When I move back to suburbia I would like to call one room in my future home the Mad Hatter room and just decorate it to my eccentric tastes. I 100% blame it on Anthropologie — their recent bout of clock-everywhere store decor has me thinking I want a room of clock upon clock and odd curiosities that are vaguely steampunk inspired.
Until then I suppose I have to suppress my manic urges in favor of the more modern feel my current furniture provides. Which is why I’m loving some of the curiosities Anthropologie has unveiled over the last few months. They are strange and unique yet streamlined enough to fit in with my current scheme. I feel like I can devote the bays of my Logan Media Center from Pottery Barn (photo above though mine is black — my BEST Craigslist score ever!!) to some bygone/non-existent era.
The Penny Tile Mirror ($498) would be the perfect piece to catch the light during the 4 hours a day when I get direct sunlight. My apartment has a huge double-height, 4-bay window and I’d place the mirror opposite it to catch, reflect and refract the sun.
The Recycled Stadium Bulb collection ($78-$198) is Edison-styled and though I’m more of a Tesla fan myself the look is still downright awesome. I wish we got a bit more of the history of these bulbs — what stadium or warehouse did these come from? It would make a great story. Still these would be right at home in one of my entertainment unit’s bays. Perhaps my dream set of Standing Mirrors ($48-$128) could be symmetrically placed?
I can see how one Mariner’s Globe Pendant ($398) could look lonely, industrial or cold but put them together as one of the product photos show and you have something more closely resembling caviar or perhaps the air bubbles escaping a submarine? (Yes, my imagination does sometimes run wild.) Maybe I could just stand under it and turn it on remotely so it looks like I’m always coming up with a bright idea.
And speaking of the aforementioned Pottery Barn, they have a few pieces that could round out my set quite well. The Union Station Clock ($129) recalls steam-engine trains and cross-country trips…
…complemented perhaps by one of the Antique Globes ($29-$39). I am seeing globes everywhere. They are coming back in a huge way. Pottery Barn also has some really cool paperweights, one with an exclamation point and one with a question mark that I spied up in Westport, CT a few weekends ago but can’t find online. Has anyone else seen them?
The Vintage Key Set ($19) easily could have come from Anthropologie. I would not hang them in a straight row like this. I love the various states of patina and wear.
And finally, to appeal to my typographic side I’d grab the Typerwriter Keys Screen ($329) to sit on top of the entertainment center. It would look right at home next to the Subway Sign print I bought from them last year and a print I designed myself of one of my favorite U2 song’s lyrics. It looks typeset so it’d fit right in.
Add a Cavallini & Co. calendar which Anthropologie carries around the holidays. Maybe wrap it up with some prints of numbers as PB’s suggested styling of the Logan has above…and voila! Mad Hatter room complete, in urban dwelling form.
