Monday, February 9, 2015

Steampunk Room Progress! Stained Glass, Airships, & Victorian Window Cornices

Since John's doctors are still pretty adamant about the "no heavy lifting" thing as he recovers from inner ear surgery, we've been focusing on smaller projects in the new steampunk room, like window treatments, lighting, and these sweet new doors:

All together now: OoooOOOOOooooo!

Ok, so those are really just our old doors with fresh paint & stained glass films on them, but still. I didn't want shades again, so these are great: blocks the light and gives privacy. I'm pretty sure I looked at every stained glass window film in existence, from super expensive specialty shops to the mass-market options, but I kept coming back to this one, "Magnolia." Isn't it pretty?

Lucky for us that's the cheapest design available, too - about $20 for a 36 inch panel - and Home Depot even has them in stock!


Installing them was actually easier than I expected, though it is a 2-person job. Just one piece of advice: don't pre-cut the films like the instructions tell you to. Instead, line up the top edge, squeegee the middle in place, and then use a metal ruler as a straight edge to cut the films while they're on the window:

Then you're guaranteed a perfect fit.

The film does shrink a little as it dries, so if you have to use more than one panel like we did, odds are that seam is going to to show:

 
 The seam disappears from a few feet away, though, and the pattern is busy enough that I think even up close it's not too obvious.


Next up, after scouring the 'net for steampunky window treatment options - and coming up dry - we decided to build our own Victorian-style cornices. (Woot woot!)

First, a paper template to nail down the size and shape:


Then I found a decorative molding piece I loved online...


 ... sketched out a design, and John built them all from MDF and trim wood:


The routed edges on the MDF took a LOT of sanding:

(That's steel wool on the table, not a dead thing. In case you were worried.)

Next I painted them cream, and spent an evening carefully painting in liquid gold leaf accents:


Ta-da!
We initially planned to age these down with a heavy glaze, but the cream and gold is just so pretty  we decided to leave them as-is.

For the window coverings themselves, we re-worked our existing bamboo roll-up shades, cutting them to size with heavy snips so they'd fit inside the window frames:


... and then staining them a rich warm brown:

The shades are still translucent, of course, so we'll be adding a linen backer for privacy.

All installed:



If I were designing this room for someone else, I'd add red velvet theater curtains over the wood shades. (Think The Muppet Show theater.) For us, though, velvet is just too much - plus you'd need it to go all the way to the floor, which we really don't want, having cats and all.

So instead, I'm thinking we'll just add the unbleached linen backers, and then possibly some subtle, thin gold stripes on the vertical lines in the shade. And fancy brass cord pulls. I'm open to other suggestions, though, if you have any!


And finally, we found something amazing at a local Steampunk event the other week.

They have a couple of these events each year at the famous Renninger's Antique Mart, and they keep getting better, with more costumes, entertainment, and antique vendors. I stupidly didn't bring my camera, but here are a few cellphone pics:




We hadn't been there an hour when we found this on a vendor's table:

Needless to say, I was in love.

Intriguingly, the airship is dated 1970, long before the word "steampunk" was invented, so I guess we have Jules Verne to thank for the inspiration. (And though it looks like a wood carving, it's actually a kind of lightweight hard foam.

We were over the moon when the seller eagerly agreed to our first offer, but a while later - after we'd stowed the ship in the car, and were browsing other booths across the field - the seller's husband came after us, spitting mad and demanding more money or his airship back. It was pretty scary, so even though we eventually parted on good terms, John and I had to leave right after so I could go cry in the car. Bah.

I'm trying not to dwell on the memory, though, because look how beautiful:

(That's my favorite throw pillow in the background, and I just noticed how well the colors match! BONUS.)

The smoke stacks were missing two points, so that night John carved new ones from pink construction foam, glued them in place, and faux-finished them to match. Other than that, we haven't touched it, even to clean it. It looks perfect as-is.

Oh! And next update I'll show you how we've got it mounted and lit on the wall, which is just stunning at night. Stay tuned!

48 comments:

  1. Room look so gorgeous. It so great, and the way you make things with preexisting things... WOW.

    Airship is really lovely, don't worry about this whole seller situation. Obviously this beauty didn't belong to him.

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  2. Oh my gosh! That would make me cry too. I'm so glad you got it though--it's perfect! Way to beautiful to have bad memories stick.

