Wednesday, June 16, 2010

My Steampunk Dining Room

Sorry for keeping you guys in suspense for so long! I'll post the curtain tutorial soon - for now, here are some shots of our still-evolving-but-mostly-done steampunk dining room.

First, a (badly) spliced together night shot of the whole room:

Our main area is all open, so the dining room only has these two walls. You can just see the hallway leading to my office on the right and the doorway into our back room on the left.




Here's the room with the curtains closed:

You can barely see the penny buttons from here.

We've had the table and chairs since our second year of marriage, although when we bought them (used) they were pickled oak with pink seats. Needless to say, they were refinished before ever entering the house. :)

The full "cabinet of wonders:"



Better view of the top half:

This entire top was made from scratch by John. The center starbursts were metal wall art pieces purchased at Old Time Pottery for $15 each. John hammered them flat, refinished them, and installed them into the doors. As you can see, we store our dusty alcohol bottles in there. :) No handles, because you can reach your fingers through the grate to pull the doors open.

John installed puck lights on a dimmer switch both on top of and below the cabinet. (The switch is hidden underneath.) The glass, silver, and mercury glass all twinkle very prettily at night.

Here's the bottom, which I posted earlier:


Close-up of one of the drawers:

The apothecary came with the handles and those awful silver screws; we added the label holders. (Notice how OUR screws match. Heh.) And yes, that reads "Iocaine Powder."

[Tip: the metal label holders are actually for scrapbooking, and cost less than $3 for a set of five right now at JoAnn's. They don't come with screws, though; we had to paint these to match.]
I also have labels of Mandrake, Lembas, Wolfsbane, and Felix Felicis, among others. (You score three geek points if you can ID all those.) The font is darn near illegible, but it looks fantastic printed on parchment paper. It's called "Schoon," and is free at most font sites. [UPDATE: the original 'Schooner Script' and other great handwriting fonts can be found here]

On the left side of the cabinet we have this:

Airship art!

I love the colors: lots of oranges, golds, and even a little fuchsia. I purchased the print from the artist on Deviantart, and we matted and framed it ourselves.

You can see a little bit of the frame better here:

There's a peak at our curtain tie-backs, too.

We just bought that bottle at Ross on Monday. It's hanging on a wreath stand I've had since Christmas. Don't you love bottle green?!? It's so vibrant. I hope to use more of it in the ray guns we're planning on making. We'll hang those on the other side of the window:

The artwork there now is a (reproduction) illuminated Haggadah I got in Israel as a teenager. We recently re-framed that, too, using burlap, a $12 frame, and a brass plaque from a trophy shop. [Tip: trophy shops are awesome. This engraved plaque was only $7.]

The clock is an antique my dad gave me, and it's sitting under the glass vase from this post. I recently added a round wooden plaque under it as a base, too, to make it look more like a display dome. I'm not wild about how it all looks, though, so it will probably be changed out for something better in the future.

Going back to the other side of the room...

Next to the apothecary cabinet is this stand:

Which may get a better paint job soon, along with wooden shelves over the wire ones.

The bottle is actually glass covered with leather, and was a $2 antique flea market find. I've had the gumball machine since college. This is its 3rd paint job: bronze and aged copper. The porcelain balls inside it are from TJ Maxx - although since everyone who sees them says, "Look! Lotto balls!" I now wish I'd purchased the alphabet ones instead of the numbers. Hah!


I already had the gold bottle, so I'm going with it for now for the seahorse dangle. Below that is the first thing John ever gave me: Agnes, the 15-pound gargoyle. She's solid cast iron! Under her is leather-bound "parchment" - a super fun project I made from an old textbook and leather belt. (I used the cover of the book to make a purse last year, so the paper was left over.) Tucked inside the leather strap is a wooden level that belonged to my great grandfather, who was a carpenter.

Oh, and there's also a Lord of the Rings sketch book under there. (Thanks, Tim!)

And that's the room!

Again, we're not completely finished: the biggest thing we've yet to tackle is the chandelier. These hanging paper lanterns don't clash too horribly, but I reeeeallly want something that uses Edison bulbs. Something simple, but more than just a hanging wire with the bulb. I am open to suggestions!

So far, I'm kind of partial to this design:

Candelaria Chandelier by Robert Abbey

Of course, when the bulbs alone cost over $150, and the chandelier is another $700-$950, that's a hefty incentive to DIY. (Not that we can fake the bulbs, of course.) I'll let you know what we come up with.

And lastly, I have to give a shout-out and huge "thank you!!" to The Steampunk Home for being such a great inspiration. It's the only blog of its kind that I know of, and I've spent many, many happy hours poring through every single post in the archives. If you've read this far, then you'll probably love it, too, so go check it out!

162 comments:

  1. Absolutely gorgeous! I don't have a DIY fiber in my being so I'm very jealous. Also, very envious of the apothecary cabinet (and I get 3 geek points)!

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  2. Oh. My. God. You house looks fantabulous! I really really love the copper-ish cabinets and the whole apothecary things. :)

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  3. Your dining room is freaking gorgeous! You are a couple of talented people that's for sure. I can only dream that our dining room will one day look that put together.

    Question on the bakers rack.. did you guys find that one that way (minus any painting you did to it) or did you mod the metal parts? I ask because we have one.. dumster (well curb) diving, and it doesn't look half as cool as yours!

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  4. Simply beautiful! It's worthy of a spread in a magazine. :)

    You're very talented and have given me tons of ideas! (not stealing them, just inspiration!)

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  5. Your room is gorgeous - I'm not esp steampunk myself (er, I wasn't...), but this is wonderful! So livable and stylish -- and I'm in utter envy of the DIY. Congrats!

