Antique Beds

Converting an Antique Bed to a Modern Queen or King Size

Antique beds are rarely set up for today's queen and king sized mattresses and box springs. Most people want standard queen or king bedding, or at least the old standard, a full or double size. The average height was much shorter, and beds could be any size with feather beds or home-made mattresses.

The common problem is how to enlarge an antique bed to a modern desirable size without ruining the proportions and appearance of the original bed. If it is ever decided to return these "converted" beds to their original sizes using the original wooden rails, the steel fittings can be removed with no visible damage to the bed itself.

Authentic Antique Iron Beds
In the early 1840's iron furniture was introduced into the homes of America. One of the most useful, durable and beautiful of these items is the Iron Bed in my opinion. Although I admit that the Victorian era iron beds are my favorite... many Mission and Country beds also satisfy my thirst for this wonderful piece of our history and future.

An iron bed will always blend well with any decor...even modern. While authentic antique iron beds are the most in demand, metal beds are coming on strong. Be careful if you sandblast metal beds because the thickness of the metal can be cut into easily with sandblasting.

This is not the case with iron beds as they are much thicker material. Three quarter beds are 48 inches wide and need a custom mattress. Sometimes the length of the bed is also shorter than the modern bed.

Check my other Antique summary on Antique Bowl Dolphins