I’ve yet to find an antique iron bed that didn’t look better after a canopy conversion. The photo of this one shows how even a bed that has soft sloping sides can still be converted. It isn’t necessary the bed has a flat top and corner castings. If you have the foundry facilities and an abundance of old cast iron bed molds, it’s not that difficult. It’s the access of the molds that may hang you up though. The mold has to fit the diameter of the tubing and the arch of the tube. Otherwise the extended canopy side poles won’t look like one long pole starting on the ground and continuing up to the canopy spokes.
We did this bed for a very nice couple in Australia. It’s actually going to have a beautiful “Crown” canopy on the top of the regular square canopy. In other words, from the top for corners, there will be curved poles from each corner that will curve up to a center hoop that is in the middle and approximately 12 to 15″ higher than the side poles.
They selected an old “Black Smyth” iron finish with subtle gold castings. Iron beds that are painted all one color don’t get the opportunity to highlight the beautiful decorative castings that most beds from the 1800’s had. The iron beds that are being made today with aluminum castings are unable to get the fine definition, poured cast iron gave the old beds.
Keep in mind…….If you have a middle of the road bed that might not have a lot going for it…….. or if you have a really ornate iron bed that already has all the “bells and whistles” and want to put it over the top……. a canopy converion can do that for both.