    Yes -- I get all the geek points, I think. I might quibble that Felix Felicis is a potion, not an ingredient... LOVE the concept!

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  6. I must admit I saw lotto balls, too ;) It really does look fantastic!

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  7. gumball machine contents should be eyeballs....

    Paja

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  8. I am so jealous of your dining room. Excellent job!

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  9. @ Aly - the metal baker's rack came that way, with the metal leaves. We may paint them more coppery, since right now they're just antiqued gold.

    @ Tracey - Curse you and your logic!! ;) But wait, what if there are bottles OF the potion in the drawer? Eh?

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  10. It's somehow strange to me that you have a house, like finding out that your teacher has a life outside of school. You mean you don't live in a grocery store bakery or something?

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  11. I am in love with the apothecary table. I cannot get enough of it! And labeling with Harry Potter and the best movie of all time Princess Bride references? Genius!

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  12. Cast iron gargoyle? THAT is love.

    Also where did you get your apothecary cabinet? I am dying for one and can't find a decent one anywhere, silver screws or not.

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  13. WOW!!! Jen, it's amazingly gorgeous!

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  14. I love it! I want to come live in your dining room! (Well, not really, that's a little creepy. But I do love the dining room!)

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  15. I thought Bingo, not Lotto, but it still looks cool.

    Could you post a DIY post on both the leather strap bound parchment and book purse? I'd love to know more about those.

    At first glance I thought the apothecary cabinet was an old library catalog cabinet, which would also have been really cool.

    It's a shame you can't fake the edison bulbs. I imagine they aren't horribly energy efficient.

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  16. I like it! The details are great.

    I'd definitely tackle the chandelier next. I've seen some similar, simpler versions of the black chandelier at Lowe's (search for "Bel Air" and look for a round "wagon wheel" one with 4 lights. There's also a rectangular one). I wonder if the shades on those could be removed and edison bulbs put in?

    Also, go look at the chandelier over the dining table here:
    http://www.designspongeonline.com/2010/06/sneak-peek-susan-and-william-brinson.html
    It uses only 10 "active" bulbs -- the rest don't light up! Not sure if you could find "pretty" bulbs to not light up on the cheap, but worth considering.

    Also, what would happen if you just got rid of the existing shades and used edison bulbs? Any chance that would be presentable?

    Sara @ The Steampunk Home (who obviously loves to give advice...)

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  17. Those cabinet doors are gorgeous! Coveting!

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  18. Love this so! I am going in a more 30's direction with my place (I've heard dustpunk used to describe that before...), but I do love me some steampunk decor too.

    Speaking of: I think that this remains my most favorite steamy light fixture. There is a more affordable etsy version out there as well. Not UL rated, of course, as it's homemade, so install at your own risk...

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  19. I apologize in advance for shouting, but this room is so AMAZING and GORGEOUS and OMG I CAN'T STOP SHOUTING! Wow - this is like one of those home makeover shows except you guys did it all yourselves instead of having an unseen team of minions doing all the gruntwork.

    I LOVE that chandelier, BTW. Drat, I'm shouting again...

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  20. Amazing. I thought I read Iocaine powder! Ha! And because the geek in me can't resist:
    Mandrake - Harry Potter plant with cry baby roots
    Lembas - LOTR Elvish bread
    Wolfsbane - HP to help those werewolves trying to live in normal society
    Felix Felicis - HP again, Liquid Luck!!! (Is just me or did Harry seem drunk when they filmed the Felix scene?)

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  21. I'm hoping for three geek points, since three of them are from HP. Mandrake is something they potted in Herbology, then used for Potions. Wolfsbane, another HP potions ingredient, I don't remember for which potion, but it might have had something to do with the potion to help Prof. Lupin deal with the full moon. Felix Felicis is the happy, good luck potion. And Lembas is Elvin bread from LotR, which is supposed to fill you up pretty well with one bite, but Pippin and Merry each had two whole pieces (or something like that). Nice room, BTW. :)

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  22. I can only dream of being that amazing at DIY. Wow. Also, I would love ot see that purse you made from a textbook cover. I have tried doing dictionary covers and making bags, but no luck so far..

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  23. I officially want to come live with you. That room is amazing! If I can't come live with you, maybe I'll just steal the furniture.

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  24. I'm loving this chandalier on ebay, but it might be too small for your space http://bit.ly/cU2r7w

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  25. Okay, when I saw one or two items of steam punk, I thought it was ugly. But in a whole room, it's really awesome! I've always liked old maps, and it reminds me of that look. Very nice! Can't wait till I can stay home (post-debt) and make stuff too!

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  26. That is absolutely gorgeous! Gives me inspiration for my future home (whenever that will be) for maybe a library or study. Thank you so much and I enjoy reading you blog.

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  27. We have this lighting in our "old" (not quite steampunk, more Victorian) room. We painted the metallic parts with an antique brass, and it looks great - it could be very steampunk. And it's affordable. You may want two, though.

    http://www.homedepot.ca/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/CatalogSearchResultView?D=944866&Ntt=944866&catalogId=10051&langId=-15&storeId=10051&Dx=mode+matchallpartial&Ntx=mode+matchall&N=0&Ntk=P_PartNumber

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  28. OMG gorgeous! Each detail is better than the last (except nothing tops the apothecary labels - iocaine powder! wolfsbane! FELIX FELICIS!)

    Have you seen this Edison chandelier (http://tinyurl.com/33ulo9q)? I know, it's Pottery Barn, the antithesis of DIY and steampunk, but its vintage-y bulbs and drape-y style could work in your dining room aesthetic.

