First used by the Chinese, cast iron pieces were made in 550 B.C. In the 18th Century there were numerous small foundries in the East and even as far west as Chicago. They took great pride and care in their designs. These small foundries could take days to make one singular bed. Raw iron was melted and hand poured and into molds. Finishes were discrete and could range from easy white to beds with complicated color schemes with gilded detail on the castings. Because of the right methods used to produce iron bed frames, it is rare to find double designs. There is just no substitute for a hand-forged iron bed from a skilled foundry craftsman. These beds have withstood the test of time.
Iron furniture was first introduced into the homes of America in the 1840s. The beds discrete from very easy and plain designs to fancy, ornate styles, especially toward the end of the 19th Century. Until that time, iron was used primarily for garden and yard pieces, urns, benches and also for architectural and structural pieces such as porch and step railings, brackets, cupolas, etc.
The style of iron beds produced while the Victorian, Art Nouveau and Arts and Crafts periods heavily influenced the styles, especially Victorian and Art Nouveau. Iron was so convenient for fancy creations, it satisfied peoples' taste for the ornate beds while these periods.
The attractiveness of owning an iron bed is how categorically it can be incorporated into any style decor of a room and with any colors. These beds go with any type of wood furniture from cherry to pine, painted or dark walnut in the room, complementing virtually any style. They have never gone out of style, probably never will, but currently are especially in high demand. A gorgeous aged patina with worn paint is highly favorite now and old iron beds without fail meet those qualifications.
