close to Three Mile Island that is a toxic waste dump. Over the…

Antique Iron Bed Sizes

Many people aren’t aware that iron beds that were being made back in the 1800’s were never larger than today’s double/full size. There were no queen or king sizes. But  people were much smaller then and the luxury of space wasn’t a strong necessity. Although 90% of the bed market was made up with full…

Iron Bed Casters Really Worthless

Most antique iron bed casters, are worthless. Why you ask? Because they were made back in the 1800’s with no ball bearings. Iron beds are traditionally very solid and heavy, due to the poured cast iron castings and thick wall tubing that most all beds were being made with. The casters that were being made…

Iron Beds and Thanksgiving Memories

There are few memories as strong as those spent at Thanksgiving time with my parents. I had moved to the west coast back in 75′, from back in Ocean City Maryland. After finishing school at GW in Washington DC and starting my iron bed business in Georgetown , I decided to move to California and…

Cathouse Beds……Behind The Name……

For over thirty years people have been asking me how it is that I had come by the name, Cathouse Antique Iron Beds for my business. Although you wouldn’t think it would take much of an imagination, the true origin is actually pretty funny. While living in Georgetown, Washington D.C., and attending George Washington University,…

Iron Beds Achilles Heel……………

It’s hard to believe that the big strong iron beds you see gracing the cover of magazines, continually being used as a focal point in movies and plays…….has an Achilles Heel. Well it’s true. In this photo you’re looking at the cast iron drop-in eyelet “hitch”. What you ask is the functionality of these piece…

Tropical Iron Bed

One of the first things that comes to mind when you picture a iron bed in the tropics is mosquito netting and an antique canopy bed. Probably because the were light and airy and with a canopy framework, great for draping curtains or netting over. Because of the abundance of flying insects, throughout the tropics,…

The Romantic Iron Canopy Bed

Few images conjure up a romantic setting like that of a canopy iron bed. Even when the iron bed is not an authentic antique iron bed, the setting, canopy top, and way it’s dressed will determine the effect the owner is trying to achieve. Over the years I’ve converted countless iron beds to canopy and…

“Smokin’ Joe”…..We’ll Miss You

Most all of my blogs have to do in some way shape or form with iron beds. That’s the purpose of company blog……to enlighten people on what your company deals in. In this case iron beds. But I’m departing from that traditional format to pay respect to someone who I grew up watching in he…

Incomplete Iron Beds

Having dealt in antique iron beds for close to 40 years, it always drives me nuts when I see a nicely staged room that has a old bed that is missing pieces. You’d be surprised how many decorators don’t give an incomplete iron bed a second thought. To me it’s as bad as a dresser…