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  29. Dude, you have bottles of Felix Fellicis? Who taught you, the Half-Blood Prince? Hermione failed at that!

    Potter + LOTR labeled drawers FTW! (The room is cool too!)

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  30. I feel like I've died and gone to geek heaven just looking at this room.
    But why would you need to have iocane powder on hand? Suspicious...

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  31. First of all, your dining room looks awesome. I can't even imagine how much time and effort must have gone into all this! Wow.

    But I wanted to mention that the font you referred to sounds like a pirated version of a typeface my dad made called Schooner Script. I'm guessing someone distributed it without his permission under the name "Schoon." If you want to support a pretty great independent type designer, you can find Schooner Script and other fonts like it on his website, www.oldfonts.com. I'm sure he'd appreciate it!

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  32. I particularly like the way you light up your glass above the cabinet. Mercury glass is a favorite of mine, for the way it looks both aged and sparkly at the same time. While we're not steampunk(-ers?), my husband (an 18th-c tradesperson and historian) and I love to mix really old materials -- glass, metals, wood -- with more contemporary decor, and appreciate the effort you've gone to. A reply to some comments, if you don't like or can't find the apothocary chests mostly being imported now, check out some antique/junk stores for old postal racks and particularly old hardware store nail bins. Some of them are really interesting.

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  33. Hey! My last name is Schoon! I've seen that font before and my sister actually was thinking about getting a Latin quote in that font tattoed on her arm. Neat!

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  34. @ elise-the-great - you know those little incense-filled home-decor stores at the mall? The ones with lots of cheap Buddhas, stained glass, and plastic water fountains? That's where we found our apothecary chest. :D

    It has a big crack down the back, so the owner gave it to us for half off. The fact that it just so happened to fit our wall recess *exactly* was pure fate, though.

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  35. @ C7Lan - I *have* seen the Pottery Barn one! Over on the Steampunk Home, there are pics of one in someone's dining room. I like it, but I think it's a little too octopus-hanging-from-the-ceiling for our room. Not a bad price for all that, though, since I believe the bulbs are included.

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  36. That is the worlds coolest living room.

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  37. Oh, btw, I can claim all the geek points too. But, one little quibble, one of those is a potion.

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  38. Mandrake - member of nightshade family. screaming root in HP.
    Lembas - Elven bread from LOTR also called Waybread.
    Wolfsbane - herb, said to either induce or cause lycanthropy. deadly to vampires. used as an ingredient in HP for Wolfsbane potion, other geeky reference a Marvel X-man.
    Felix Felicis - difficult & complicated luck potion from Harry Potter
    do I get all the geek points?

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  39. Holy crow Jen! I LOVE your dining room! I'm becoming a believer in steam punk thanks to you! My next project (whatever that may be!) will have domed penny buttons :D

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  40. Three comments:

    1. I am coveting the whole room. Can I move in?

    2. I *think* I love you! In a NRLP sort of way (Non-romantic life partner!)

    3. You SO don't have kids :)

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  41. I don't have any suggestions for your chandelier dilemma, particularly since I'd never heard of Steampunk before reading your blog (other than Back to the Future III--I guess). But one thing I do dabble in that I know quite a bit about is dollhouses. Have you considered making a Steampunk dollhouse? A lot of miniatures you can easily make yourself, and it might be more easily manipulated than your own home, if you need to satisfy the urge. :) I don't have suggestions for that, either, as my own dollhouse that I've been improving for 30 years I've turned into a WWII-era design. It's terribly fun to hunt for/design/collect/stage the exact components you need to make the right look. Only tiny. (Now if only I could finally locate a 1941 black Packard in 12:1 scale.)

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  42. aliceinwonderland14June 16, 2010 at 6:53 PM

    Hey Jen! Love your dining room! So cute! I got an idea from Sara @ The Steampunk Home--you could take a real wooden wheel, paint it bronze or copper, and make it into a chandelier! I think that would be so awesome!

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  43. This room is just AMAZING. I'm in awe of all the little details. And that a good portion of it is DIY.

    When I have my own home, I may have to come and "borrow" a few of your dining room items.

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  44. Beautiful!! And thanks for all the tips and HP references! ;). Rejuvenation has really cool lights... expensive, but cool.
    http://www.rejuvenation.com/fixshowC390-3/templates/selection.phtml

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  45. So incredibly gorgeous! My favorite is the "Cabinet of Wonders" area, top to bottom. J did an AMAZING job with that cabinet! Too bad he can't just pop by Ohio and commission one for me :)

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  46. Jen, don't you live in Central FL? When I look at the chandelier, all I can think of is all the heat those bulbs would give off!

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  47. http://thesteampunkhome.blogspot.com/2008/07/pottery-barn-does-steampunk.html

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  48. AHH Jen...Ya'll did such a great job! I love it!!

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  49. Yeah, that apothecary cabinet fits perfectly! It almost looks like a built-in.

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  50. This is FAB. I want to live in your dining room, though I have to warn you I sleep nude...

    I want some Felix Felicis in a bad, bad way. If I got some, then I might have a pretty room in MY house (and my kids wouldn't destroy it) like this and I wouldn't have to live in yours!

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  51. I have a very similar color on the walls of my dining/living room, which has more of a medieval bent, but I love the steampunk as well!

    And I'd LOVE to know how you made a purse out of a book cover...!!!

    Thanks for this post, it's inspired me to get off my arse and go clean/decorate!

    And Iocaine powder. Heehee!

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  52. I love it! Amazing, classic and chic at the same time.

