Where do we start when it comes to converting an antique iron bed from it’s original double size to a bed with today’s modern king size dimensions?
Well we first start with an iron bed that has good king conversion potential. What does that mean? A bed should have the design symmetry that when the width is enlarged, that symmetry and design are going to be maintained and not change to the point of looking entirely different. For instance….if an bed has three equal arches going across the top. Either the two outer arches are going to have to be enlarged or the one center arch will have to be made wider, thus changing the original “symmetry” . But……..If a bed has arches with different widths to start out with, enlarging those arches will maintain the original symmetry and feel natural.
After selecting a bed you like, it’s best to do a proportional sketch of exactly how it’s going to look once the welding, additional verticals , scrolls etc are welded in. Occasionally, as is the case with the beautiful bed in this photo, the customer choose to have a casting added to the top of an otherwise plain straight bar. As you can see……this addition was a beautiful one and really blended with the other unique castings on the bed.
Because a conversion can always have numerous ways it can be done, the proportional sketch is vital in allowing the the customer and fabricator to be on the same page and know exactly what is to be expected.
I have had iron beds in the past that I ended up doing three different sketches of, before we arrived at one the customer liked and proportionally would work. The last thing you’d want ,would be to go through the process of selecting a beautiful bed, only to be disappointed with what it looked like after the king conversion was completed. That’s why a “sketch” is vital to the success of a king conversion.
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.
