I have to admit that I have a soft spot for antique beds. I want to buy them ALL! I love all the detail work on antique beds. They just don’t make em like they used to! 😉
When I first saw this antique, cast iron bed on Facebook marketplace, I instantly fell in love and knew I had to have it. It was listed for $500. I wrote the lady, offered full price and asked to make arrangements to pick it up. She agreed but then flaked a few times on the pick up. She then admitted she wasn’t ready to sell it. WAAAAAHHHHH!!! I was devastated. I had sold a different antique bed I loved in order to have this one. She came back a few months later and said if she tried to sell it on Etsy that she could get $2000 – $3000 for it and said she was willing to sell it to me for way more than we originally agreed to. My husband said no. WAAAHHHH again!! WHY???? I was devastated again. She then came back a third time and we ended up agreeing to pay a little more than we originally agreed to (instead of a lot more). My husband went to meet her husband (she couldn’t see it go, it was too hard for her) and it FINALLY came home. I totally understood the back and forth she was going through (I too am in love with antique beds) but it was the most emotionally exhausting purchase I have ever made.
After all that, I was afraid to touch the rusted treasure. I have never restored anything cast iron. I did TONS of research. I didn’t believe it could be as easy as people were making it seem online. After 2 years in the garage, my husband was eyeballing it for the sale pile. I knew I had to take action if I wanted it to stay in our home. I finally got up the courage to tackle my first cast iron, restoration project. Here is how I rescued our antique bed:
First, I sanded off any paint or rough spots on the bed. I ran my hand over every area to make sure it felt smooth to the touch.
Second, I rinsed off the bed with the hose and let it dry.
Third, I sprayed the entire bed with a paint that stops rust from continuing.
Fourth, I painted the bed with an actual paint.
That’s it. I know it sounds super simple. I also thought there is no way that this will be enough to preserve this treasure. From my extensive research, this is what my piece needed. I’m not saying this will do it for all pieces. However, the main goal is to stop the rust so that your piece will last another century. Mine had been well taken care of and always stored inside. This process was enough for her. Yes, she’s totally a girl. No name yet though! Open to suggestions. HAHA
I plan to have her be the show stopper in our guest room! I haven’t been able to complete that room yet (one thing at a time), BUT I am super happy I finally tackled my fear AND this project.
Leave a Reply