Amy Carter, the first daughter, may not be planning to move in January. -
She recently received an innerspring mattress to use with her antique canopy poster bed in the White House family quarters.
The standard feather mattress that used to be the White House, Blair House, and Mount Vernon Lincoln room antique wooden bed was gone.
Instead, these valuable old bed sports company innerspring mattresses.
Robert Shawnee, president of Truman Boyle bedding, made mattresses for these historic beds, which he claims are one of the last custom bedding manufacturers in the region.
\"In the past, there were about 12 companies specializing in bedding.
But they stopped one by one.
Large mattress companies like Serta and Sealy cannot destroy their production in order to make a mattressof-a-kind mattress.
Boyle charges between $200. $400.
Shone says they handle an average of 7 mattresses per week.
No matter what level of firmness the customer asks for, they can make inner springs and foam mattresses.
Shone added that they also produce feather mattresses, \"but in general, the trend is a tighter style of posture.
\"There are also custom mattresses at the American foam center in Arlington, but only foam.
Sometimes, making your antique bed available requires more than just the right mattress.
Imagine: your longlost great-
Auntie died and left you with an antique brass bed to honor her and her $5 million legacy.
It might be too short for your 6-foot-4-
Inch husband, not wide enough for both of you, unless you like the elbows on your right cheek.
Antique brass and wooden head beds can be enlarged, but Bella Rose, president of J. s. , warnedB. Ross Co.
In New Jersey, customers should realize that once new parts are added, the value of the bed as an antique will be greatly reduced ---
In addition to the extended bed rail.
If you cut your head and feet, you are destroying the value of antiques.
The question is whether the work is more valuable as an antique or bed.
If you\'re looking for a high return investment for the future, don\'t change the bed, says Ross.
But if you\'re more interested in its appeal and comfort than its monetary value, expand it anyway.
Rose\'s father founded J. B. Ross Co.
In the 1930 s, the company continued to be one of the largest importers of antique brass beds on the East Coast.
They have been producing duplicate brass beds since 1973, often using old parts from the beds in stock.
When the bed was originally made in Europe, no bed was the same size.
The width of the full bed ranges from 4 to 4 2 feet, while the width of the two beds ranges from 32 to 39 inch.
\"In those days,\" said Ross, \"the blacksmith made your bed, depending on the size of the room and the size of you and your wife.
There is no consistency.
\"Since the day of the first bed, people have become bigger and bigger.
According to the brochure \"facts about bedding\" from the spring air mattress company, today\'s adult Americans are
In Chicago, \"On average, he\'s 2 inch higher than his 20 pounds opponent and weighs 1900. . . .
In 1900, only one out of every 25 men exceeded sixfoot mark.
Now, more than 1/5 are 6 feet.
To avoid small spaces and bad back, it makes sense to adjust your antique bed.
Ross says that you don\'t want to use the usual box when transforming the brass bed
Spring mattress because the bed is high enough in the first place.
\"Instead,\" she said, \"We suggest one of two things: using a custom rabbit --
Edge bedding or Bunky board. \"Rabbit-
Two kinds of edge bedding are more expensive. With rabbit-
Most edge bedding customized
The made box spring sank about 4 inch below the frame.
There\'s a so on the mattress surface-
Known as the Rim of the Rabbit, it grabs the frame on all four sides.
Your mattress is on top, no higher from the floor than before the adjustment.
Cheaper procedures (
\"Most mattress companies don\'t like it because it eliminates half of their profits,\" Ross said . \")
It is the use of plywood base, also known as \"bunky board\", not the box spring. A piece of 3/4-
The frame is fixed with inch plywood and the mattress is placed on the top.
For people who like less firmness, Rose suggests adding
Soft mattress because plywood can provide a lot of support.
In order to get a better looking bangji board bed, the customer may want to cover the plywood with the same fabric as the mattress.
Bangji boards are often used in children\'s bedding.
Make a bed for the Queen
Size, Ross recommends removing from the top and bottom tracks that go horizontally through the foot and head plates.
They\'re usually in 4-foot-6-inches.
Extra length brass for big bed--
There\'s about 6 inch.
Hand over the parts to the brass craftsman ,(\"not a welder!
Rose stressed-
Brass will melt if welded)
, He will connect the two pieces by drilling holes into the copper pipe at the same interval as the original pipe.
This adds about 3 inch to both sides of the bed, Ross says, without interfering with its balance.
Make a bed for the King
Scale is a bigger task.
Ross suggests you divide the pedal in half and stick it on either side of the headboard to get the Kingsize width.
Professional welders (
If the bed is made of brass and iron)
Or brass craftsmen (
If the beds are all brass)
, Will attach the part for you.
In addition to expanding the bar like the Queen, you may want to add some vertical bars to keep the balance.
Metal sculptor Todd Pendleton replenished his income by modifying the brass bed for Rice\'s antiques, 4208 Howard Street
Kensington, Maryland
When Pendleton grew a bed, he first separated the bed and went to the side bar.