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  53. Mandrake, Lembas, Wolfsbane, and Felix Felicis:

    mandrake extract will unpetrify someone who has been petrified by seeing a reflection the basilisk's eyes, but you have to wait for them to mature :).

    lembas, elven bread. frodo and sam sustained on it on their trip to mount doom.

    wolfsbane, potion taken by remus lupin to make him a well behaved werewolf during the full moon. bad news bears with out it.

    felix felicis- liquid luck! duh.

    i am on a constant rereading loop of HP and LOTR. i need to expand my book collection.

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  54. Oh I so wish I was more handy & into DIY. That all looks incredible and it's coming along so well. Thanks for sharing the photos.

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  55. That is so, so amazing. :o Do your whole house like that! ^___^

    Iocaine powder = Australia is a continent populated entirely by criminals.
    Mandrake = screaming baby plants. >O Used to make a potion to free people from the Basilisk's stone-gaze curse!
    Lembas = as in Lembas bread? xD
    Wolfsbane = erh, it must do something! D:
    Felix Felicis = luck potion! :D

    Was your great-grandfather a Mason? 8D

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  56. OMg ! I am coming to your house and sleeping on your dining room table ! LOL jk, of course.

    That room is AWESOME ! Well done, you !

    I get geeky points too. However, I'm curious: How many carbs in lembas ? (But, who cares ?! It's so FILLING.) LOL

    Thanks for posting. Wish I had the Cabinet o'Wonders in my apartment. :( However, I DO have the Fridge o'Wonders. Hopefully, not for much longer. Time to check the Tupperware. Toodles !

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  57. Did a little Googling after my comment. Have you seen this ?
    http://lotrscrapbook.bookloaf.net/other/recipes.html

    LOL I'm trying the Strawberry Cheesecake Smoothie asap. I wonder how the Hobbits did it...

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  58. Jen, if I ever win the Lotto, I want you to come to my house and steampunk it up. I adore the styling, but I have no idea how to get started with it. You do it so well! I love it!

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  59. I have never really seen steampunk or heard of it before reading this blog but, coming from a non-steampunk background, I LOVE your dining room! Its beautiful and interesting and I see so many many conversation pieces in there! I cannot do DIY and I'm sure a room like this would cost way more money than I could afford to spend on a dining room so mad props to both of you.

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  60. I am in love with that apothecary cabinet! And I love the labels, too. (I knew all of them :)

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  61. Love, Love Love it!!! :) Well done Jen and John!

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  62. It shouldn't be much trouble to find 50 or 100 small brass screws at the local Home Depot or whatever. Take one one of those ugly Philips heads along.

    Do Mandrake and Wolfsbane really need identifying? They're real things, after all.

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  63. I totally thought the label said "Cocaine Bowler" which in hindsight makes no sense. Why would you keep a cocaine bowler in a drawer? That's something that goes on a shelf!

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  64. Absolutely beautiful. Love how it is all coming together and all the great DIY ideas and projects. The apothecary cabinet is wonderful, and the lights above and below create a perfect effect.

    Here is a site that offers Edison style reproduction lightbulbs for less than $20 (some less than $10). Still pricey for a light bulb, but better than $100. :) They also have some lovely chandeliers and pendant light fixtures. Kind of pricey, but they might give you some good ideas.

    Schoolhouse Electric is another one that offers Edison bulbs. They have some cool fixtures too.

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  65. OMG Love the labels!!!!! :) Your room is awesome!

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  66. I saw this print and I immediately thought of your dining room. Is that silly? Haha.
    http://www.deviantart.com/print/8978308/
    Oh and:
    Mandrake-Screaming plant, that once brewed, can return someone from a petrified state.
    Lembas-Not sure. I'll have to check that one.
    Wolfsbane-A potion that allows a werewolf to control their actions/emotions during a full moon.
    Felix Felicis-Liquid luck. Gives the drinker a perfect day (or however many hours depending on how much you drink.)
    I get geek points!

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  67. I must say, that is one of the most beautiful dining rooms I've ever seen and I love the Harry Potter shout out on the apothecary. You do wonderful work. Wanna do my apartment next?

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  68. Do I see a Kleine bottle up there?

    You guys are way to cool. This whole room is just /beautiful!/ And that chandalier! That's adorable...

    Thanks for the blog rec, too!

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  69. I despise and adore your dining room. WANT!

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  70. It's super-awesome-gorgeous!!!!
    I LOVE the top part of the apothecary cabinet and the green bottle looks great. and the curtain is just perfect :)

    its so great. hope you get your chandelier soon!

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  71. Oh my gosh. I want to go to your house XD I'm sitting here staring at these pictures, trying to think if there's any way I can possible make my bedroom look this cool. (We just finished putting up drywall. In the end it's going to be fairy themed and I'm super excited)

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  72. So impressed with the room so far!!! It's frabjous! Gotta say the nod to Princess Bride, HP and LOtR just take it over the top. I'm working up plans for our family room and master bath and you have inspired me - anachronistic alternate reality here I come!! :-)

    Awesome job guys, you should be proud. :-)

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  73. I'll admit that prior to reading your blogs, I had never heard of steampunk. But I have to say that your dining room is awesome. I love it and I wish I was creative like that!

    As for the silver screws...couldn't you paint them to match too?

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  74. You room is SO awesome!
    Pottery barn has a nice Edison Chandelier. I bet you could DIY with pendant lamp parts from a light store or IKEA and then most of the cost would be the bulbs you like...
    http://www.potterybarn.com/products/edison-chandelier/?pkey=cchandeliers

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  75. Beautiful! I love how you decorated it. I wish I could do something like that with our small apartment.

