Decorating with antique beds has become more and more popular with interior designers throughout Texas. The Shabby Chic trend of decorating
seems to have started on either coast and worked itself inward toward the heartland. Antique iron beds have always been the staple of country decorators throughout the east coast. As was the case with many Texas decorators, they felt metal beds to be much more indigenous with North Eastern Decorators because the source of beds, back in the 1800’s, came out of the Pittsburgh Pennsylvania area. But it has come to light that there were actually iron beds being made in the small independently owned foundries of the Pittsburgh steel area for patrons in Texas. Take a look at the “casting ” photo to the right. You’ll notice it has the Texas Star within a horseshoe. Although the bed frame this casting is on was made in the Pittsburgh area, it came out of an old hotel in Dallas……..along with twenty others. The hotel decorator, back in the 1800’s, must have ordered them from one of the many Northern foundries. It is now believed that many more beds, than were previously thought to have made their way west of the Mississippi, did make it into the still developing Western States. As more decorators in Texas become aware that metal beds were not just being used in the North, they started including more and more into their interior designs. Today it’s one of the most popular form of bed used in something other than a modern setting.
I hope you’ve found this blog informative . I invite you to revisit my website
to answer any and all questions you might have about antique iron beds.
I also invite you to take a look at our company Face Book page for multiple photo albums on Custom Finishes, Canopy Conversions and a comprehensive “Before & After” King Conversions album.
