Jean Carroll
We moved Celia and Micah into a shared boy and girl kid’s room and I hit the jackpot when I found two vintage Jenny Lind beds for this space. In the 16th century, woodworkers used a lathe with a foot pedal to create the spindle designs, which as you can imagine, was quite a tedious process. In the 1800s, steam power replaced the foot pedal, making spindle beds much easier to “mass” produce.
To hype up her tour, there was a huge marketing craze for all things Jenny Lind – hats and gloves, tobacco, and of course, furniture. It’s unclear whether this is completely true or if it was just a marketing tactic to sell furniture, but the name stuck. When I came across two Jenny Lind twin beds for our shared boy and girl kid’s room I was so excited!
Each spool bed cost under $50 on Facebook Marketplace and our local thrift store, so I obviously couldn’t pass that up! They look wonderful with our favorite lightweight quilt, a classic rug, some coastal pillows, and a white ceiling fan to tie the room together. One thing I love about Jenny Lind beds is that they look great with various home design styles. Whether your aesthetic is coastal, chic, traditional, or filled with vintage decor, a spindle bed is a wonderful item to accent your home and add character.
Jenny Lind twin beds and spindle cribs are often seen in kid’s rooms, as the spools add a fun, playful touch for children. These beds also work for adults, adding a nostalgic, classic touch to a master or guest bedroom.
You can search for Jenny Lind Beds on Facebook Marketplace, at local antique stores, and on eBay. Instead of painting, you could also strip a wooden bed to reveal it’s natural wood color or stain it a different shade. Another option would be to bleach a spindle bed to bring a light, natural color into your space. If you’d rather purchase a new Jenny Lind style bed instead of restoring an antique, there are many beautiful ones currently on the market. Early models of spindle beds were characterized as having straight lengths of spool “turnings”, as this was the easiest to make. Early models of spindle beds were characterized as having straight lengths of spool “turnings”, as this was the easiest to make.
However, a truly, authentic Jenny Lind bed design would have square solid corners on the headboard. Depending on the origin date of the furniture and the condition it’s in, a Jenny Lind bed could be valuable.
Depending on the origin date of the furniture and the condition it’s in, a Jenny Lind bed could be valuable.
One of the great things about spindle beds is that they can easily pair with most home design styles including coastal, chic, and classic decor.
