Wild Wild West Sets

I just discovered that the promotional website for Wild Wild West (the movie) has images of the sets. They are really wonderful. It's been so long since I've seen the movie, I think I need to see it again. (Especially since I've started working on my bedroom again, with an Old West Steampunk Train + Saloon feel. Still working on it, but so far the concept includes red velvet, wood, and trains.)

The two best parts of the set:

Victorian trains (with a lab!)

the opulent gothic lair of Dr. Arliss Loveless

But definitely go check out the rest of the images.

Can you find steampunk at Ikea?

So when I was at everyone's favorite swedish modern discount furniture store buying the chairs for Miss J's table, I wondered "could anything here be steampunk?" I found one light fixture that I thought *might* work while I was there; this Ottava Pendant Lamp (which is not listed on the website):



It doesn't look Victorian, but does have an early industrial feel.

I spent some more time today browsing the website and found some other things that might work:

Index GÅVA Finials ($7.99)

Tostarp Wall Lamp ($12.99)

There are also a couple of chandeliers, but at $60 and with modern finishes, I'm not sure they are worth it. (In the US you'd be better off at Lowe's or on Target's website.)

Our "modern victorian" kid's table

Ben wanted to build Miss J (Steampunk Sprog? Steampunk Spawn? I'll give in and post a picture of her in her steampunk jacket before fall is over) a play table; I, of course, wanted it to to be attractive enough to "fit" in the house.

I found this table by designer John Reeves in some home decor magazine a year or so back:

A simple, elegant twist on a Victorian table, no?

So that's what Ben and my dad built:



We found a standard table leg at Lowe's, and quartered it to make the table legs. I wasn't involved in the actual table making (involved the purchase of a biscuit making machine, which made the table more expensive than a store bought option, but Ben very happy) but afterwards it was painted with a high gloss lacquer.

(note: The chairs are from Ikea, but I thought they looked right. The rug underneath is one of our Turkish souvenirs.)

Modern Victorian Tea Set

There is a growing trend of what I'd call "modern victorian" home products. One of my favorites are these tea sets by Christine Misiak. She finds old silver tea sets and refurbishes them:

With this black set, when I sourced it at a car boot sale it was in extremely bad condition. The surface finish was rusty, dirty and scratched, also the inside of the tea pot was very unappealing.
Moreover, one of the little legs on the sugar bowl had been snapped off by the prior owner, therefore it had really reached its end life.
So I cleaned the set up and applied black to it, and now the surface finish is glossy and smooth and the set can actually be used again. The imperfection with the broken sugar bowl leg is still there, but it acts as character and the set aims to celebrate the imperfections.

I think the black one is the most steampunk -- for some reason I can see Mrs. Coulter in The Golden Compass using it.

There are pictures of the entire line on Flickr -- in addition to the black one she has an orange set and 2 green sets.

If you were really ambitious, you could try doing this yourself. Old silver plate (maybe start with just a tray?) is cheap and easy to come by at thrift shops. I'm not sure what kind of paint you'd use, but if I was doing it I would start with light coats of spray paint.

Pushing my buttons

Ben got me a great birthday present: A push-button light switch from Rejuvenation. It makes a delightful "clack" noise when you push the mother of pearl inlaid button.

Now for a switch plate to cover it. Luckily for me Rejuvenation was out of their simple brass switchplates, so I've ordered the Victorian brass one from House of Antique Hardware. They have the best selection of push-button switch plates I've been able to find online. Their Art Deco switch plate was also very tempting, but I'm slating the new light switch for a hallway where I'm going with an over the top Victorian feel, and this switch and switch plate will bring a nice turn of the century "electricity worship" feel to the space.

Halloween Goodies

If your home is missing some of the darker style -- where steampunk and gothic overlap, for instance -- now is a great time to remedy that.

Target has all sorts of neat things -- crystal skeleton paperweights, black metal bowls, etched glass bowls and lanterns, gilded rose or black lace candles, fake ravens, crows, and owls, all sorts of gargoyles, cheesecloth tablecloths, phrenology head, skull mirror, etc.

Don't fall for too much kitsch, and aim for things that could be out year round without making your guests think of Halloween (witches and ghosts are probably out, but skeletons could work).

In particular I liked the spooky portraits that changed from traditional to scary when a button was pressed or you walked by. The Master Draven Baby Portrait one was the best. Also worth checking out is the laboratory candy packaging -- petri dishes, beakers, test tubes full of candy. They are plastic, so not high quality home gear, but might work for mouthwash etc. in a bathroom where you don't want breakables.

For those with larger budgets -- or who just like to browse and wait for the post-holiday sales -- Grandin Road has some spectacular Halloween decorations. I liked the black candle holders and the spell book in the Gothic Decor section.

Bonus: Visit Victorian Halloween for all sorts of Victorian costumes, games, and objects. Recent finds include the very clever Gravestone Girls.

Query

Is decorating your home in a steampunk style any more silly than a [faux] country style?

I spent the weekend visiting family in some very nicely decorated country style houses, and it struck me that it was just as much of a fantasy style as steampunk, just with broader appeal.