Steampunk Bedroom Week

I hit a point this week where a lot of things have come together in our Steampunk bedroom makeover. (I feel like I need a graphic for this SBM! But I'm too busy on the makeover to make a snazzy graphic for it.)

We completed the faux headboard. I used a 4x6 piece of foam-core and Mod-Podged on torn pieces of craft paper.

It gives a really fun textured finish.  The tutorial I saw this on a long time ago called it a faux leather look.  I don't know if it looks like leather, but it looks really visually interesting and gives it depth, which we needed for this project since it is actually flat. 

You can see we just nailed it to the wall.  It got pretty warped from the Mod Podge, so nailing was a good option.  I'd thought of doing a border of brass tacks around the edge, but seeing it now, I'm not sure how well that would actually turn out. 

The quilt is still in progress, but we will definitely need pillows for the bed.  I picked up the two of these lace pillows at a thrift store for a total of $5.  The lace on the larger one is a bit dingy, so I will definitely need to wash and maybe  try and sun-bleach them?  (Or will that yellow them?)

Jeremy wasn't so sure about the lace.  So the first thing I did was show him a hideously ugly 90's-style lace pillow for comparison.  He agreed that the ones I had chosen were much more classy and attractive--that's what let me get them out of the store and into our car. 

The second step is to acquire or make the rest of the pillows for the bed, because I don't want just a bunch of lacy pillows and bedding.  This is steampunk.  One of my favorite things about steampunk is the layering.  The layering of old and new.  The layering of materials, and metals.  So I have a few ideas for other pillows.  My plan is to have different sizes and materials that mesh really well en masse, especially in front of the faux headboard.   I'm thinking leather, and burlap, and canvas, along with the cotton lace pillows.  If it works out in person as cool as it is in my head then it will be perfectly executed steampunk. . . 

So we finally got the steampunk lamps mounted on the wall as well.  They had to wait until we had the headboard up to decide where to put them. 

I realized that the last time I wrote about the lamps may have come across a bit confusing.   I was just talking about the cost.  I bought my two lamps off e-bay.  I was able to get the first one for $66.99 (I got a bit impatient about never getting one) and was able to get the second for $50.  Both of those prices included shipping.  I was trying to not go over $50 Because my original goal was to buy them at $40 each--but that just wasn't going to happen.  I was outbid on quite a few lamps before being able to get these for the prices I did.  But the good news is there are lots of them.  If you are looking for something similar, there was usually from 2-6 lamps up for auction each week.  Just search for "scissor arm lamp".

I really wanted these lamps as two of the main structural features for our steampunk bedroom.  Their utility and "gadgetiness" just make them perfect.  And they really are great bedside lamps because they scissor closed  and then you can swing them to the side against the wall so they are totally out of the way.  And I love sitting in bed to read and being able to put the light exactly where I want it. 

More progress to come later this week. . .

Fast as Cold Molasses

If I didn't actually have anything to do all day, I might progress faster on my projects for our steampunk bedroom makeover. But, in fact, I do have quite a few other responsibilities that take away from my "fun project" time.

I've made progress on my quilt that will lend a bohemian feel to lighten up the steampunk a little bit.  I bought a large flat sheet from the thrift store for my backing fabric.  I fancied it up a bit with some scraps from the quilt top, but I'll show that when the whole quilt is completed.

I quilted it just on my regular sewing machine.  I chalked parallel lines down the back then sewed these wavy overlapping lines down the back.  It works for me.  If the quilt top was a masterpiece then I'd probably want the quilting to be a masterpiece as well, but since the top is a fun, imperfect, made-by-me top then it's fine that that is the level of quilting on it as well.

Next up. . . binding.  I hear binding is everyone's favorite part of quilting.  (Not!)

The second project that is mid-progress is a faux headboard.  We don't have room for a real headboard.  this is a 4 foot by 6 foot piece of foam core poster board.  ($6 with a 40% off coupon.)  We are putting a fun faux finish on it to give it some old character, then we'll just tack it up on the wall.

The last bit of progress on the room is less a project, more "purchase with a vision":
  

We got the second wall lamp for the bedroom, another vintage scissor arm lamp off of e-bay.  I like it a lot.  (And the size of it is more what I had originally in mind than the other one.)

 

And of course, we outfitted both lamps with steampunk style Edison bulbs. 

So the progress progresses, though slowly.  My mom is coming to visit in a month.  Maybe I'll set that as my goal for completion.  (If not then maybe I'll complete it by the time she leaves with her help.)

Steampunk Lamp

I got a package--through ebay.  Yippee!

It's a lamp for our steampunk bedroom makeover. (The shade is way bigger than I thought it would be.)

Short.

Longer.

Longest.

(Actually it can even go longer than this picture, but "Almost Longest" wouldn't make a very good caption.)

Oh, I love it!  But I don't love that it cost twice the price of what I wanted to spend.  And I don't like that there is no contemporary example of one of these scissor arm lamps for under $160.  Umm. . . it's a lamp.  It's doesn't even have a pole--you just screw it into the wall--so what costs $160 about it?  So I'm going vintage and buying used on ebay.  (I still want one more--"his" and "hers".) 

But here's my real question: Should I leave it like it is or rewire it with a different lamp shade on it?  I've collected a few examples on my Steampunk Home Pinterest board. My favorite is the $425 example--but that's totally not happening.  The thing is that if I'm buying the lamps separately then they may not be very matchy--so is that a good thing in a steampunk room, or should I alter the shade so I can do them both the same?

I'd love input.