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  76. Awesome. I'm very jealous. Perhaps I'm just jealous of the fact that you even have a dining room. (Mine has been the rabbits' room for many years now.) I really like the steampunk look. (Have you seen the props on Warehouse 13? Awesome.)

    P.S. I looked and looked at the curtains and I didn't see any "peak". ;)

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  77. Your room looks amazing, I can't wait to read more about it.

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  78. I love everything about this! Especially the apothecary cabinet (plants and potions and powders from harry potter)
    I'm in love with the airship picture and all your little decorations like the clock. Your husband did an amazing job on the cabinet. :) xx Chandelier would look perfect.

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  79. DragonRidingSorceressJune 17, 2010 at 6:04 AM

    I love it!

    Just wanted to request How-Tos for the parchment, and also the book-cover purse.

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  80. we have the exact same table and seats... we bought them used when we moved into our first apartment. ours are still the terrible oak and pink colour scheme -so ugly, jet so comfortable :)

    i love what you did with the re-finishing!!

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  81. I'm not sure if anyone else has sauggested this, so I'll just jump right in. THe chandelier you love could actually be made with tubes from tube amps or re claiming pieces from old electrical equipment (we live in Adelaide Australia and love the 'road side shopping' where ppl leave out the stuff they no longer want, but it's too good to throw away, for passers by to pick up!) Anyhow, my partner re fills tubes, glass vials and all sorts of things with light by popping in LED lights at their base. Kits are readily available over the net and he finds the assembly fairly simple and definitely rewarding! If John is half as clever with the gadgetry then he's bound to be able to whip up some circuits once you have your barrel ring and old bulbs!

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  82. How awesome are you and John! BEST dining room EVAH!

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  83. Wow, that room is very awesome! But I definitely agree with a previous poster - it is SO obvious that you don't have kids! My house is decorated in a mixture of the we-have-three-boys-so-don't-display-anything-you-don't-want-broken, comfortable-and-durable, and partly-broken-but-not-quite-dead-yet styles. :P

    My husband recently came back from his second tour in Iraq, and he brought back some of the coolest stuff - almost all of which was carefully packaged up and stuck in storage bins in our closet! Someday we will have nice-looking things in our house... someday...

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  84. Your dining room is gorgeous! I love that you've pulled it all together yourselves, too - awesome!. And what should we do with our geek points?

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  85. The apothecary cabinet...I could kill you for that alone...sad face on my part, but the room is so beautifully steampunked.

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  86. Wait, you made a purse out of a book cover? Can you give us a tutorial on that?

    The room looks awesome! I really love those penny buttons.

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  87. Just beautiful Jen. I actually have no idea what "steampunk" is, but the result is fantastic!

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  88. So very awesome!! You've got my DIY fingers itching now!

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  89. I love this! And it made me think of an artist friend Bradley Schenck, so I wanted to drop a few links for you here in case you hadn't heard of him yet. He does what he calls 'retro-futuristic' art (not steampunk exactly, but similar) and also terrific Celtic art: http://www.webomator.com/ and http://shop.webomator.com/

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  91. It looks awesome!!! WOW! So nice and put together look, but not that whole "matchy matchy" thing happening. ME LOVES!!

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  92. http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/70089447

    Love this light from IKEA - you might be able to use similar bulbs, but with the glass that covers part of the bulbs if you get short bulbs it can look like you're using votives or light the actual candles!

    http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/90098200 This one is sort of half-way and while I hate the bulbs in the picture, I think it could look awesome with the edison bulbs.

    I'm a huge fan of your dining room and get three geek points too!

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  93. Love what you've done. It looks great. I actually like the chandelier you have. It reminded me of hot air balloons. One thing to keep in mind when using bare bulbs is the glare. It's murderous. Even with a dimmer it's still very uncomfortable to have a bare bulb in your line of site. My advice would be to see one of these in person, up close and illuminated before making an investment you may regret.

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  94. Stunning! Can't wait to see what you come up with for the lighting. I love all the little details.

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  95. love the upper cabinet doors -- my first thought was to take that design inspiration for your hanging light (before i down about edison bulbs)... i can envision frame boxes same size as current shades around hanging bulb with that same starburst design or something similar.

    Or, some sort of jar light... like a chandelier with the edison bulbs hanging (rather than upright) and jars as the lampshades.

    Short term and cheap -- stencil some sort of starburst or steampunk-y design on those white shades, maybe a fringe of metal gears around the bottom ...

    OR.... put those penny buttons (that i freakin love) on top or bottom of the shades, echo the leather as a border (that might be too much)... or use penny/quarter/dime buttons in some sort of starburst design on the shades..

    ok... i think i am going to make penny buttons now.

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  96. This is so fabulous!
    I really need to get on some diy stuff for my apartment, and this is great inspiration.
    Oh, and I get 3 geek points. :)

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  97. Don't know if you've seen this Chandelier, but, we've been eying it for our 1800's mining era remodel for our kitchen & dining room.

    http://www.homedepot.com/Lighting-Fans-Chandeliers/h_d1/N-5yc1vZ1xhrZbred/R-202024296/h_d2/ProductDisplay?langId=-1&storeId=10051&catalogId=10053

    I also found lots of cool Edison style bulbs for about $10-$20 a piece, so maybe you could modify the above with the cooler more cost effective bulbs?

    Just a though. LOVE it though, I'm not a huge Steampunk fan. It's intriguing and love the sci-fi element, but not something I would think of incorporating into my every day life; however, you have done it with amazing class and it looks awesome.

