Few iron beds, I’ve had in the past 40 years, have ever gotten the response that this one did after being used in a photo shoot with Halle Berry in People Magazine. We had always referred to that bed as the “Peacock” bed because of the similar shape and style of a peacocks feathers and…
How is it that original old antique iron beds often have as many as a dozen or more layers of paint on them? In the early 1800’s iron beds came from the manufacturer with a good strong coating of lead base paint. As the bed went through normal use, after a few years, it would…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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”…
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…