Royal Luxury Handcrafted Carved Teak Bed | White and Silver Leaf Headboard Design

The story of hand-applied leaf

Metal leafing is one of the oldest decorative crafts still practised by hand, and almost nothing about the method has changed. The leaf itself is beaten to a thickness measured in fractions of a micron, thin enough that a draught from an open door will destroy a sheet. Gilders work in still rooms, lifting each leaf with a flat brush charged with static rather than with their fingers.

The surface underneath does most of the work. The carving is sealed, then coated with a size, and the leaf is laid when the size reaches a precise tack. Too early and the leaf drowns; too late and it will not hold. Judging that moment is entirely by touch, and it is the part of the craft that cannot be taught from a manual.

Once laid, the leaf is burnished and the carving is toned back so the silver reads as age rather than as a new metallic coating. Indian workshops adopted this technique for palace and haveli furniture and never abandoned it. On this bed the silver is real applied leaf on hand-carved solid teak, which is why the metallic surface has depth instead of the flat uniformity of metallic paint.

Specification

• Frame: solid teak wood, hand carved in a French rococo style
• Finish: ivory white base with hand-applied silver leaf on carved detail
• Headboard: shaped carved crest with pearl-toned tufted upholstered panel
• Footboard: low serpentine rail with carved central shell motif
• Legs: carved cabriole legs, not straight posts
• Sizes: king size, queen size, double or fully custom sizes made to order
• Alternatives: same carving available in gold leaf or in an antique white without leaf
• Side tables: matching bedside units and dresser available on request
• Construction: made to order, handcrafted by master Indian artisans

Dimensions and weight are not published because each bed is built to the buyer's mattress and room. Send your mattress measurements and available wall width and we will confirm the finished footprint in writing before production starts.

Packaging

Leafed surfaces are the most delicate part of this bed, so packing begins with the carving. Every leafed element is wrapped in acid-free tissue laid directly against the surface, because ordinary packing materials can mark a burnished leaf finish. No adhesive tape ever touches a leafed or painted surface.

Over the tissue goes closed-cell foam, thickened at the headboard crest, the footboard shell and the cabriole knees, which are the points most exposed to a knock. The upholstered headboard panel is covered separately with a breathable cloth and a foam layer over the buttons so the tufting is not compressed in transit.

The bed then travels in a wooden crate built to the individual piece, internally braced so no component can shift. Assembly hardware is bagged, labelled and secured inside the crate, and the crate is marked for orientation and handling. If your building has a narrow lift or staircase, tell us before dispatch and we will confirm crate dimensions in advance.

Shipping

We deliver this bed throughout India and accept international orders. It is made to order, so dispatch follows the production window agreed in writing at the time of order rather than depending on stock.

Indian deliveries move by covered transport with the crate secured against movement, and are delivered to your address. The carved headboard is the largest single component; please confirm lift dimensions or staircase turns before production so we can plan for access. Where necessary the headboard can be built to separate at a concealed joint.

Home assembly is arranged in most Indian cities. The bed assembles as headboard, footboard, side rails and slats. On a leafed finish, assembly is worth having done by our team rather than by a general handyman, because a slipped spanner on a leafed carving is not a repair a local polisher can make. International orders are quoted per destination with export-grade crating; destination duties and taxes are the buyer's responsibility.

Warranty

Brown Rabbit warrants the solid teak frame, the joinery and the hand carving of this bed against manufacturing defects. If a joint fails, a rail cracks or a carved element separates due to a fault in the making, we repair or replace it.

The applied silver leaf is warranted against lifting or flaking caused by defective application or by an unstable base. It is not warranted against abrasion from cleaning, from jewellery or belt buckles, or from contact with chemical cleaners. Leaf is delicate by nature and should be dusted with a dry soft cloth only. Never use a damp cloth or any household cleaning liquid on a leafed surface.

Upholstery workmanship on the headboard panel, including button seating and panel tension, is warranted against defects. Fabric wear, staining and sun fading are not covered. Natural toning of the leaf with age is expected and is not a defect. Full terms are confirmed in writing with your order.