Posts Tagged ‘Brass bed’

Bohemian Chic Bedroom ideas

Monday, April 18th, 2011

We’ve touched before on the appeal of Bohemian bedroom styling.

With an inherently whimsical nature, it’s a wonderfully appealing decorative theme, and accordingly one that is always worth revisiting with a few new thoughts and suggestions.

Above all, creating a Bohemian Chic bedroom is fun and relatively easy, with a bit of resourcefulness and creativity and by finding new uses for possessions that you already have, or by tracking down new ideas, accessories and features for an inspirational room makeover. Create a space that is unique and personal with flair and imagination, incorporating furniture and items that you love and which are a reflection of your personality.

The bedroom is the ideal room to indulge your fantasies in this respect, and choosing a focal piece of elegant furniture, makes for a great start. We are looking for a flavour of chic-ness here, so consider an oversized upholstered chair that features great carving detail and sumptuous fabrics. A romantic chaise longue would be another inspired choice or even a love seat or majestic armoire.

Traditional bedstead designs look fabulous in bohemian bedroom settings. Ornately carved wooden bed styles would be right at home here, or choose a Victorian inspired iron beds and brass beds, featuring lovely antique brass detailing and perhaps some crackled porcelain features. Satin black finishes and moody timeworn brass are a perfect combination and evoke all that was great about late 19th century styling trends and engineering advances. Traditional metal beds from this era have a certain persona that is unmistakable and enchantingly timeless. What better way to establish the centrepiece of our chic bohemian boudoir…?

Bed linens in floral or vintage styles will bring your choice of bed to life, and all-white cottons with a touch of decorative embroidery are a nice addition for an old world feel. The bohemian look is all about patterns and rich colours; there is nothing particularly shy or retiring about the style, so mixing and matching will never be out of place as long as there are style, texture, or colour threads to bind the whole timeworn look together.

Accessorise your traditional bed with pillows, throws and bolsters, and consider incorporating a ceiling hung mosquito net for an extra touch of glamour. Fabric treatments should extend to wall mounted or bedside table standing lamps, so whether you create the shades yourself, or buy ready-made, don’t forget to look for tassel accents and materials that include velvet, brocade, toile, or even leopard designs. It’s these little texture accents that make all the difference to a bohemian bedroom, and when it comes to moody lighting themes, you can afford to go pretty wild and give those creative urges a free rein.

And for an extra helping of bohemian glam, where space and budgets allow, how about hunting down a vintage style chandelier? It doesn’t have to be huge design, with palace setting aspirations, as something far more modest will fit the bohemian bill to a tee and add instant romance. Suspend above the centrepiece iron bed, or incorporate chandelier style wall sconces in place of those tasselled fabric designs, for equal appeal and perhaps a more practical choice for bedrooms with lower ceiling room architecture.

Coming next:….More Bohemian Chic Bedroom ideas

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Vintage bedroom charm

Friday, November 26th, 2010
Clarina Iron and Brass Bed from Original Bedstead.

Clarina Iron and Brass Bed from Original Bedstead.

There’s something comfortably familiar about vintage inspired interiors.

For many it evokes happy childhood memories and fond family associations, which, by its very nature, is timelessly appealing.

We all crave a little nostalgia, and there’s no doubt that any vintage inspired bedroom has a certain romantically sentimental quality that is calming and reassuring in equal measure.

Perhaps perfect then for that most personal space where we choose to sleep, relax and unwind?

If it’s a look that you are hoping to create, a few carefully chosen accent pieces and accessories as well as sympathetic use of colour, can yield enchanting results. Raid the attic for long forgotten items that your Grandmother would have cherished and use them to establish a theme. Pair antiques with candy colours and airy fabrics to keep the look fresh and inviting and if you don’t have any authentic vintage items, use replicas or have fun trawling through antique centres.

Of course, for any room theme, colour choices are all important to establish the mood and personality, so select a favourite vintage shade from a wide palette of options. Pastel blues, mint ice cream shades, rose pinks or buttery yellows, are all enticing choices and will form the perfect backdrop for antique furniture pieces. Alternatively, hang pink and white toile or damask printed wallpaper if you prefer a more patterned, gentle Victorian styled theme.

