Steampunk for Greg (and the rest of you Victorian folks)
steampunk computer
steampunk keyboard
Ok so what’s “steampunk” you ask. Very basically, it’s an aesthetic derrived from a literary genre: Victorian SciFi/Fantasy. Think HG Wells and Jules Verne (or for you comic geeks Girl Genius). It fantasizes what technology would look like if developed by adventurist-scientists in the late 1800s and its icons feature brass, wood, knobs, and, of course, steam.
It being Halloween, a lot of steampunk costume ideas are popping up in the stuff (blogs) I read. (I love the mechanical style of it and in my fantasy where Orange County Choppers builds me a bike, it’s steampunk.) That got me thinking about Steampunk Workshop (featured in Wired this year) and Greg at Petch House. I think these 2 entities might be a match made in heaven and this modified monitor and keyboard totally looks like a piece of awesomeness Greg would build.
So while this is in no way meant to pressure Big G, or any other of you Victorian restorers, I just want to say that it’ll rain or snow soon; or just get too cold to work on your siding; or your house projects will end altogether. When that happens, steampunk!!
mindy said,
October 30, 2007 @ 2:50 pm
Oooh, I love it. That is the coolest mod I’ve seen in a while. I’ve never heard the term steampunk but now that you’ve enlightened me, I’m sure I’ll be reading up on it. Love the style, didn’t know it had a name!
Patricia W. said,
October 30, 2007 @ 3:33 pm
Fantastic! I wish manufacturers would be more creative with the plain ol’ plastic but I guess it gives those who are creative and like to work with their hands something to do. I too have never heard of steampunk.
It kind of reminds me of the “machine age” stuff manufactured in the 30’s. Deco styled chrome and enamel, very heavy and built to last.
Thanks for sharing!
John said,
October 30, 2007 @ 3:36 pm
Well, I never knew that look a had a name, pretty cool stuff. I could definately see that in the Petch House.
merideth1 said,
October 30, 2007 @ 3:42 pm
patricia I KNOW it totally reminds me of machine-age stuff too which is a HUGE favorite of mine!
jm said,
October 30, 2007 @ 5:46 pm
I’m a HUGE steampunk fan but I’d only seen the fashion. I love the computer!
lisa said,
October 30, 2007 @ 8:46 pm
thank you SO MUCH for the explanation! i’ve been seeing this term EVERYwhere for the past–i don’t know–year? and i’ve seen enough photos to have figured out basically what it looks like most of the time, but knowing what it really is and whence it’s derived is great!
Jenne said,
October 31, 2007 @ 1:14 pm
Oh, I love this.
Greg said,
November 4, 2007 @ 5:33 pm
I saw that picture and thought to myself, “Oh! I’ve so got to make one of those”.
Could it be my next project? I may be retiring my laptop in a month or two. hmmmmm
Lynn said,
November 6, 2007 @ 3:30 pm
Leave it to you to find the proper word for this look! Your Wordsmith days were not wasted. Your pix remind me of stuff from that old tv series, Wild Wild West. Remember?
stuccohouse said,
November 12, 2007 @ 11:16 pm
Very cool!!
Lol…I love how now we are handing out project assignments to other homeowners
I think we should give Greg a deadline by which he needs to post his finished project to his blog 
Andy Hamm said,
February 24, 2008 @ 10:43 pm
I am looking for a Steampunk artist for a home office project. Does anyone know anyone who works on commissioned projects? Thx in advance.