Your Bed, Your Sanctuary Part Two

This Miles Redd bedroom is among my favorites. Contemporary beds, such as this one, do come up at auction from time to time and generally sell for within their estimate of $1,000-$1,500.

Earlier in the week, I wrote about antique wooden beds. Today, I'm covering more of a mixed bag--gilt beds, metal beds, upholstered beds--which is incredibly fun. It's also fitting. Your bed should be something special and unique: your personal haven, your own little world. After all, it's the single most important piece of furniture, not only in your bedroom, but in your entire house--where else do you spend as much time?

With that in mind, let's take a look...

A 20th c cast metal queen-sized canopy bed. At Christie's on February 28th , estimate, $1,200-1,800.

If the bed above, is too Spartan for your tastes, consider using it as a base for a more elaborate design...

photo, courtesy of: At Home: A Style for Today with Things from the Past

Suzanne Rheinstein draped a simple, metal-framed lit a Polonaise in celadon silk...

 

...but gave some metal frames a simpler treatment, below.

photo of Suzanne Rheinstein's NY apt, courtesy of Elle Decor

Charlotte Moss also likes using a metal frame as a platform for her creations...

photo from:Charlotte Moss Decorates: The Art of Creating Elegant and Inspired Rooms

I am obsessed with this French Directoire bed. It's narrow but long: perfect for a child's bedroom or a tiny guest room. At Neal Auction Company in New Orleans on February 4th, estimate $600-900.

Green velvet tester bed, at Christie's, London on February 21st, estimate ~ $3,200-$4,700.

This green tester bed is at Christie's in London, which has house sales even more frequently than the New York branch. The auction house now has an internal shipping department that will find the lowest estimates for you from a list of respected carriers. Quite a bed!

I've shown this picture before. I am crazy about the interplay between the wallpaper and the Italian Neoclassical bed in this Michael Smith designed bedroom. From Michael S. Smith: Elements of Style. Nothing as nice as this one around right now. How about a flashy brass bed instead?

Brass and porcelain bed, at Fontaine's in Pittsfield, MA on Feb 11th, estimate $1,500-2,500.

Let's face it, above bed is not for the fainthearted. It has cupids on the frame and is part of a fancy three part suite, which would be very intense in one room. Still, fun to see. Late 19th century bedroom suite,  at Cowan's Auctions on February 25th, the estimate a jaw dropping $10,000-$20,000.

Pair of giltwood, Louis XV style twin beds, at Leslie Hindman on February 12th, estimate $800-$1,200.

Also intense, albeit in a different fashion, is this set of twin beds. I could see them in a light filled bedroom with a french floral cotton on both the walls and furniture in the house of a true Francophile. Perhaps the master bedroom would have a headboard like the one below, adapted from a pediment, which I just adore.

King sized, Italian polychrome headboard, at Christie's in New York on February 28th, estimate $1,200-$1,800.

 That headboard made me think of this room, courtesy of Elle Décor...

So all those are grand, but if you really want to make your bedroom your temple, look no further...

Chinese Wedding bed. At Great Gatsby's in Atlanta on February 4th, estimate, $1,200-1,800.

 Have a great weekend everyone--and happy bidding!

Your Bed, Your Sanctuary

Lauren King's master bedroom, as featured in Architectual Digest.

Maybe it's because the world has become a foreboding place, but in recent months, I've decided that the only bed worth having is a BED--a piece of furniture that's cozy and enveloping, that's a home within a home, a place where you can retreat and feel safe, comfortable, and at peace.

Auctions are excellent places to buy beds. In fact, I'd go so far as to say it's the single least appreciated item of furniture you can purchase at auction. You get serious deals. This is because you are only rarely bidding against antiques dealers--they don't like to carry an item that requires so much room to display and can take a while to move. So that's one reason. The other is that the casual buyer gets nervous because older beds do not always conform to modern mattress sizes. But so what? Custom mattresses are available everywhere now. They cost about 25-30% more, but honestly, with a mahogany bed from Hickory Chair or Baker costing $10,000 and up, you are still going to be thousands of dollars ahead of where you'd be otherwise, with something more unique to boot that will better hold its value. 

This week, we will be looking at several styles of beds, beginning with my favorite style, the antique American or English wooden bed frame.

Bunny Williams's 19th c mahogany bed graces her bedroom in the Dominican Republic. From Bunny Williams' Point of View: Three Decades of Decorating Elegant and Comfortable Houses.

20th century oak canopy bed, at Christie's in New York on Feb 7th, estimate $1,000-$1,500.

Granted, you won't find many antique king beds, but you will find great deals on 20th century king frames, such as the ones above and below, which are coming up at Christie's next House Sale on February 7th-8th.

Recover the headboard, even paint the frame if you want, for a completely different look.Oak, four post bed, at Christie's on February 7th, estimate $1,500-2,000.

