Going Through a Heavy Metal Phase.....

Yup, I love Rock 'n Roll.

Nope, I'm not talking about Rock 'n Roll.

I'm talking about: The Look - The Feel - The Weight of REAL STEEL.

I love art and sculptures made of rusty metal or a variety of textured metal. I think vintage, real steel automobiles kick butt!!! I think old, corrugated buildings are really cool. I really like the look of old factories with all those stacks, pipes, chutes, etc.... Pretty much any old metal object gets my thumbs up! They just don't make them like they used to.

On that note, here is the Heavy Metal treasure Phillip and I picked up yesterday after work.

It's a full-size bed frame for the "Red, White and Blue" guest room. I plan to sand blast it down and either powder coat it white or paint it white. I'd almost clear coat it and leave it the original color with the rusty spots, but someone has already painted milk chocolate brown over the original white. So, I'll go clean and start over. It has the original heavy steel rails too! And I just saw a JC Penney ad in the May 2009 Country Living magazine with a really cute red, white & blue paisley AND blue and white checkerboard reversible coverlet. (I checked with our JCP here in Grants Pass, and they don't carry it! So, I'm on the hunt.)

This bed will be perfect in the guest room. I have a ton of ideas for in there. (one of which was the vintage RED scooter! SIGH!!!) The room isn't too big and won't have a closet anymore, as we'll be commandeering its closet for the kitchen, but I have a few other ideas up my sleeve about storage. A long dresser that will get re-done in white with new knobs and, here's the fun part, a galvanized top! The matching 2-drawer night stand will get the same treatment.

BUT, first....The floor needs to get oak'd. The closet needs to be framed in and covered in horizontal planks and painted white (can you say cottage guest room?) and the old 1970's aluminum window replaced. Just some more on the to do list. But, hey, I got THE bed I wanted for in there!

Last night, as I was pointing out to the guy at the S.Army which bed I had bought and was there to pick up, he made the comment "Oh, that old bed. When it came in, I told them we should just put it outside by the dumpster!" WHAT!!!! I love this BED! It totally reminds me of those old beds at Grandma's or you see at camp. They were always cold to the touch and squeaky! I just LOVE that!!!!

Here are a couple of other HEAVY METAL goodies I've collected....

This is obviously an old wheel barrow that I found for free somewhere in my travels. Someday, it'll get a planter box, but until then, I just love the skeleton with its wheel!

I found this little tricycle, with only two wheels (one of the back wheels is missing), in a field up in Washington. They were clearing land to build a new housing tract and had a pile of "junk", rocks, and sod. I spyed this from the road one day while driving home. This little bike has been in my yard ever since. In Washington. In California. AND now here in Oregon. Even with the missing wheel, I love it!

Neither of these are in their permanent homes, but be sure they will have a place of honor once the yard is landscaped!

Lastly, and these really aren't "treasures", but I kinda like the composition.

SEVERAL months ago, I cleaned these OLD (owned by the previous owner of the house) paint cans out of the garage and set them outside with the intention of dumping them at the next local recycle fair, but here they sit. The rusty lids are fun though. These WILL NOT be included in the eventual landscape, I promise!

Oh and one little final note of HEAVY METAL excitement....

My 1963 Chevy Nova Convertible got picked up on Monday and is getting soda blasted and then getting re-painted its original red. Oooooh. Gotta love VINTAGE REAL STEEL! (gotta love barter too!!! Boy, can my hubby deal!)

Rock on!