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  3. That airship is rad. Such detail! So pretty.
    In LOVE with those cornices. Maybe some pulls like this to pull the Victorian/steampunk together? and add a little something fun?
    http://ts1.mm.bing.net/th?&id=HN.608048832766807558&w=300&h=300&c=0&pid=1.9&rs=0&p=0
    I like numbers, so maybe that's why I like these. Maybe in a different backing though.

    --Piper P from Washington State

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    1. Oooh, that's a fun idea! Never would have thought to add charms like that.

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    2. Sometimes plain ol' pulls just aren't enough. :)

      --Piper P.

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  4. I smile every time you offhandedly say John fauxed something, or stained something. Because for you it's easy and normal, but man, that kind of thing intimidates me! I'm using you guys as inspiration to be a fearless crafter / DIYer!

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  5. Oh man, I would have laid into that guy like you wouldn't believe! I have a bad temper (due to being a shy kid and I guess overcompensating). But yes, I would have been shaking after the fact. He should be mad at his wife, not you. All sales final. I hope you didn't give him a penny more. It is a nice piece, though.

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  6. I agree with the others--I really hope you didn't give him anything more! If you have a price in mind, then put a price tag on the piece! The room is looking lovely :-).

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  7. That airship is, of course, wonderful!
    And the cornices are amazing! I am so impressed!

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  8. That airship is grand! (As is the guy with the winged costume - AWESOME!) The room is coming along beautifully!

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  9. What a great find, but what a shame about the vendor. That is so inappropriate, all sales are final in situations like that. I would have had issues with that too, I can't handle confrontations well because of my childhood and anxiety/depression. I would have been shaking and crying.

    And I am IN LOVE with the faux stain glass! I have always loved stain glass but never thought of something like that, but now I really wish there was a room in my house I could do that on lol.

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    1. I am exactly the same. I am on medication for anxiety attacks and this would have sent me properly over the edge. Honestly, I'd have stuck to my guns - you have the photo with the 'you tell me' price tag - I'm pretty sure that seller entered into a verbal contract agreeing to sell you the item. Once money had changed hands the item becomes your property so the other seller who chased you down and yelled at you can just go do one!

      Personally though I wouldn't have wanted the item at all after that.

      I'm loving the stained glass film. Am seriously thinking about using glass paints on my landing window (it's law in the UK that windows directly overlooking other properties are obscured and somehow the one installed on the landing in our house isn't) but I'm not sure that film isn't the way to go now! They're lovely!

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  10. He chased you down to ask for more money? Seriously? That's so not cool! I'm sorry he sent you home crying, that's sucky.

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  11. I love the faux stained glass! My mom does real stained glass so I know how expensive it would be to have that done. It looks great!

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  12. LOVE the stained glass covering! I've been wanting to do just that kind of window treatment for ever so long; I just have not had the right window/door to use it on. LOVE the cornices! At first I didn't know where you were going with it, but the final picture made everything clear. Your taste and imagination are awesome. And inspirational.
    Sorry the vendor was such a jerk. You and John did not deserve that kind of treatment.
    Maureen S

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  13. Lovely work; the windows are beautiful. So is the airship, and if His Nastiness wanted a price he should've posted one. Jerk. Glad you got it! Have you tried the green ScotchGard scrubby things you can get in the market? I like them even more than steel wool because while they do leave a green powder you need to wipe off with a damp rag they do NOT leave tiny bits of metal embedded in your skin like steel wool does. And they polish wood to a beautiful sheen.

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    1. Haven't heard of the ScotchGuard scrubby, no! I'll be sure to look for it!

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    2. Home Depot carries them in the cleaning supplies, if you go hunting for them. Other stores carry them too, I imagine...but I know for certain HD does.

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  14. Question: Would it work to back your blinds with the velvet instead of the unbleached linen? So you'd get the color without the cat temptation?

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  15. Oh gosh, how stressful! Yes, if he had a fixed price in mind then he should have put one on it up-front. That's a communication problem for THEM, not you. I definitely would have cried too if I bought something and then someone started yelling at me. Oh, well, it's a beautiful piece and it looks fantastic in your room! I didn't know stained glass films, that looks so good! I'll have to keep that in mind for if I ever have my own house to decorate.

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  16. The room looks awesomesauce! And, not having an issue with confrontation I'd of politely told Mr. Dumbass that if Ms. Dumbass expected more for the airship, she should have put a price on it. And then I'd politely tell Mr. Dumbass just where he could shove his airship if he didn't back off. Couple that with my glare o' death, and I'm certain we'd of parted...maybe not on good terms, but I don't care.

