Dark Wood, Industrial Antiques, Science and Leather -- What more could you want?

Laurel sent me a link to this home tour at Country Living.

It's a wonderful collection of modern and new, industrial and science. Not distinctly steampunk, but with oh so many of the elements we like.


It's interesting how much grey they use through this house -- a very modern neutral, but the blue in the grey provides a lot of contrast for the yellows in the antique browns.

I love how she has succulents tucked in all over the place. (I'll get around to sharing my terrarium of succulents here soon...)

This is an old seed packet display -- but it's almost a wunderkabinet now!


The plants in the tall glass cloches add a lot of height to her table...

These are old French mail bins. (Also, I've seen a similar surveyor's lamp at Target recently...)

Industrial antique table and stool, leather chair, dark wood... sigh.

See the whole tour here. Photos by Don Freeman

Spider Web Chandelier

Here's a kitchen/dining room from Metropolitan Home, July/August 2007. The fixture reminds me of the Edison Chandelier by Pottery Barn (although surely that is a knock off of this?). I love how it feels like a spider web. This doesn't seem that hard to build yourself -- I'm wondering if I have a room it would suit.

Super Traditional, yet still Steampunk

This is from House Beautiful, September 2007. It was one of the most traditional rooms I've ever seen -- check out the molding and wingback chair, not to mention the painting and prints -- but see how it's also steampunk? First, the always perfect checkboard floor -- this time done in a rug. Second, the English architect desk (adjustable, with a glass top). And, of course, the adjustable brass "implement" sitting atop it -- a clock on the right, a thermometer in the middle, and I'm guessing a barometer on the left.

Like the look? There are a number of architect desks available online. You'll have to hunt down the appropriate weather station, and probably age a black and white checkerboard rug, but I don't think any of it would be that difficult.