Victorian iron beds were a place of rest and relaxation. For the Victorian Era, they were a place of romance and style. The Victorians were well known for their romantic gestures, including love letters, poems and embellished cards. A shadowbox can highlight a lace paper background and the rich embellishments of a card such as gold-embossed paper surrounding a vintage print. This can be hung on the wall or placed near the nightstand to add romantic flair. A large four-poster bed can create a nice backdrop for any Victorian-inspired room. Pillows and neck rolls in an array of sizes add a decorative touch. Ceramic urns can hold English roses bringing a sweet scent to the air.
Antique iron beds have always been the foundation of a well furnished Victorian bedroom. They are the focal point and the reason the room is called a “bed– room” . I’ve never understood how anyone who is decorating or designing a bedroom, leaves the selection of the bed until last. Not a lot of sense in that. The focal point should always be the bed and then everything else should blend and be decorated around it.
The Victorian Period was one of the only decorative periods to actually highlight the use of their beds with elaborate scrolls. No other period in history elevated the importance of a bed or the bedroom as the Victorian Period did. Times were difficult and the bedroom gave not only sanctuary to a tired population , but also a room to replenish the hope and dreams that motivated and moved them forward. Beds were a peaceful symbol of the advances we were making as a nation, a decorative symbol of household success. It was the emotional cocoon and sanctuary we all need at the end of the day.
As society and the economy began to make strides into our modern era, these beds were replaced by sleek stream lined bed frames that were made of “plastic” and pressed wood. Gone was the craftsmanship beds were known for. The Industrial Revolution all but swallowed up the craftsman of that period and replaced them with “conveyor belt” production that required little if any craftsmanship.
It would be quite a few years until man would looked back, longingly for that more peaceful relaxing time and once again beds would fill the need many of us have for romance and place to set our nightly dreams.
Iron beds are a reminder of what was……and what can be again.
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.
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