Nemo-cize my house!
June 13, 2009 8:51 AM Subscribe
How can I turn my house into Nemo's lair?
I want my home to become an undersea retreat.
I've seen pictures of Farallon, and this office and a few other things, but I need more.
I know, steampunk is tired, but I just can't resist Jules Verne-style decor. Plus I work under the water.
Any suggestions?
I want my home to become an undersea retreat.
I've seen pictures of Farallon, and this office and a few other things, but I need more.
I know, steampunk is tired, but I just can't resist Jules Verne-style decor. Plus I work under the water.
Any suggestions?
Which Captain Nemo? I'm thinking the one from The League of Extrordinary Gentlemen or the Return of Captain Nemo? I'm thinking the former since you mentioned steampumk.
posted by x46 at 10:34 AM on June 13, 2009
posted by x46 at 10:34 AM on June 13, 2009
Best answer: I think atchafalaya is referring to Jules Verne's 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea, x46.
You need nautical doodads!
Also, hit up your local antique store for Victorian furniture. Depending on where you go, you can sometimes find some amazing furniture for low prices if you're willing to fix it up.
Some blogs you might like:
The Steampunk Home
Brass Goggles
posted by katillathehun at 12:06 PM on June 13, 2009
You need nautical doodads!
Also, hit up your local antique store for Victorian furniture. Depending on where you go, you can sometimes find some amazing furniture for low prices if you're willing to fix it up.
Some blogs you might like:
The Steampunk Home
Brass Goggles
posted by katillathehun at 12:06 PM on June 13, 2009
Best answer: Ok, how about high Victorian? This is a description of Nemo's Nautilus from Wiki:
"Much of the ship is decorated to standards of luxury that are unequaled in a seagoing vessel of the time. These include a library with boxed collections of valuable oceanic specimens that are unknown to science at the time, expensive paintings, and several collections of jewels. The Nautilus also features a lavish dining room and even an organ that Captain Nemo uses to entertain himself in the evening. By comparison, Nemo's personal quarters are very sparsely furnished, but do feature duplicates of the bridge instruments, so that the captain can keep track of the vessel without being present on the bridge. These amenities however, are only available to Nemo, Professor Aronnax and his companions."
So, how about some Eastlake furniture that I've always thought is more livewithable than the curly, carved, overly ornate Victorian:
http://antiques.about.com/od/furniture/ss/aa062706.htm
I wouldn't bother with repro Victorian as most of it is nothing like the real thing. Get a book on upholstery from the library. It's not that difficult, esp if you have the orig fabric on the frame. Instead of cut velvet, you could use velour which is best for surviving pets or leather, either natural tan or dark green, black, dark red.
How are you at fretwork? It's amazing what you can go with a scroll saw, like cut out things that look like large gears but are really doorskin/luan mahogany sheets. Love that design that looks sort of like a safe door on the page with the office. And, I think mfgrs are still doing steampunk given the shape of the Krupps toaster which I just bought which could be punkish/steampunkish given it's clunky I'm-a-machine-and-proud-of-it shape and size.
You're in the country? Have you visited any farm/farmhouse sales? They're usually good for old implements, parts of steam driven machinery, old furniture, old trims like the tassels on Victorian furniture, bits of cast iron and sometimes fabrics. I'm interested in the part of the Wiki description that mentions the specimens of sea creatures. How about boxes recessed into the walls, each fronted by one of those faux brass port holes, mirrored in back and containing some sea creature/shell dimly lit from above? Those would need some ventilation to let out the heat. Have you researched Victorian style? Basically, you want dark and rich. Dark woodwork, not white, as coal fires darkened light colours, so black, very dark brown, blackgreen is good. Dark walls or polished wood. I saw a library built by a woman from one side good plywood, stained and varnished to look like the dark Victorian oak once. You'd swear it was the real thing. Mouldings: large baseboards, generous window and door trims, mouldings on the edges of bookshelves and on top of cabinets. Add Victorian brass and copper. Both of these can be made large from sheets of copper tooling materials from the art supply or, if you're lucky, from the lumber yard. Copper pipe in place of curtain rods (varnish it to keep it bright.) Are you going to do the outside, too? If yes, then a nice Victorian inspired trim around that half moon window would be nice, perhaps something sunflowerish to celebrate Oscar Wilde's influence or something sun ray or octopus tentacle like. Add 3 or 4 colours to the outside, and you're getting there. Find a copy of Painted Ladies for inspiration. It's Victorian houses with interesting paint jobs and will give you ideas for colour combos. And faux oriental rugs are good on dark stained floors. Do you know how to do faux graining? It's easy and can give amazing results. Look for a library book on paint techniques and ignore all the splotchy finishes. There's an English one that's very good as it uses examples in Victorian homes and can teach things like faux mahogany and limewashing.