Once he knows the new size, he will attach an extra amount of brass (
Or combination of brass and steel)
Original bed track.
He then connects the entire extended railway to the bed by Brazing (
Similar to welding but low temperature)
Be careful not to damage the bed itself and put it on the frame.
Pendleton believes that when customers buy brass beds, they should know what they are buying.
\"The old brass bed was actually made of steel pipes, surrounded by a brass sleeve.
It was not until the Industrial Revolution that a more advanced metallurgical technology was developed to enable them to make tube-shaped brass. -
Enough to support a brass bed.
Pendleton explained that this is why the old bed is much heavier than the new one. \" (
The new brass beds are all brass. )
Ted Rice, the owner of rice antiques, claims that 99 of the 100 antique brass beds he sees are just steel pipes, and there are brass around them.
Since the invention of electroplating
In the 19 th century, a small part of a brass bed, such as a non-NACE or a shell (
Knob for decorative brass bed head and pedals)
Sometimes brass.
This means that brass is combined with steel.
However, Pendleton says the main part of the bed is always steel or brass.
Bella Rose added that the American brass bed was not really being produced here until 1895, so it cannot be considered antique.
\"European beds are popular in 1970s and 1860, and they can really be called \'Antiques \'.
Only 1851 when first showing brass bed in UK-
Not long ago.
Ross said: \"One suggestion when dealing with brass products is: never hit antique brass directly with a hammer, otherwise it may break.
Instead, Ross suggests putting a piece of wood on the brass and hammer it.
Antique wooden beds may also need to be enlarged.
Dale Gillan at the American foam Center describes the kind of bed you might find: \"You just need to support your mattress, except for the coiled spring, and your back is a rope-
Tighten from wide to wide on the lower side of the bed.
A hammock. effect.
Bed is probably best for people around 5feet-2-inches\" (
Not Very Heavy).
Gillilland suggested two ways to make yesterday\'s rope bed suitable for sleeping today.
The first and simplest solution is to make the bed into a platform bed.
He said it was done by installing a piece of plywood on the bed so that the top would be flush with the track.
This avoids the frame of the cutting bed.
\"Foam mattress--
Whatever size you need-
Above plywood.
\"You will be more comfortable than using a spring mattress,\" says Gillilland . \" (
He is a little biased because his business is foam mattress). Why?
\"Because,\" he said, \"the foam mattress will catch you when you are sitting on the bed ---
Before you hit plywood
What makes the platform bed possible is a foam mattress.
\"By placing the mattress on the plywood, you can take advantage of the true width of the bed.
If you decide to cut the wooden frame, please extend the side railing like a brass bed.
Measure the length of wood required to extend.
Then put two pieces together. -
Original and add-on--together. Re-
Attach the guide rail to the bed frame.
If you are going to do so, most antique dealers suggest you go to a professional cabinet maker or furniture maker.
Claude Hute, the owner of a cabinet store with his name, did a lot of work on antique beds.
\"There\'s no problem with the lengthened bed,\" he said . \"
\"We tried to match the new track to the bed.
If you do it right, you should have maple track with Maple frame and cherry track with cherry frame.
\"After matching the wood and cutting it to the right length, he used the wood pin to attach the new railing to the bed frame and twist the railing in place.
\"I recommend that the customer install the new guide rail instead of splicing it in the extra parts.
The old rails are usually straight. -
Not very decorative. -
The old railings may not be too strong if the bed is high and can swing.
The new track is more attractive and the base is stronger, especially if your bed is high or you plan to use the box spring.
\"Because some of the woods are more scarce than others, the work of transforming an antique bed can become expensive.
It is more difficult to widen the bed, Huret does not like to interfere with it unless the bed is simple four
Posters, no fancy heads and pedals.
\"Making a new mattress and using the bed in its current width is much cheaper than widening it,\" he said . \".
The widening includes splicing new blocks of wood into the original width, as well as feet and headboards.
By splicing the wood, you can cut another piece of wood and overlap it with the old part.
Elizabeth Webb, the owner of the early American store, warned that no matter how well the seams were mixed, they might be exposed.
Stan Krupsaw boss Krupsaw antiques also agree.
\"The cut part will be announced.
\"But,\" he added, \"a little carving of the foot and headboard might help.
\"Advice to the rope/wood bed owner: weave extra rope at the bottom to increase back support.
The prices of the above modifications vary because most antique stores entrust all the works to some craftsmen.
For example, adjusting the size of the wooden bed may require the expertise of cabinetmaker, refinisher, and bedding manufacturers.
Krupsaw, an antique dealer, said: \"I can\'t touch the bed remodel for less than $150.
\"Depending on whether the bed you Adjusted is brass or wood, the price will vary.
Some sample estimates: Wayne Cuperman, owner of Cuperman antiques, converts four or five yellow copper beds per month for about $300$350.
Claude Hutt converted wooden beds for about $200-$300.
For custom bedding, the price of the US foam center varies from $135 to $185 depending on the size of the bed.
Aunt Truman restaurant-
Between $200. $400.