Our company, Worthen Iron & Brass Furniture, was originally founded as Brass Beds of Virginia. When we opened for business in 1975, maintenance and restoration of vintage brass beds was the main part of our business.
Today we make iron and brass furniture–mostly bed frames–and our workshop is still in Richmond. Thousands of our beds are in circulation, some now almost 50 years old. Owners often bring them back to us for maintenance tasks such as polishing and re-lacquering.
Sometimes beds come to us needing repair. We've fixed up beds that have survived calamities including hurricanes, floods, and unfortunate incidents with moving trucks.
Brass is a versatile metal. It comes in a variety of finishes, with differing applications for interior and exterior decor. Some prefer the look of aged brass and the rich patina that develops over time, a maturing that occurs with both natural and polished brass when not lacquered.
However, others want a brass bed that glows with a mirror shine, and that requires either lacquering or a lot of hard work. While lacquered brass will keep a shine for many years, the lacquer coating will eventually wear out. Fresh lacquer should be applied about every 10-25 years, depending on the material's exposure to sunlight, moisture, and wear. If you see lacquered brass beginning to show spots, a coating needs to be reapplied.
Worthen can restore an aged or scratched finish to a clean shine and in most cases lacquer or re-lacquer the bed to preserve the shine for the long term–whatever you want for your bed.
In the event there's damage that needs more than an industrial buffer or lacquering can fix, we stock both natural and polished brass replacement parts.
We restore or modify other manufacturers' beds, too, including beds from the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Some of the truly aged vintage beds that arrive at our shop need services such as:
Newer beds may need structural work or the replacement of specific elements. We can usually help with that.
Beds are personal, and heirloom-quality bed frames may stay with a family for many years, handed down to grandchildren and great-grandchildren. A solidly built and periodically maintained iron or brass bed can be in regular use for hundreds of years, and it's satisfying for us to know we've become part of the story of an heirloom bed.
Please call or fill out the form below so we can start talking about your bed and get it the maintenance or restoration it needs.
