Bustin' Out

Josie sent me this image from Cote de Texas, commenting that using light colors was easier for renters and husbands... Me, I immediately focused on the bust -- I'm not sure what it is about busts (perhaps the pretentious classical education references?), but they are immensely appealing right now.


Here's a bust of David from Restoration Hardware:


And here's my interpretation -- a slightly shabby thrift store find, painted black (I like that it keeps it from being too pretentious), combined with brass and gold pieces:


Embarrassingly, I have no idea who my bust is of.

Too classical for you? You can always top a bust with your favorite pair of goggles or a bowler to tweak it up.

Castle "Punked" episode

This might be fun:



Castle -- an ABC cop show -- has an episode featuring a "steampunk secret society" and a 200 year old bullet on next Monday. Looks like some good gadgets, but I couldn't get a read on the sets from the preview. But best of all, Castle stars Nathan Fillion -- I've had a soft spot in my heart for him since Firefly (my gateway drug into Steampunk, I have to admit... even if the Old West + Spaceships isn't quite what we call steampunk these days).

A black and gold kitchen

I had torn this kitchen out of Elle Decor a few years back -- it seems to be from September 2008(!) -- because I was going through a "paint the kitchen cabinets black" phase. I like how the cabinets are glossy black, with gold molding. I was surprised at how well mixing the gold and stainless steel worked, too. The pink backsplash (Benjamin Moore Pink Mix) was surprisingly but warms up a room that could otherwise be cold and stark.