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  17. Wow, those cornices are great!
    And now I have some ideas on how to breathe new life into the bamboo shades in my spare room.
    I'm curious. Your windows seem so high up on the walls. Is that a Florida thing? My windows are much taller (upstate New York, where we are now getting a foot of snow every week) and the windows at my Grandma's Victorian house are nearly floor to ceiling. That was before people worried about heating bills!

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  18. O wow that looks so amazing!! I am sorry you had a bit of unniceness there with the guy, but hey you got the awesome ship! <3 I really like the windows w/ the stained glass thing in it. I have never even heard of it before. Always learning something new ! I can't wait to see more have an awesome day!

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  19. My jaw dropped when I saw your door. I thought it was real stained glass! So pretty! I've seen them at Home Depot before but wasn't sure how they would actually look IRL. You've given me something to think about for our back door problem. It's full paneled glass and we've been considering replacing it with something else, even though it's in otherwise good condition. Oh, and thanks for helping me with my painted tin backsplash problem the other day on Facebook! I ordered one unfinished panel to test out. Wish me luck!

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  20. Your room is looking fabulous! I love the stained glass and the cornices! As for the blinds, you can make your own fabric roman type shade out of red velvet or even just cover the entire bamboo ones with fabric so you get the rich color but ease of use. Here's Martha Stewart's version http://www.marthastewart.com/271995/make-your-own-roman-shades and there are several no-sew versions online too. But I can just see shades in a rich velvet (I'm thinking purple or teal or orange) with the tape on either side being a rich cream with a gold stripe in the middle.

    And I have no idea how you'd do it but if you had a little gear-heavy pully engine that raised and lowered them that would be excellent.

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  21. Sorry to hear about that guy being a jerk to you. That was a him and his wife issue he should have taken up with her, not you guys. You're awesome (and so is John), and you didn't deserve that.

    On a more pleasant topic...

    I've always had trouble finding the stained glass film in a design or color that I liked for whatever room I was working on. I've used the Gallery Glass brand faux stained glass paints before, but they are one tough mofo to get to come off if say you leave it on a sun-baked window for seven years and have to remove it before selling your house. Not that I would know that from personal experience... *shifty eyes* The solution I came up with is to get the plain frosted privacy film and use the paints on that. The films come back off much more easily and all in one piece, plus the opacity helps you use fewer coats of the paint than you would on a clear window. To make it even more economical, I actually use black electrical tape for the "lead" lines and mix paint and/or food coloring into Mod Podge instead of the pricey Gallery Glass stuff. That way I can make whatever design I want using colors to match my room and such. Just thought I'd share in case anyone else could use the idea. :).

    Keep being awesome, you!

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  22. Gah. Confrontation over money is just the worst! I'm sorry that happened to you, but what a find!
    Any word on where it came from, or what its story is?

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  23. This is all so beautiful!! I used that stained glass film from Home Depot on some transom windows in my dining room (different pattern) -- 10 years and it still looks great.

    I am bummed we missed the Renninger's event, I will have to pay more attention for the next one. That nasty vendor -- I hope you reported him to the organizers, that is so wrong!

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  24. LOVE the doors and windows! They look fantastic.
    The airship is great, but wow. It's crappy how the situation turned out :(

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  25. That almost sounds like a scam. Someone (the good guy) sells you something at a great bargain then later another person (the bad guy) comes up and tries to intimidate the mark into giving more money because the item clearly was worth more than that. That's dirty and an awful way to run a flea market stall. I'm so sorry that you faced such bullying. !
    The room looks amazing and you guys deserve two tall glasses of frozen butterbeer to celebrate!

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  26. You know what's crazy? your cornices are painted EXACTLY the same way some of my bedroom furniture was painted as a kid. I love the styling, but not crazy on the color, maybe that's why lol. I hated those dressers!

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  27. And I meant ot say, that if it had been with the airship thing, they could have had it back. I would never be in for furthering a market stall's bottom line if that is the way the dealt with customers. Don't get me wrong, it's beautiful and lovely, but I would have kept looking for something that didn't leave such a nasty taste in my mouth. Some people need lessons in kindness and in business. You want a specific amount of money for an item- list it! Don't have the customer guess...

