Ben Franklin Stepfather to Iron Beds!

Cast iron stove came into being in the 1700s. The material of cast iron is iron mixed with carbon and silica and cast in molds. Much the same as castings on an antique iron bed. It conducts heat very efficiently, and is strong and sturdy, withstanding years of wear. Once again much the same in…

The Best Art Nouveau Iron Bed Ever Seen

It’s crafted of cast iron with fitted wood panels, with flowing lines artfully arranged in a naturalistic fan motif. The wooden panels are adorned with Celtic-inspired creatures and mother-of-pearl accents. It’s almost impossible when you look at it to even think it is an antique iron bed.  It looks more like wood or some composite…

Craftsman Iron Beds

As is the case with many iron beds that came out of the 1800’s, their styles did not always seem appropriate for that period of time. Even though they were being produced in the Victorian Era 1837 to 1901, many of the styles coming out of that period could easily be categorized as styles from…

“I Only Want Headboards”

Quite often a customer comes to me requesting just headboards. That use to be a bit of a dilemma because  I only buy compete iron beds…..headboards, footboards and side rails. But then some people just don’t have the pace in small bedrooms for a complete iron bed. When that is the case, we can offer…

Investing in Antiques

In a time when peoples savings aren’t what they use to be and it becomes more and more difficult to know what you should put your money in…….there is one place it will always continue to go up…….ANTIQUES. Supply and demand have always been the corner stone of investing. Consider this analogy…….Beachfront Property. Here in…

Buying An Antique Iron Bed

One of the first things you should consider if you’re thinking about purchasing an antique iron bed is where you plan on using it. Is this going to be a bed for your master bedroom that gets a lot of daily use. Or is it for a guest bedroom that gets limited use. Maybe a child’s room.…

Iron Beds Made for The Titanic

Few events in history have attracted more attention than the sinking of the Titanic. The RMS Titanic was a passenger liner that struck an iceberg on her maiden voyage from Southampton, England, to New York City, and sank on 15 April 1912, resulting in the deaths of 1,517 people. Making it one of the deadliest…

Iron Beds for The War Effort

In 1943 Berea College, in Kentucky, participates in the WWII effort by organizing a scrap metal drive. Here students stand on iron bed frames and make a victory sign with the bed rails. These beds seem to have always been viewed as a “green” item to be used for the greater good in times of…

Antique Iron Doll Beds……..Miniature Iron Beds

As you may have seen in a previous blog…….there were little iron beds being made for salesman to carry with them when they went from town to town taking orders for full size beds. These were called “salesman’s samplers”. Those miniature  beds were distinctly different from the one in this photo. The miniature one in…

Iron Bed Conversions To King & Queen Sizes

We here at Cathouse Antique Iron Beds have been refining the art of refinishing and adapting old original double size iron bed frame’s to accommodate today’s modern Queen and King size mattress’s for close to 40 years. Converting an old antique double size iron bed, to a modern king size requires we strive to maintain…