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  98. Thanks for the tip! We've found so-called "apothecary" and "library" cabinets through a lot of furniture stores (including Target, haha) that, upon inspection, turned out to be DVD storage! Most of them had two or three large drawers disguised to look sort of like multiple small drawers. Ugh. I need somewhere to keep all my rocks and turtle shells and seashells and weird seed pods!

    (I am secretly hoping that you will steampunkify the rest of your house and post pictures of that too! This is making me salivate...)

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  99. This Edison chandelier might work really well for you: http://makingitlovely.com/2010/06/14/this-is-what-our-bedroom-looks-like/

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  100. How do you get the time for this????

    Oh, and I've heard of mandrake and wolfsbane and felix felicis, but not the other two. :)

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  101. So you've been to Israel? Jen, you just keep getting more and more awesome. And I love the room! So very neat and unique. That cabinet is fantastic! (I get 1 1/2 geek points)

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  102. WOW. Your dining room looks amazing! And I LOVE the "iocaine powder" drawer label. Princess Bride references FTW!

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  103. 3 geek points. AND I'm only 14...
    now that it's summer I can work on tidying up/organizing my room, and these posts have definitely been an inspiration.

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  104. there is a local store here in Portland that does a lot of cool reproduction light fixtures and other things. Check them out for some awesome lights that you will love.

    http://www.rejuvenation.com/

    you will love the old world and victorian collections, i suspect. If you need parts for DIY, they sell lots of things in parts and pieces (if you come back to Portland, you can cruise their returns and exchanges area, where there are a lot of one-offs).

    drool away.

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  105. The room is amazing.. Now I want to redo my entire house .

    Oh btw I thought you'd like this
    http://ny-image0.etsy.com/il_fullxfull.144703360.jpg

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  106. Jen, this is absolutely stunning! Just knock-me-OUT gorgeous! And while I actually like the paper lantern "chandalier," when you wrote you'd like to replace it, I immediately thought of these (which I have no place for without a total decorating overhaul, but oh! how tempted I am now....). And they've just gone on sale! Check 'em out:

    http://www.potterybarn.com/products/filigree-star-outdoor-light/?pkey=cwhats-new-lighting

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  107. I can't wait until I can afford my own place to have a go doing things like this! A great inspiration!

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  108. This is a room fit for a Wulfenbach, seriously!

    I am enjoying your creativity, especially the penny buttons and the cabinet doors! I agree, the chandelier you want is the missing piece! Oooh, and perhaps a steampunk teaset to display in the centre of the table, and for company, gear-shaped hot plates for food? Oh my... I'll stop now....

    My husband does not share my interest in steampunk, alas, but I am hoping some of my Girl Genius hints make it to his Christmas shopping list. :) he does, however, like corsets LOL....

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  109. This is just a random thought that came to mind while looking at your post. You could make a DIY chandelier that looks similar to the one you like with PVC pipe, lamp kits, chain and paint. PVC pipe could be assembled into a variety of shapes and would look great with a metallic finish (especially the joints). With the pipe being hollow you can hid all the electrical cords and that would allow to arrange the light bulbs in any pattern or spacing. You could even accent the joints with your penny "rivets".

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  110. I love the room! Can you edit your deviantart link to the actual artist's page? I'd love to see more if their work!

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  111. Awesome room, your amount of effort is inspiring. :-)

    I'm going to guess you don't get to Massachusetts a whole lot (but if you do go, you get a Framing Ham! awww yeeeeahhh...), however there's this freakin' enormous, mind-boggling antiques fair thing in Brimfield three times per year: http://www.brimfieldexchange.com/. (I've been a total of twice in 10 years.) It's a mile of antique dealers set up in fields along a road, and if you can't find it there, it doesn't exist. After seeing how much you re-purpose nifty stuff to become even niftier, you may want to take a field trip up here sometime to hit Brimfield.

    Good luck with the rest of the room! Especially the chandelier dealie. Can't wait to see that.

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  112. When I saw your need for a chandelier, I remembered something off a wedding blog: http://100layercake.com/blog/archives/3557

    You'll have to scroll down a bit to find the chandelier. The meathooks are gorgeous, if slightly sinister. :)

    - Michelle H

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  113. I get geek points too. My husband yells for iocain powder randomly, he also had to go out and get ghostbusters as an early fathers day presant because of your post he thought it was going to be lame but you were scared enough that he had to get it which I find funny cause he doesn't change his mind about video games easliy I also believe its cause he wants me to play and get scared so I get him to come out and sit with me. I love the penny buttons it reminds me of jr high and making penny rings. One day I hope to be as diy as you.

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  114. wooo, love it!!! And I love the labeling :) You rock. I mean how awesome is it to work LOTR, Harry Potter, and Princess Bride (to name the ones I know) into your decor?!

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  115. Um, I am NOT showing this to my husband, because he would have a heart attack, and then begin a full reno on our house. Super cool though. I hope this isn't tacky, but it reminded me of this thing I saw a few months ago, http://www.insectlabstudio.com/. Steam Punk insects, incredibly beautiful.

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  116. Totally love it :D

    So inspired for my (gradual) steampunking my living room project.

    In terms of lights, what about something like the second picture here... http://offthemeathook.com/ingenious-light-fixtures-from-milk-jugs-banana-crates-and-more

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  117. I love your room. I would definitely change the lamp into something like the chandelier you picked out. Would open up the room even more. I think added gears or trinkets like you placed on the bottles would add to it.

    Sharon's Edible Art

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  118. It's not really steampunk... there's a couple of pieces there that are interesting and could be PART of a steampunk room, but the label doesn't work. The room itself is nivce, but it manages to be somehow fairly plain in the wide angle shots and doesn't really flow together. I like the apothecary, but it doesn't really jive with anything else in the room except maybe the table and chairs (which are fine). The metal stands really don't work in my opinion, but if you like it that's what matters.

