My Vintage Iron Bed

So in spite of the fact that I have a perfectly wonderful maple twin bedframe in our guest room, I decided that it was time to strip and repaint my old metal bedstead and use it in the guest room instead.

Why?

• because the cat's away
• and it needed refinishing--oh did it ever!

• and there'd be more storage space underneath
• and you all encouraged me to do it when I could have been removing the popcorn from my closet ceiling instead.  

Just remember, I'm not the one responsible for this project.

Here she is, almost completely naked except for some old yellow primer and paint in places that no one will see. 

I like doing a good job, but there's no sense going overboard. 

I'm not into the industrial look so the bare metal is about to disappear.

Fifteen minutes and one can of spray paint later...

Lovely and white.  But a bit generic colorwise.  I have to admit that was just the primer coat.  I used enough spray paint this summer to know that one coat of white serves as the perfect base for

Apple Red 

Without the white base, it would have taken at least three coats of red and I still might not have been happy.  This is just one coat and a bit of touchup in the areas where the paint was thin enough to let the white show through.

It looks nice on the lawn, doesn't it?  I'd love to set it up next summer to enjoy the starlight and welcome breezes.

She's ready for a protective clear coat tomorrow afternoon.

Tomorrow--because the sunny afternoon progressed from a fifth day of record heat to a downpour worthy of a New Mexican monsoon--and the red bed is just a tad wet right now. 

 

Not to worry--I'll dismantle the bed as soon as it lets up, bring the pieces inside and wipe them dry.  Tomorrow (the DIY gods willing and the creek don't rise) there might be a new look in the guest room!

 Anticipating,