The Lair of Vincent M. Dantes Esq.

Browsing the forums at Brass Goggles the other day, I ran across another workshop that I immediately knew I had to share here. The workshop is such a strong symbol of the steampunk home -- it's the space in a home that embodies the "do it yourself" philosophy of steampunk.

The following is the "Lair" of one Vincent M. Dantes, Esq. who generously allowed me to include his photographs (he's a photographer in addition to a customer and artist -- a multi-faceted talent indeed!) on The Steampunk Home.

I think part of the reason this looks so wonderful is the lighting -- the ambient light is golden & soft, with bright points of light from his lamps and lanterns.

So how might you go about recreating this look? Dantes' Lair is actually the attic of a toolshed, so you could start there. A toolshed is a great idea for anyone who wants to build a workshop but is lacking the space. I haven't done a lot of research into this area, since the garage in our house serves our workshop needs, but I will recommend Morgan Buildings as a starting place, simply because my dear departed uncle used to drive trucks for them.



See at the top of the eaves -- it's a barometer. These should be really easy to find in thrift shops or antique stores. (If you want to buy one new, here's one.)

The lamp to the left of his worktable? It's from Target, and it's still available online. (Only $40!) Floor Lamp with Tassel Fabric Shade - Dark Rust



One of the most innovative stylings in this workshop are the lanterns hung from lengths of chain. The lanterns are tealight lanterns, and Mr. Dantes found boxes of 3 for $9 at Eckerd's. You'd think this would be one of the simplest things to locate online, but Eckerd's doesn't have a website for sales and I can't find anything that is a good match. This is the closest I came, and it's not brass.

There are some nice brass vases tucked onto the bench off to the right -- I suspect they were found at a thrift store, as they are a dime a dozen (ok, not that cheap, but still quite affordable) there.

The captain's chair was ubiquitous in the 70s -- they are harder to find now, but restaurant supply stores or thrift shops should have them. Here's one at an online restaurant supply house.



If you need a hookah to complete your lair, smoking-hookah.com has many, including one that is extremely similar to Mr Dantes'.

There are some additional photographs and a nice discussion of this lair on the forum at Brass Goggles.