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  119. So I typed "victorian light fixtures" into Google and found some things that might work in your Steampunk dining room. I actually have a degree in theatrical lighting design that I don't get to use much, so this was fun for me. I don't know exactly what your specs or budget are, but the following lamps look like they would fit with your existing theme. Happy shopping!

    http://www.victorianreproductionlighting.com/antique-chandelier-430.html

    http://www.victorianreproductionlighting.com/nevadacityII.html

    http://www.victorianreproductionlighting.com/tularosa.html

    http://www.oldhouselights.com/victorian_5_drop_009full.htm

    http://www.bellacor.com/productdetail/440141.htm

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  120. I love your house! It's really beautiful and I think the cabinets that John made are just gorgeous. Oh, and I get 3 geek points! WOOT!!

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  121. This is so awesome! The cabinets and the apothecary especially...I'm so jealous. ;)

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  122. Well, I like the chandelier you have!

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  123. I was so charmed by your steam punk gumball machine, I went and found one on ebay to paint for myself! :)

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  124. Just wanted to say that you guys are awesome. Steampunk really isn't my thing, but I love your dining room anyway. You are so creative and have a real talent for executing your ideas. Way to go!

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  125. I absolutely adore this room!!
    In my interweb wanderings this weekend,I happened upon an esty shop you may enjoy. I thought these goggles were pretty fab :

    http://www.etsy.com/listing/47863298/steampunk-goggles-brass-and-brown-with?ref=cat1_list_20

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  126. That's very cool.
    It's obvious you don't have many kids over. All that glass everywhere makes me nervous. I can just see it now-- "But Mommy, the bouncy ball FELL out of my pocket all by itself, and I wanted to just try it one time before I put it back..."

    Once we were at a friend's house and she had an hourglass about a foot tall. While we were in the other room, my son tapped it gently with the hammer, and it made such a lovely ringing sound. He wanted to hear the sound again, but it didn't work. Instead it all came smashing down. We rushed over and my friend tried to pick up a large piece, but it slipped and gashed open her leg. Next thing you know I'm cutting her a "butterfly" bandage like I learned way back in high school, and she's off to get some stitches.
    So the moral of the story is... pay attention in high school health class.
    ----Deborah K.

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  127. Ok. That is freaking awesome and if I had a house of my own I would totally want one.
    I really like the Apothecary cabinet the best. It sounds like something that I would do if I had that dining room besides the awesome labels. I almost get three geek points but I can't remember what wolfsbane or mandrake are used for. I think mandrake is the screaming plant baby but I don't quite remember and I'm not sure what it's used for. I guess I'll look it up.

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  128. I am using my wife's blogger account. She is an avid cake wrecks reader and said you had a steampunk dining room. I am a bit of a steampunk afficianado and noticed the lighting needed to change in your room and was very glad to see that you put a call out for some opions. I thought I would refer you to "the steampunk workshop." Mr. Van Slatt has a number of DIY step by step projects and he has a few lights that you could use for inspiration. I didn't mean for this to be so long, sorry.

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  129. That is really cool, and now I will state that I assume that you and your partner do not have children under the age of 5 or ferrets. I am of the opinion that both will destroy a room in no time and you want to start that iocaine powder training when the children are at least 8 and up. I think plastic baby locks on all the tiny drawers would ruin the look. I think in the late 1800s baby locks were known as nannies or baby nurses. Or just drugging the kids with opium. Those must have been the days.

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  130. You're my hero. The dining room looks awesome :)

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  131. OH MY! What a gorgeous room! I especially love the apothecary cabinet and the trinkets along the top - i have a thing with uniquely shaped glassware.

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  132. I'm so glad I'm not the only one in the world who thought it would be cool to have a steampunk living room. Not that I HAVE one, but yours is completely awesome. I love the starburst cabinet. Amazing!! Great job!

    Love that inspiration chandelier. I know you don't have any kiddos, but maybe baby food jars would be good facsimiles of the bulbs? You'd have to put some sort of real bulbs inside the jars, of course. Not sure what I would use for the round metal part, but I'm going to think about it. A trip to the hardware/home improvement store would likely yield some inspiration.

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  133. You should check out this super thrifty steampunk pendant that Heather over at Dollar Store Crafts whipped up!

    http://dollarstorecrafts.com/2010/06/make-a-steampunk-pocketwatch-pendant/

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  134. The Edison Chandelier from Pottery
    Barn would look amazing and it's only $399

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  135. I know this isn't your cakewreck site/blog but i saw your interest in steam punk and thought i should share this with you.

    http://cakecentral.com/contests/186/steampunk-cake-contest

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  136. Steampunk jewelry!

    http://dollarstorecrafts.com/2010/06/make-a-steampunk-pocketwatch-pendant/

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  137. I love your dining room! I tried to find a few steampunk pieces for our wedding registry, but was out of luck. Luckily you've given me a few ideas for some DIY projects. Thanks for sharing these pics!

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  138. look what I found on etsy!!
    http://www.etsy.com/listing/50258743/steampunk-cyber-goggles-glasses-cosplay?ref=cat1_gallery_17

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  139. You were talking about pretty steampunk jewellery and I found this
    http://skaior.com/

    And I may have to steal your whole room!

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  140. What a terrific room! I'm a librarian and a sci-fi/fantasy geek, and I recently acquired a card catalog. I love what you've put on your labels; will have to ponder mine. I will remember to tell people I saw the idea here first!