An antique or pretty reproduction ivory or satin white metal bedstead would be the perfect room focal point, and along with your choice of wall and ceiling colour will set the tone and provide inspiration. Select a traditional style, maybe with antique brass detailing, for a truly authentic and timeless flavour that is oblivious to the vagaries of fad and fashion. After all, this is what true vintage style is all about!

Where space and budget permits, a glamorous four poster bedstead in timeworn wood or an assured metal design, is bound to ensure a captivating bedroom flavour. For an extra splash of romance, dress with vintage style patterned drapes and fabrics and a handmade quilt featuring patchwork squares of rose patterns and pink, white and green stripes, for a look that is warm and welcoming. Fold a white crochet blanket at the end of the four poster bed or traditional metal bed, for true vintage appeal.

Complement busy walls with crisp white eyelet curtains for a touch of shabby chic style, or vintage patterned designs in faded pastels as a contrast for solid colour wall treatments.

Accessories will ensure those all important finishing touches, so hang antique straw boaters on wall hooks and suspend a teardrop draped crystal chandelier from the ceiling. Old vintage record players, antique bird cages, vintage white vanity tables and lovely cut glass vases filled with pink and white roses, will all impart a beguiling vintage quality, whilst bookworms might choose to store magazines and books in stacked old leather suitcases for a homely and practical twist…

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Brass Bedsteads…a labour of love

Tuesday, July 6th, 2010

Brass Beds from The Original Bedstead Company.

Brass Beds from The Original Bedstead Company.

HERE AT THE ORIGINAL BEDSTEAD COMPANY we’ve been making beautiful Brass Beds to the same tried and tested methods for many years.

The manufacturing techniques perfected by our Victorian ancestors are still the principles to which we choose to adhere. Quite simply, there can be no shortcuts when it comes to crafting the very finest antiqued brass bedsteads.

There is never room for compromise and those who have enjoyed the ownership experience and comfort of an Original Bedstead Company iron beds or brass beds will appreciate our quality values.

And yet, what is less well known is the painstaking man-hours involved in the creation of some of our brass bedstead designs. Automated production lines are simply not a concept with which we are familiar.

For us, it’s the old traditional methods with a 21st century twist for health and safety and green issues that guide our craft. But all this means, that for even the simplest brass beds design, such as the Blyth, over 30 man hours is involved in polishing the individual components to flawless perfection before hand antiqueing and final assembly.

For the more complex square tube design, brass beds in our range, the processes are even lengthier. Indeed, glamorous bedsteads such as the Clifton, Mandallay, Lochranza, Liddlesdale and Ayr, may take upwards of 100 man hours to polish and antique to achieve the character and depth of manufacturing integrity for which we are recognised.

And with a minimum of five wafer thin coats of ultra tough lacquer to preserve the finish indefinately, we can rest assured that these lengthy processes will not have been in vain.

Whilst the finished result might be the finest testimony to our passion for perfection there is just one final word of warning for the would-be brass beds owner.

For best quality solid tubular brass is not the lightest of materials, and with our grandest brass designs weighing in at upward of 95kg in king-size 6ft form, you may just wish to ensure that you have more than just one pair of willing hands around when it comes to assembly or moving time!

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Adding decorative style with Chocolate Browns

Saturday, May 8th, 2010
Challoch Wood Bed from The Original Bedstead Company.

Challoch Wooden Bed from The Original Bedstead Company.

WHILST IT MAY NOT BE the most obvious or immediate colour choice for anyone planning a new decorative theme, dark browns have been called “the new black” and can look truly fabulous when sympathetically integrated with a whole host of harmonious colour partnerships.

In fact it is really easy to introduce rich chocolate hues into the average home. Brown exudes a comfortable, familiar aura, which has a place in just about any room of the house to ensure enticing style.

Picture inviting browns with crisp whites, golden yellows, rich reds and camel hues, all with a little imagination work wonderfully together to inject a little glamour into, not only traditionally styled room settings, but also, more contemporary environments where brown might add a different dimension and offer a calmer slant on more ascetic colour options.

Leather furniture is a great choice for any chocolate colour scheme and can provide a good start point for any project as the first point of inspiration. Available in a huge variety of brownish hues, from paler toupees to almost black, the texture of leather looks rich and deep and will bring comfort and style to most rooms.

And it is a good idea to pair your chocolate colours with liberal amounts of contrasting lighter neutrals to ensure balance and to avoid an overtly darkening effect. The yellows, whites and reds already mentioned, work perfectly in this respect, as do pale greys or golden hues to add a splash of brightness.

