Invest in Comfort and Style with Antique Wrought Iron Furniture

Are you brainstorming ways to give your outdoor patio a well-deserved upgrade? Well, clear those clouds and enjoy blue skies—vintage wrought iron furniture could be just the thing you’re looking for! Discover the extensive history of these age-old designs and learn how to identify authentic wrought iron furniture.

What is Wrought Iron?

Wrought iron is a specific blend of pure iron ore and 1-2% slag, a mixture of metal oxides and silicon dioxide. With less than 0.1% of carbon content, wrought iron is tough, malleable, and resistant to corrosion. This metal mixture, named after the old English term “to work,” is easily recognizable due to its grainy texture and sturdy build.

A Brief, But Fascinating, History of Wrought Iron

Though metal casting has been popular for thousands and thousands of years, the earliest examples of wrought iron were not in furniture at all. The material was first used to create weapons, tools, and gates in the medieval period.

After that, it was adopted as a sophisticated way to add detail to homes, as seen in the intricate railings and fences across Europe in the following centuries. It wasn’t until the 19th and 20th centuries, during the Victorian Era, that wrought iron was used to create furniture.

Antique wrought iron furniture comes mainly from the Industrial Revolution, when skilled artisans and factories began to make intricately designed chairs, sofas, loveseats, and tables suited for indoor and outdoor use. These designs featured nature-inspired patterns, such as floral garlands, intricate latticework, and grapevine motifs. The earliest antique wrought iron furniture was a popular way for the elite to furnish their parlors, gardens, and living rooms.

A Few Examples of Antique and Vintage Wrought Iron Furniture

Though this style of furniture is no longer produced on a large scale, it remains a popular collectible in antique malls. The most commonly found vintage wrought iron furniture designs include:

• Mirrors and picture frames

• Baker’s racks

• Patio sets

• Garden gazebos

• Benches

• Indoor dining tables

• Dollhouse furniture (perfect for your antique doll collection)

• Bedframes

The Main Benefits of Featuring Vintage Wrought Iron Furniture in Your Home:

• High resistance to corrosion and weather

• Sturdy enough to stay put in windy conditions

• Able to last for years and years

• Offers a timeless style and intricate design

• Requires relatively low maintenance

Is Vintage Wrought Iron Furniture Valuable?

If it’s well-maintained, features a beautiful design, and is found in good condition, vintage wrought iron furniture can be incredibly valuable. Though there are many factors that go into pricing a design, the manufacturer often matters most. But, if you find a piece with no brand, never fear—even unmarked antique wrought iron chairs can sell for upwards of a hundred dollars.   

Pro tip: As you browse the Highland antique mall for your dream patio set, remember that in general, the older the piece is, the more sought after it becomes. This means that any antique wrought iron furniture made at least 100 years ago has a higher value than a vintage design made more recently.

The Big 3 Vintage and Antique Wrought Iron Furniture Brands to Look For:  

• Salterini: made in Brooklyn in the mid-1900s, known for intricate Gothic Revival and Art Deco-inspired motifs, hand-wrought elements, and “orange slice” design

• Leinfelder: produced in the 1930s in Wisconsin, renowned for distinctive Victorian and French Empire patterns, “bird cage” connectors, brightly painted hues, and limited quantity pieces

• Lee Woodard and Sons: originated in the 1930s in Michigan, praised for designing the first hand-crafted wrought iron furniture and unique patterns

5 Tips for Identifying Vintage and Antique Wrought Iron

When you’re shopping for sturdy, metal patio sets and dining chairs at antique furniture shops in Indiana, you’ll need to be able to identify whether or not a design is actually vintage wrought iron furniture, as opposed to other cast-metal designs. Luckily, antique wrought iron furniture has a few dead giveaways:

Tip 1: Look For the Mold Lines

Though the two are often confused for one another, vintage wrought iron furniture is not the same as cast iron furniture. The easiest way to tell the two apart is to look for a mold line.

Cast iron pieces are made by pouring molten iron into a mold. When the artisan opens the mold, the final product is left with a telltale seam along the side. Since antique wrought iron furniture was hand-molded by blacksmiths, authentic designs will never have a mold line.

Tip 2: Try to Pick it Up

Antique wrought iron furniture is heavy. When you find a metal design at a vendor mall in Florida, try to move it. If you struggle to move it, there’s a good chance it’s authentic wrought iron. If it’s surprisingly light, it’s likely a modern replica.

Tip 3: Check for Rust

When antique wrought iron furniture is left outside for too long without proper varnish, it has a good chance of developing rust. If you come across a rusty vintage wrought iron furniture piece while antique shopping, don’t cast it aside! With a little elbow grease, you can remove the rust, repair any broken segments, and refinish it with a high-quality paint and sealant.  

Tip 4: See If It Passes the Magnet Test

Make sure to grab a magnet before heading out to shop for antique furniture! Vintage wrought iron furniture is magnetic due to its high iron content. If your magnet is attracted to the piece of furniture, it is likely wrought iron, and not a cheaper alternative, such as aluminum.

Note: Since magnets are also attracted to cast iron, this should not be your sole method of authenticating antique wrought iron furniture.

Tip 5: Examine for Markings and Labels

Looking for maker’s marks and labels is almost always the first thing antique aficionados tell you to do when authenticating a design. Unfortunately, this is not the case with antique wrought iron furniture. The older pieces were handmade by blacksmiths, who typically don’t include any identifying information. Even some of the most famous manufacturers neglected to add their names.

However, if you do find a label, it will be helpful in identifying and valuing the piece. Once you’re sure a piece is vintage wrought iron furniture, look over the legs, back, and underside for engraved symbols or words. Should you happen to find one, it should be easy to trace it online to its maker!

One thing is certain: vintage wrought iron furniture was designed to last! If you’re in the market for a new set of chairs for your front stoop or a retro table for your vintage record player, head to your nearest America’s Antique Mall and hunt for authentic antique wrought iron furniture today.