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  28. On the off chance that you haven't already got a light/cheering fan plan AND you have a desire to spend $800/alt diy something totally awesome, I suggest this: http://www.houseofantiquehardware.com/antique-ceiling-fan-traditional-gyro-belcaro. It is very possible I had already purchased the ceiling fan lights for my home when I found this. :(

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  29. The stained glass looks amazing! I prefer privacy too (I think I've watched too many crime shows to be okay with people seeing in at night). And those cornices are so lovely.

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  30. That airship appears to be a Vanguard Studios Inc piece. They did a lot of foam (Vanathane, specifically) sculpture in the late 60s and 70s as well as mass produced oil paintings. I think they had some film contracts as well. It's probably a $200 dollar piece; I suspect perhaps this guy knew that and his wife didn't, which might explain his attitude. It's not fair on you, but sometimes people get mad when they do dumb things (I work in customer service, 90% of the time when someone's mad, they know it's because they screwed up, but they need someone to yell at that isn't them anyway. Once they've finished yelling, you can deal with them.).

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  31. aw, i'm sorry that seller's hubby was an ass.

    as for the shades, may i suggest doing a double lining.
    the inner should be a color similar to the color of the shade, and then outer lining can be just plain linen or white lining.

    if you want professional lining for the white, go to joanns, and in the home dec sections, there's bolts of renaissance, it comes in white or ivory.
    it's not expensive, and it's a good weight, and it's cotton. it's by roc-lon, and i've never been to a joanns that didn't have it in stock.


    that being said, if your windows are small enough, you can always use flat cotton sheets as the linings.

    --yobo

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  32. Question: how does the film look from the outside during the day? I assume that at night with the room lit up it would look normal (at least from a distance).

    As a flea market vendor myself, he should have had the airship priced, or at least made sure that his wife knew the minimum price he needed in order to make a profit. Otherwise all sales are final, and if he lost money it is his own fault. These things happen to myself and other vendors that I know. You just have to tell yourself that everything else that you've sold will cover your losses, and move on.

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  33. Can I come and live in your house? The room is looking fantastic, I can't wait to see it finished.

    With regards to the vendor, sounds like his wife was willing to take anything to get the airship out of the house but he really should have given her a minimum price to aim for - certainly not your problem, and you didn't deserve the confrontation. I bet there was an almighty row in that household when they got home! Not the airship's fault either, so make sure you enjoy it for the lovely thing it is.

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  34. The room! The steampunk wings guy! OH, I needed this today!!! I've had a rough morning and this just made all the bad go bye-bye! Thank you so much!!! All the beauty you share really does make the world a better place!

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  35. I would highly suggest contacting Renninger's Antique Mart and letting them know about the interactions with this particular vendor. I know friends who set up booths at flea markets, farmer's markets, and vendor rooms at cons, and when one vendor behaves badly it reflects poorly on everyone, particularly the hosting party. They would probably want to know if one of their vendors was bullying a customer. Especially since you left after that, because it meant you weren't spending more money. He chased away a customer, which impacts the other vendors. Report him. No hesitation. The Mart and other vendors will thank you.

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    1. Also, as part of his contract there may have been stipulations about sales being final after the transaction was completed. I'm not saying that you necessarily ask for your money back, but I wouldn't be surprised if they see the crooked shenanigans and offer compensation. That's just bad business practices.

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  36. That encounter must have been terrifying for you, I'm sure Jon handled it wonderfully as from your posts I have every confidence in him! But I am curious to know if you've had any setbacks because of it or if you were able to shake it off?

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  37. Lovely airship! Sorry to hear that vendor showed his tail. He needs to be reported. I really hope you guys didn't shell out anything over what you'd already paid. I mean I understand the no conflict part of it too, I'd have been a shaky leaf but I'd likely have given him what Cap calls the Dragon Lady stare. Once it's sold, it's a done deal. I grew up shopping antiques. ^_^ The room is looking amazing!

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  38. You are probably way out in front as far as curtain liners - but I'll suggest it anyway: heavy muslin painting drop cloths. Cheap, hemmed and nice heavy weight. Love the airship! Inspite of the confrontation, still a great find.

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  39. Jen, I just saw a very pretty Steampunk Airship picture over on woot.com. I think it is definitely relevant to your interests. Sorry I can't link text with this tablet I'm using, but it's off the main page in 'Fly Away Art'. I'm always happy to enable...I mean help with people's decorating. ��. ~CJ~

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  40. What color did you paint your french doors? I'm wanting to do the same thing to mine, but having trouble picking the right color.

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    1. The doors are just satin black, to match the wainscote (though the door paint has a slight sheen to make them easier to wipe down.)

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