Basing the scheme on at least one colour choice, preferably a print that incorporates a number of complimentary colours, works to great effect and can be replicated within other rooms to create a soothing theme.

Suede finishes on walls and soft furnishings and accessories might also play an important role and can be just the thing for a cosy bedroom, a guest room or a hallway. Offset with liberal amounts of white or neutrals on the ceiling, windows and door frames and perhaps key furniture pieces, it should create a comfortable, rather than closed-in feeling that can be the pitfall of some darker room themes.

Likewise, dark wood or antique oak furniture will underscore any dark brown scheme perfectly, but it’s worth remembering to add some lighter painted pieces or paler woods to add interest and contrast and avoid an over heavy look.  In this respect, natural rattan, wicker and bamboo all have a part to play whilst offering a slightly rustic feel.

Chocolate browns in the bedroom are invariably a huge success and a great option to consider in a room where a comfortable retreat and inviting style should be the order of the day.

Once again, dark furniture is a great start point and a lovely dark Wooden Bed can provide plenty of inspiration. Alternatively, Iron Beds also compliment any brown room theme, either as a colour contrast or working in unison.

Ivory would be a good colour choice and beds such as the Selkirk, Tulsk, Glenholm and Arigna spring to mind.

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Decorative drama; the Black and White option.

Wednesday, May 5th, 2010

Carie iron bed from The Original Bedstead Company.

Carie iron bed from The Original Bedstead Company.

Newton Nickel Bed from The Original Bedstead Company.

Newton Nickel Bed from The Original Bedstead Company.

FOR ULTIMATE PUNCH and a truly sophisticated theme consider the combination of black and white to add intrigue and decorative verve to any room.

Unashamedly contemporary and undoubtedly extrovert, a black and white approach to decorating can create a stunning and dramatic effect. There’s an old rule with decorating that suggests “that every room can use a touch of black”. This might seem strange within a room of pastels or primarily softer colours, but there is much truth in this viewpoint. Using black as contrast adds a focal point of colour that grounds, anchors, and brings a sophisticated look to any room.

When black is used in accessories such as light fixtures, window fittings, soft furnishings and trims, or in one bold piece of furniture, it serves to catch the eye and sharpen any decorative theme whilst providing an outline that sets off specific areas of the room or objects. And whilst black by itself is striking, to achieve real drama, the black and white route is the way to go for a fresh, clean and truly elegant look. Indeed black and white can be the perfect combination for a number of decorative styles, and whilst most often seen in more modern interiors where it works well with cool metal features, the pairing is also popular for French Country interiors.

And for anyone who might be reluctant to use solely black and white, variety and a more muted look can be achieved by adding splashes of pink, beige, red, yellow or purple for an equally strident look. Ensuring that black and white remains dominant however, preserves the elegant effect.

In any room a black and white floor is a great start point and the perfect choice might be a beautiful black marble floor set off with tall white skirting board mouldings.

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Brass Beds….the time to buy?

Tuesday, March 23rd, 2010

The vagaries of the metal markets have rarely been so acute as the roller- coaster price of copper continues within the framework of an inexorable climb.

Fueled by difficult exchange rate forces and the catastrophic recent earthquakes in Chile, the price of copper is now well in excess of $7,000 a tonne, almost double that of the market price twelve short months ago.

As most will know, copper is the key ingredient of the alloy Brass with zinc being the other constituent.

On the global scene, it is a hugely important material in use for decorative and industrial purposes in all walks of life, including of course for the manufacture of the ever-glamorous Brass Beds.

Chile is the largest world producer of copper by far, and whilst the recent earthquake largely spared the major mining regions, the damage to the country infrastructure was such that there were bound to be huge supply ramifications with consequential market price implications.

As the price instability continues in the wake of this natural disaster, there can surely be little doubt that the price of copper will remain high, hitting hard, the manufactured goods consumer.

So, is now a good time to invest in a reproduction Brass Bed as future raw material costs look set to escalate? Possibly so, and in these uncertain times, who might be bold enough to make such a prediction…?

But history does have a strange habit of repeating itself, and this little cutting from the August 30th edition of The New York Times back in 1916 perhaps reminds us only too poignantly of this fact…

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