Saturday, April 27, 2013

Saturday Steam 4/27/13

One of the first things to make me fall head-over-heels for steampunk was the house of Bruce & Melanie Rosenbaum, who've since created ModVic design. The house is a three-story Victorian which the couple painstakingly remodeled in all ways steampunk, and every year or so it goes viral again online. Happily, this past week saw the house popping up all over again, so I get an excuse to revisit some of my favorite rooms:




You've probably already seen Bruce's incredible computer desk, since that's their most famous creation:

He made it from an old pipe organ!

See lots more photos of the house here, and thanks to all of you who sent in the link!


And since we're talking about my steampunk first loves, here's an older - but still awesome - video from 2009 spotlighting one of my first-ever Maker heroes, Jake Von Slatt:


I love the fact that Jake not only makes beautiful, re-purposed and handcrafted steampunk items, he also tells you how he does a lot of it on his website, The Steampunk Workshop.  (If you haven't seen it yet, check out the microphone he made for the Girl Genius creators. Goooorgeous!) 



If you just felt a disturbance in the Force, then I think I may have an explanation:


This is a real book.

Yep, it's Star Wars, "reimagined in glorious iambic pentameter." Oh. My. Bard.  
(Not exactly Steampunk, I know, but I figure this is still the right audience for it. :D)

It's not out 'til July, but you can pre-order the hardcover at that Amazon link up there for less than $12! Suh-WEET! I think I want it just for the cover art. Is that wrong?


Next up, we're getting a double-dose of amazing steampunk decor today, because Sarah M. spotted a steampunk restaurant that's guaranteed to make you swoon. Me, I'm already on the floor.

HUBBA HUBBA ME WANT.

Look at that door! And the recessed lighting on those walls! With the pipes and the gauges and the dripping-pipe light fixtures! AAAIEEE!

If I ever win the lottery, my entire house is going to look like this. (Well, except maybe my office. It's kinda hard to fit Ninja Turtle and Stay Puft art into this style. :D) Oh, and sadly this little slice of riveted heaven is all the way in India, so I guess I won't get to drool on it in person. Boo. Think it's too much to hope for a franchise?

See more pics over on TecheBlog.

Since I seem to be on an interior design streak today: A few of you have sent me this fantastic roundup of sources for everything you need to make your own caged pendant lights for - get this - less than $11 each! DUDE. We are so doing this. (Just FYI, John, sweetie.)

And finally, I've seen a few different versions of "mounted tentacle" art out there, but this one Rachel C. found is by far the coolest:

 "Octopus Tentacle Wall Sculpture" $120 by ArtAkimbo

Not only is the sculpture creepily realistic, the acrylic "water splash" and rusted porthole hanger are fantastic extra touches. These come in three different sizes and a few other colors as well. I particularly like the blue/green:


Or for a slightly more modern and cartoony style (or at least less slimy), there's also this one:


So fun! And that's officially something I never thought I would say about disembodied tentacles, y'all.

Hope you guys are having a great weekend! As always, please share your steamy creations/finds here in the comments or over on the Epbot Facebook page!

23 comments:

  1. Hey Jen, if you liked that steam themed restaurant in India, you should check out The Edison in Los Angeles. It is a steampunk lounge/restaurant converted from the first private power plant in that area. Their website has a fun virtual tour :)

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  2. That restaurant!! I can't even! O.O I think I need some of those tentacle art sculptures, too. ♡

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  3. Love!! I get to go to a steampunk event in-wait for it- A GHOST TOWN. And Steam Powered Giraffe is playing! Woot! It's this weekend in Calico Ghost town if anyone's in the SoCal area and wants to check it out!

    http://new.livestream.com/spgiraffe/wildwestfest

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  4. Oooh, my friend who works at an independent bookstore in town got an advanced reader of Shakespearean Star Wars, I read a bit of it, and it is sooo great! It's funny and clever! AND, there is artwork scattered throughout the inside as well; it's not just cover candy!

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  5. I don't know I you watch Project Runway on Lifetime (guilty pleasure show... the clothes are so PRETTY!), but this year's winner, Michelle Lesniak Franklin, did an awesome steampunk-y final collection. Now they never said the word steampunk but there was hardware, and hipbags and compasses, and all sorts of steampunk-y details that I just loved! Check it out!

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  6. Just wondering if you happened to see the final show of this season's Project Runway? One of the designer's, Michelle, did a whole steam punk styled collection for her fashion show. It's a for certain must see if you missed it!

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  7. I loved that video. That guitar was beathtaking! I would love to have one, even though I don't know how to play a guitar. I would just hang it up on the wall for a display.

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  8. I loved every bit of this post. However, when your facebook link said 'tentacle wall art' I immediately imagined tentacles coming out of the walls holding sconces or fake torches and an octopus chandelier. Not sure why those popped to mind but now I am bereft. I'll be scouring the web for them now.

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  9. Oh yes, and I've found an octopus chandelier! http://www.adamwallacavage.com/octo/index.html

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  10. I really don't think that restaurant is real...some of the angles and the lighting is wrong. It'd be hard to light an interior like that for a photo. Maybe it's a virtual model of a restaurant in the works?

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  11. So fun! Pink tentacle for me, please!

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  12. So, I'm hoping to take my cosplay maiden voyage tomorrow at the Calgary Comic Expo, steampunk-style. I was inspired by you and it's taken me a couple of years to work up to it! I'm a little nervous...and not done yet, so I should be downstairs gluing gears on things instead of up here on the internet. :)

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  13. I just got an advance copy of the Star Wars Shakespeare book, and it's really fun. I am also happy to report there are illustrations inside as well!

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  14. Another steamy restaurant in CA for you to visit:
    http://steamhausgastropub.com/

    The girl minion and I had dinner there tonight. Fabulous menu, A-maz-ing desserts and cool steampunk decor. Extensive beer & wine selection if you are into that.

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  15. I am dying for a Steampunk home of my own! Hopefully it is in the future for me!

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  16. Oh, I'm so glad you featured the tentacle sculptures! I bought one (from Art Akimbo)several months ago and it's been stopping people in my doorway at work ever since. "Uh ... is that an octopus?" is the general stuttering comment.

    Love it!

    We are redoing a bathroom soon and I want to commission one high in the shower. I think guests would love it, once they get over the shock.

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  17. I know most of the people who have seen "Wild Wild West" think it is a horrible movie, but it is seriously what got me into my love of steam punk...the wheelchair is one of my favorites...

    What did you think of the movie?

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  18. They're not necessarily disembodied tentacles, Jen...

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  19. The restraunt looks seriously CGI. I'm not sure if that's just crazy lighting or if it's not real... hope it's just crazy lighting, because I've LOVE for it to be real!

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  20. That video of Jake Von Slatt is what got me into Steampunk. :D

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  21. Did you know that there is a Steampunk themed kids game show on Australian TV? It's called Steampunks! (including that exclaimation point). The set is amazing, and the host is hilariously odd. Here are some of his more interesting lines:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aeny9I7pYAU

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  22. I just pre-ordered that book, it looks amazing!

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  23. I'm new to your blog and have been going back through the archives looking at everything and I thought you would love this living space I found. The decoration style is surely not your style but the building alone I think you would love, it's an old clock tower turned into a penthouse http://imgur.com/gallery/N2uES

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