Steampunk 101; Grayslake; Annie

Ever been attracted to something, only to find out later that it is part of a larger world, full of things that you like, and even has its own name? Well, that's how Joe and I found out about Steampunk. And if you see anything you like in the photos below, courtesy of this month's Restoration Hardware catalog, my guess it that you are into Steampunk, too, whether you know it or not!

A little background: Joe and I have always loved gadgets, from rusty old wheels to vintage machinery, as well as anything industrial. One day at an auction, we were loving up an old adding machine that had glass sides, figuring out how we could remove the interior to create a showcase. Our friend, artist Brett Gregory, turned the light on when he said, "Oh, you guys must be into Steampunk. You should check it out online. People who are into that have a convention and everything." What! I didn't even know there was a name for liking this kind of stuff, let alone a convention!


Turns out that Steampunk as a home decor idea actually has roots in a literary movement "...that came into prominence during the 1980s and early 1990s. Specifically steampunk involves an earlier world where steam power is still widely used -- usually the 19th-century and often Victorian-era Britain...Works of steampunk often feature anachronistic technology or futuristic innovations as Victorians may have envisioned them; in other words, based on Victorian expressions of fashion, culture, architectural style, art, etc." Quote thanks once again to Wikipedia; click here to read the full article.

So what's Steampunk in these photos? The lighting, for sure. The clocks, wheels, chalkboards, wire and other items you can imagine coming from a turn-of-the-century factory. Any of the other industrial-inspired pieces such as the tables and shelving. If you start looking for it, you'll see Steampunk in many places -- stores like Anthropology, books like "A Series of Unfortunate Events," movies such as "Stardust" and "Sherlock Holmes." Pretty cool, huh? While you are exploring, check out one of our favorite sites, The Steampunk Home. And do share with us, gentle readers, about your most delightful finds in this most fascinating corner of the vintage world.


Grayslake Report

Beautiful weather greeted Grayslake shoppers on both days last weekend. Sales echoed Kane County, as many of our bigger pieces found homes before most of the small ones. Usually, it is the other way around! Also unusual was that we did not sell much collage or other creative elements. However, mirrors and chalkboards sold out, as did several new project ideas. We finished the show about 10 percent below our sales goal, but were satisfied. As always, a huge THANK YOU to everyone who came out to support us. We could not do it without you!


Annie

We learned Saturday morning that our good friend and customer Annie Grosvenor had passed away after a well-fought battle with cancer. Annie had a fabulous eye -- check out her blog drawing-a-blank for a glimpse of her amazing vision and talent. What a stylist! She had an even more fabulous sense of humor. She will be greatly missed by so many in our antiquing community. Our thoughts and prayers go out to her family and friends. xo

Annie, wearing her Chicago Marathon medal, just last year. Our thanks to Joy Waltmire, Savvy City Farmer, for letting us use her photo. Read more about Annie on Joy's blog and on The Gilded Junque Yard.