What made metal beds so much more popular than wooden beds of their era? There were three particular things that bed companies used in selling the public on metal beds , as appose to those things tha made it easy to sell wooden beds. The first thing was the height “off the ground”. The side rails on an metal bed usually set the mattress and spring unit higher off the ground and away from unwanted cold drafts. The side rails started at about 13″ off the ground…..quite a bit higher than wooden beds and nearly 8″ higher than the reproductions that are being made today. The second thing that made metal beds appeal to the feminine half of the family, more than wooden beds, was freedom from rodents. Mice and rats tended to climb wood more readily, much more so than they did cold slick painted iron tubing. The third thing that made them more popular than wood was the variety of painted “finishes” that were offered on iron beds, that wooden beds didn’t offer. Making them much more adaptable to any color scheme.
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.
