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…
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…
“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.…
As you probably know, the largest size bed being made back in the 1800’s was a double/full. And you probably know that these old iron beds can be converted to accommodate a modern queen size mattress. But did you know that it can be done in two ways: The most difficult is done by cutting…
It’s almost Fathers Day, and you’ve yet to decide what to get one of the most important and possibly influencial people in your life. As is the situation with any gift giving occasion, what we give shows how much we care about the person we’re offering the gift to. No……it doesn’t have to be pricey.…
Problematic Conversions……No Problem!!!!!Why? Because the largest size iron bed being made back in the 1800’s was a double/full size. Back then there were no queen or king sizes. So to accommodate those individuals with either a queen or king size mattress, it’s necessary to have us convert it. The conversion process our beds go through…
Nearly 50% or more of all iron beds made back in the 1800’s had corner castings or “finials”. These are the decorative castings on the top of the corner of the head and foot board. They are as diverse in their style as the beds they go on. So what can be determined from corner…
One of the more enjoyable things about being in the antique iron bed business over the past 40 years, is having been able to see countless beds be “re-born”, in the refinishing process, after a “storied” past of close to 200 years. It really is like the rebirth of an old piece of furniture that…
What comes to mind when you hear the word iron bed. It can be as varied as those from the same Rorschach ink blot. Some people, mostly men, believe iron beds are pure femininity…….there’s nothing masculine about them. Other people feel they embody the Victorian romantic era and still others feel they were purely beds…
I’ve done numerous blogs in the past about “art display panel beds”. Many of them were actually made by a foundry/manufacturer in Chicago called the “Art Bed Co.” These particular beds had flat metal panels that served as canvases for different floral bouquet’s, pastoral scenes, or even abstract Victorian designs. But there were a select few…