BTW, love your house and the addition! So refreshing that's you're not thinking country window boxes.
posted by x46 at 12:07 PM on June 13, 2009
"Much of the ship is decorated to standards of luxury that are unequaled in a seagoing vessel of the time. These include a library with boxed collections of valuable oceanic specimens that are unknown to science at the time, expensive paintings, and several collections of jewels. The Nautilus also features a lavish dining room and even an organ that Captain Nemo uses to entertain himself in the evening. By comparison, Nemo's personal quarters are very sparsely furnished, but do feature duplicates of the bridge instruments, so that the captain can keep track of the vessel without being present on the bridge. These amenities however, are only available to Nemo, Professor Aronnax and his companions."
So, how about some Eastlake furniture that I've always thought is more livewithable than the curly, carved, overly ornate Victorian:
http://antiques.about.com/od/furniture/ss/aa062706.htm
I wouldn't bother with repro Victorian as most of it is nothing like the real thing. Get a book on upholstery from the library. It's not that difficult, esp if you have the orig fabric on the frame. Instead of cut velvet, you could use velour which is best for surviving pets or leather, either natural tan or dark green, black, dark red.
How are you at fretwork? It's amazing what you can go with a scroll saw, like cut out things that look like large gears but are really doorskin/luan mahogany sheets. Love that design that looks sort of like a safe door on the page with the office. And, I think mfgrs are still doing steampunk given the shape of the Krupps toaster which I just bought which could be punkish/steampunkish given it's clunky I'm-a-machine-and-proud-of-it shape and size.
You're in the country? Have you visited any farm/farmhouse sales? They're usually good for old implements, parts of steam driven machinery, old furniture, old trims like the tassels on Victorian furniture, bits of cast iron and sometimes fabrics. I'm interested in the part of the Wiki description that mentions the specimens of sea creatures. How about boxes recessed into the walls, each fronted by one of those faux brass port holes, mirrored in back and containing some sea creature/shell dimly lit from above? Those would need some ventilation to let out the heat. Have you researched Victorian style? Basically, you want dark and rich. Dark woodwork, not white, as coal fires darkened light colours, so black, very dark brown, blackgreen is good. Dark walls or polished wood. I saw a library built by a woman from one side good plywood, stained and varnished to look like the dark Victorian oak once. You'd swear it was the real thing. Mouldings: large baseboards, generous window and door trims, mouldings on the edges of bookshelves and on top of cabinets. Add Victorian brass and copper. Both of these can be made large from sheets of copper tooling materials from the art supply or, if you're lucky, from the lumber yard. Copper pipe in place of curtain rods (varnish it to keep it bright.) Are you going to do the outside, too? If yes, then a nice Victorian inspired trim around that half moon window would be nice, perhaps something sunflowerish to celebrate Oscar Wilde's influence or something sun ray or octopus tentacle like. Add 3 or 4 colours to the outside, and you're getting there. Find a copy of Painted Ladies for inspiration. It's Victorian houses with interesting paint jobs and will give you ideas for colour combos. And faux oriental rugs are good on dark stained floors. Do you know how to do faux graining? It's easy and can give amazing results. Look for a library book on paint techniques and ignore all the splotchy finishes. There's an English one that's very good as it uses examples in Victorian homes and can teach things like faux mahogany and limewashing.
BTW, love your house and the addition! So refreshing that's you're not thinking country window boxes.
posted by x46 at 12:07 PM on June 13, 2009
Maybe some underwater photography, to give that porthole kind of look? (hehe, just noticed that he's got pictures of clown fish, if you want to double up on your Nemo references!)
posted by harriet vane at 11:08 PM on June 13, 2009
posted by harriet vane at 11:08 PM on June 13, 2009
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posted by The otter lady at 8:59 AM on June 13, 2009