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  141. Thanks for the font update! And by the way, that is a perfect use of Schooner Script. Cool.

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  142. just saw this cool DIY light, http://pregnantpower.blogspot.com/search?q=light
    and I thought of you. it's a little different look than what you've got going, but I can see possibilities. Like if you used an old gear instead of the hubcap?

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  143. Could you please come decorate my house?!?!?! I love everything single thing you have and every placement you've made. When I try to do stuff like this, it just ends up looking cluttered and messy (of course, 2 kids, 2 dogs, a cat, and a complete inability to file any paper might contribute to that problem).

    wv: reednaba - Heah's the papah. It's yours to reednaba.

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  144. Couldn't you use some EL wire to fake edison bulbs? Here's a source, but there are definitely others: < http://www.glowire.com/ >. Then you'll just need to have the glass from the bulbs instead of the whole thing.

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  145. I'm itching to know what you've come up with for the chandelier!

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  146. Oh my gosh! I LOVE this. Seeing those Dok A drawings framed on your wall makes me super happy. I'm so glad they went to a good home... And hope to see you at DC again! ~Elizabeth

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  147. Love these design ideas and it's beautifully put together. Even the pop of green is wonderful.

    I saw your comment about the chandelier and I don't know if it's too long to fit, but I saw an idea recently which was a vintner's bottle dryer. Which is a tall metal structure with bits sticking out of it, and the bottles are washed and slotted onto the spokes to dry. I saw a picture of this in a recycling book and a wine bar had wired one up, put some bulbs down the centre and it looked amazing. A giant, bottle chandelier, in effect. I just thought I'd mention it, in case that was some inspiration. An old metal bicycle wheel with large cogs shielding the bulbs maybe? (Saw your link on Dale-Harriet's page on FB, hope you don't mind me visiting. Zx)

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  148. Maybe this link will work, it's to the halo chandelier. Anthropologie has some other awesome steampunky lighting too. You could even do it yourself using some wires to make your own little cages around edison bulbs.

    http://www.anthropologie.com/anthro/catalog/productdetail.jsp?subCategoryId=HOME-LIGHTING-CHANDELIERS&id=963167&catId=HOME-LIGHTING&pushId=HOME-LIGHTING&popId=HOME&sortProperties=&navCount=60&navAction=top&fromCategoryPage=true&selectedProductSize=&selectedProductSize1=&color=001&colorName=BLACK&isProduct=true&isBigImage=&templateType=

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  149. Okay, Jenn. I've been a daily reader of CW for years, and now of Epbot....thanks for all the laughs (and groans =)).

    Now you've gotten me hooked on Steampunk! Yes, another convert. Here's my question....we just re-decorated my living room, and as of yet, we have nothing on the walls. I'm looking for some interesting wall art we can make fairly simply and relatively inexpensively. Specifically some ideas for a large clock (at least 30" across) and a couple fun sculptural designs for the other walls.

    Any ideas would be greatly appreciated! =)

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  150. How about a paper clip chandelier to complete the look of your dining room?


    http://www.etsy.com/listing/62325852/paper-clip-chandelier-master-tutorial

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  151. I see your Steampunk Dining Room and raise you a loft apartment in NYC

    http://realestate.yahoo.com/promo/new-york-city-apartment-sails-back-in-time.html

    Enjoy

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  152. Inveterate busybody and Interior Designer, saw this on eBay while looking for a chandelier for a client. Think it has definite possibilities for your Steampunk aesthetic and scope for your personal artistic touch.

    http://www.ebay.com/itm/400241248536?ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1438.l2649#ht_500wt_1050

    wv: puggent Being a vintage piece, it exudes a very puggent aroma.

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  153. I was thinking that for your chandelier, maybe it would be cool to do something like the hot air balloons you hung from the ceiling around your steampunk christmas tree.
    -kate

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  154. Umm, I think that is a Wooden Marking Gauge, rather than a wooden level...

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  155. New reader here... I love your dA Airship print and would love to purchase one of my own, but your link doesn't work... would you mind sharing who the artist is?

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  156. @ Shawna - Sorry about that! The print is by Geoff Wiggins. Here's his DA account where you can purchase it.

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  157. Long time reader, first time posting a comment, lol. It makes me sound like a stalker...eh, oh well. ;) I saw you're looking or a chandelier that uses edison bulbs... well, I used to work for a company that sells a lot of light I think you would love (and trust me, seeing and feeling them first hand, I wish I had a limitless creditcard that's bill never came in the mail, to shop with. They aren't cheap, but they areny $6k either. ;) Check them out! I have one in my dinning room. ( mine is the Cartesian Pulley Double Pendant and I love it!!!) :) http://www.restorationhardware.com/catalog/category/products.jsp?categoryId=cat1701013

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  158. Hi Jen! Was going through old posts and drooling over your gorgeous dining room. Now I know this post is almost 2 years old but since you and John seem to always be changing/improving things in your home I had a suggestion for your gum ball machine. Instead of the "lotto ball" numbers or even the alphabet, what about using old gears, nuts and bolts? Not sure if the gears would fit because of the opening but the nuts and bolts might be fun since it is steam punky. Anyway, keep up the great blog, I love it and am inspired everyday!

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  159. This light bulb cage is made out of plastic. I thought you might interested in the products she used to achieve this look. I definately want to tr this technique. It might spark an idea for your dining room.
    http://www.designsponge.com/2012/03/before-after-industrial-sconce-makeover.html

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  160. How about taking the shades off, adding edison bulbs, and hanging a flying ship amongst them? (Like the one hanging in the barn in the Ruffled Mrs. TAK wedding?)

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