Three-quarter- or one-inch diameter EMT could give a similar look, be easier to cut (if required), be less expensive, and be strong enough. It might take a little figuring how to do the joins, but that can be the case with threaded iron pipe as well.

Somehow a search this morning sent me to Pinterest with a lot of photos of decorative knots. That might be a way to do some joins between crossbars, as well. (I hear macrame is coming back!)