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Less or More: Crossbar Iron Daybeds

casasugar — Tue, 29 Apr 2008 09:15:16 -0700

For the next installment of this game, take a look at each of these crossbar iron daybeds, and then see if you can answer my questions about them. If you're in the market for a metal daybed, be sure to check out my Good, Better, Best.

Good, Better, Best: Ball-Topped Wrought Iron Daybeds

casasugar — Mon, 28 Apr 2008 06:15:41 -0700

A sofa by day, and a guest bed by night, a daybed is a versatile space-saver. Traditional Victorian style wrought iron daybed frames were originally handmade well before metalworking machines became available. So unless you're shopping antique stores, most wrought iron daybeds you find will be reproductions. I use the word "wrought" broadly; it actually suggests that the metal was shaped by hand, which, again, you're unlikely to find shopping franchise retailers. But you can let that slide, right? Antique, handmade daybeds may be cherished collector's items but that doesn't mean reproductions are an eyesore; they're often quite handsome. I've rounded up a selection for you to give you an idea of what's out there at various price ranges. The three that I chose are nearly identical in shape, though they have different finishes, and most likely have a variance in quality as well. Oops, and they're also actually made of steel, which means they're lighter than their iron predecessors.

Good: You can't get much cheaper than the Ikea TROMSNES ($179) bed. A classic shape, there's nothing frugal-looking about it. But Ikea beds are not known to be the most stable, and Ikea's products often take several hours to set up. The white finish is cute for a beach cottage or a girl's bedroom, but I don't see this agreeing well with testosterone. Unlike my "Better" and "Best", this bed does not have the option of a trundle underneath.
There are two more options, so

Steal of the Day: Farmhouse Daybed

casasugar — Mon, 21 Apr 2008 09:15:49 -0700

I admit it: I have a slight obsession with daybeds, and this Canopy Daybed with Trundle (originally $1,229, on sale for $999), is absolutely no exception. This looks like the bed I want to sleep in when I visit some well-to-do distant maiden aunt's country home on a breezy summer weekend. I'd snuggle up, pull the canopy curtains, and plunge into a dog-eared copy of one of my Jane Austen novels. Do you find it as dreamy as I do?

Crave Worthy: Wellington Day Bed

casasugar — Wed, 16 Apr 2008 07:45:08 -0700

I have no need for more living room furniture, but just in case someone steals my sofa and armchair, the Wellington Day Bed ($2,495) from Restoration Hardware is first on my must-have list. The frame is reminiscent of bamboo in shape, and uses a mortise-and-tenon joinery that's handcrafted from solid hardwood with mahogany veneers. I'd want to make this rather stuffy frame pop with some inspired pillows, but other than that, I can't think of anything else I'd change about this charming piece of furniture.