To the artist-blacksmith, a bed frame presents an opportunity very much like a blank canvas is to a painter, sketching in iron and filling the composition with elements of line, shape and form.

This bed was the second I had made and offered an opportunity to incorporate some challenging technical details into the design.

Techniques involved deep incising of the hot metal, twisting, splitting, flaring and punching holes - which gives that elegant swollen junction where the vertical bars penetrate the horizontal cross members.

This complex tapestry of traditional design elements is built to endure - the entire bed is held together by the traditional joinery methods of riveting and banding and the main sectional elements, headboard, footboard and side rails securely interlock using decorative bolts for ease of assembly and disassembly.