This is what I think when I think lots of repurposed plate steel.
Dangerous lead would be in the paint that (were it to exist) have to be manually (wire brush, sand blast) or chemically removed. Depending on the scale of the structure I don’t see that it would be limiting to the funds. Put a sealer on top and any residue is trapped in, again. Could be very airy and light, even open to the sides and have a real ‘spanny’ feel.