Antique Wooden Beds

Measurements for beds can be tough to interpret, since the auction houses give you the outside dimensions of the frame. This is particularly problematic for antique wooden beds. Will your mattress--spouse, five dogs--fit or not? To find out the answer, just email or call the auction house and request the interior dimensions where the mattress goes. (I'm telling you, if auction houses just provided this outright, they would have much more success selling beds, then again, they would probably sell for higher prices, so...)  The largest antique beds tend to be an inch or two off of a queen, which means that you can either get a custom mattress, or get a good restorer to try to extend the frame. A typical stripping and refinishing on a queen sized frame should run you between $500-$1,000. Update the rails or extend the frame, and you might be looking at a few hundred more.  But as you can see from the estimates below--and beds tend to really sell within or below the estimates, I've found--you'll still be saving huge amounts of money and saving an American treasure.

I love this room because it shows how, with a great bed, little additional adornment is necessary. From Country Living.

American Federal carved four post bed. At Neal on February 4th, estimate $2,000-3,000.

Beautiful 19th century canopy bed, at Cowan's Auctions, Inc, in Ohio on February 25th, estimate $800-1,000.

I normally don't like black and white designs, so I was surprised how well I thought this room came together. The strong mahogany furniture is balanced by the strong graphics and the result is very fresh, I think. From Country Living.

NEAL auction house in New Orleans is among my favorites for its consistently excellent selection. Up for bidding on February 4th,  a four poster American cherrywood bed, estimate $1,000-1,500.  
 

Curly maple cannonball bed, circa 1830. At Cowan's on February 25th, estimate $600-900.

Lovely country bedroom with bamboo canopy bed. From Elle Decor.

If you have to sleep on a twin bed, make it a twin four poster. They give the small frame stature and substance. One of my favorite Mary McDonald rooms, below, features twin four post mahogany beds and is another example of how the bold, some say heavy, American style of furniture goes well with strong graphics and colors.

From Mary McDonald: Interiors: The Allure of Style
(that's an orchid in the foreground, in case you were wondering).

A stunning pair of Louisiana convent beds. Estimate $500-750. (There is a note about the condition, but no note! Be sure to get a condition report, since the estimate is low).

A pair of white painted twin beds, at Christie's, New York, on February 7th, estimate $1,000-$1,500.

More beds later in the week. Happy bidding everyone!

Ring in the New Year: Mantle Clocks, Part Two

This Mary MacDonald bedroom has touches of black throughout--including the mantle clock on the shelf.
Courtesy of: The Allure of Style.

Last week, I focused on very fancy mantle clocks. Today, we will examine their humbler--but, to my eyes, even more delightful and useful--cousins.We'll start with the ever-utilitarian black mantle clock.

 Black Mantle Clocks

Jane and Stephen Garney's house, courtesy of Elle Decor. Photo: John M. Hall

In New Classic Interiors, the Italian-born, Chicago-based  interior designer Alessandra Branca writes, "Every room needs a touch of black to give it depth." I wholeheartedly agree. (And think about it: so often a room has a television, phone or some other black appliance in it; a black accoutrement helps tie in those disparate elements.) What could be a better, more charming choice than a black mantle clock? Black mantle clocks, rendered in either stone or cast iron, appear frequently at auction. (For a cast iron clock, be sure to include the shipping cost into your budget: these babies are not light!) Here are some fine examples...

Ansonia cast iron mantle clock, circa 1890. Estimate $225-350. At auction in Denver on January 15th.

Black slate and marble inset clock. At auction in Saugus, MA on January 12th. Estimate $200-250.

Keep one of these four clocks for yourself, above, save the rest as housewarming or anniversary gifts for special friends.
At Rago Auctions on January 13th, estimate $300-500. 

Ansonia four column marble and cast iron mantle clock, at Bruhn's on January 15th, estimate $150-275.

Japy Freres Duhme slate and marble mantle clock, circa 1900. At Cowan's in Ohio on January 12th, estimate $300-500.

Wooden Mantle Clocks

An Arts & Crafts clock in a Michael S. Smith bedroom. From Elements of Style.

Arts & Crafts style New Haven Clock, circa 1910. At Bruhn's on January 15th, estimate $100-150.

By now, you may have noticed that many of the lots mentioned in this and the previous post are available at Bruhn's in Denver. This is because the whole January 15th auction is devoted to clocks. Single category auctions like these attract experts: zealous collectors and antiques retailers. The good thing about these kinds of auctions is that the estimates tend to be where the market is: Bruhn's knows its stuff. If the estimates seem low, its because mantle clocks are an antiques store's dream: portable, storable, with tremendous eye appeal, and you're used to seeing those prices. One thing is clear: once you see what you can pay for mantle clocks in the wholesale market, it is highly unlikely you'll ever be capable of stomaching retail prices again!

Early steeple clocks. At Bruhn's in Denver on January 15th, estimate $100-175.

English Aesthetic Movement Shelf Clock. At Bruhn's on January 15th, estimate $350-475.

Franz Hermie German Bracket Clock. In Denver on January 15th, estimate $250-350.

Rosewood cuckoo mantle clock. At Fairfield auctions on January 15th, estimate $2,000-3,000.

To find out whether the clock you're interested in actually runs:  if the clock is in "Good" or "Excellent" condition, it most likely works. But to be certain: call or email the auction house and ask! I think it's nice to have them function, but don't overlook the ones that don't, as they make a beautiful addition regardless.

George III mahogany and brass mantle clock. At Skinner on January 14th. Estimate $1,500-2,500.

Viennese ebonized mantle clock. At Skinner on January 14th, estimate $1,200-1,800.