Brass Nautical Supplies

As Spring makes its way to Summer, keep in mind that beach hardware stores carry a great selection of Steampunk accessories. Here's a selection from the grocery on Bolivar Peninsula, Texas:


Curtain holdbacks? Shower curtain hangers? Hanging plant hooks? Napkin rings? Any other ideas?

Hexagon Tile in a Kitchen

I'm enamored of black and white floors. This one is a pattern I've seen in plenty of bathrooms, but rarely in the kitchen.
This sort of hexagon tile was widely used in the earliest indoor bathrooms. According to some things I've read, white tile was popular in early bathrooms because it gave an antiseptic feel to the room. With that in mind, this kitchen has echoes of a Victorian surgery -- stainless steel countertops, the tile, the iron table, and adjustable stools.

If you like the Victorian doctor look, don't forget Dr. Kim's "Office."

(p.s. If you happen to live close to Carrollton, TX, you can snag the table pictured here for only $75 and the stools for $10! Only at the Wisteria outlet, and let me know if you are planning on making the trip!)

Cement Tiles make a Black and White Kitchen

I ran across this kitchen a couple months ago in Vogue. It's someplace in France... I like the combination of industrial (those lights!) and the old fashioned floors. These are antique French cement tiles.

Cement tiles have a nice matte finish, and originated in France at the end of the 19th century, although they are currently made and used in both Morocco and Mexico (and perhaps others).
Want to see more? Provence Retrovee has a number of antique cement tile patterns. Exquisite Surfaces has both antique and reproduction styles.

Simple Library from Cottage Living

Last October's Cottage Living had this simple "library nook" that had a lot of steampunk appeal -- leather club chairs, brass reading lamps, and a bookshelf that's been on the Steampunk Home Kaboodle List for a couple months now -- the Railroad Tie Bookshelf. I like this bookshelf -- it's made of recycled railroad ties (railroads -- cutting edge Victorian industrial technology, in case you forget...) . They are more rustic and modern that our traditional steampunk fare, but given their provenance, I think they would fit nicely into a steampunk room. The nautical knots used as bookends are also a nice touch.

Metal Countertops!

There are a lot of different countertop options in the world, but the one with the best steampunk vibe would have to be metal countertops.

Here's a great looking bronze countertop.

(from Brooks Custom)

Zinc is also an option, and has that whole Parisian Bistro look.

(from Brooks Custom)

My favorite, however, is copper.

(from Brooks Custom)

Doesn't the copper on the dark wood just look incredible?

(from Frigo Design)

Copper is supposed to have antibacterial properties -- this article at HGTV says "A recent British study highlighted copper's antibacterial skills: E coli survived on stainless steel for 34 days, while on copper it lasted for only four hours," so you could justify something that looks this good in terms of health.

I don't know specific prices, but I believe these are in the same ballpark as granite countertops.

Metal countertops are another example of great kitchen designs from bars. You don't find many examples of metal countertops using a Google search, but try out "bar top" instead of countertop and you find many examples.

This seems like the sort of project that would be possible if you were very handy, and after finding an article on how to build a copper countertops on Whimsie, I see that it is possible, but probably difficult.

(Sorry for the long hiatus from blogging -- I find that I can only manage one outside project at a time, and I've spent a lot of time planning a real life renovation + addition to our house. As Ben pointed out, though, that really *should* be compatible with The Steampunk Home.)