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Geek Chic: When Left and Right Brains Live in Harmony
Live with a brainy type? Math and science can make great decor
My husband and I live in a 1950 ranch-style home a few miles west of Madison, Wisconsin. When I'm not working, I like to do projects around my house, get out in my solo canoe or go camping, read design and psychology blogs and work on mixed media art.
My husband and I live in a 1950 ranch-style home a few miles west of Madison,... More »
We've all heard of the Left Brain vs. Right Brain theory. Math and Science vs. Creativity. Logic vs. Intuition. Analytic vs. Holistic. The list goes on. The idea got me thinking about home design. Maybe my left-brain friends (and husband) don't enjoy this design, decorate, make-your-house-look-nice thing as much as I do because they have nothing to relate to. Or do they?
If you live with somebody who doesn't seem to understand why you swoon over websites like Houzz or why you keep hundreds of magazine clippings on your wall, maybe it's time you introduce some new elements to make them feel more at home. Think like they do for a minute. What kind of subjects does he or she like? Math, science, maps ... geeky, brainy things? Valentine's Day is a good time to show a little left-brain love. A flower-filled beaker, anyone? Here are some photos to help my point along.
If you live with somebody who doesn't seem to understand why you swoon over websites like Houzz or why you keep hundreds of magazine clippings on your wall, maybe it's time you introduce some new elements to make them feel more at home. Think like they do for a minute. What kind of subjects does he or she like? Math, science, maps ... geeky, brainy things? Valentine's Day is a good time to show a little left-brain love. A flower-filled beaker, anyone? Here are some photos to help my point along.
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Rulers and gears. Aren't these stairs awesome? This reminded me that I have a wooden ruler collection I've been building over the years. And I see random gears at rummage sales quite frequently; they would make great paperweights.
Tip: If you have a few wooden yardsticks, cut them down to varying lengths and stand them in a hurricane vase when you don't have fresh flowers.
Tip: If you have a few wooden yardsticks, cut them down to varying lengths and stand them in a hurricane vase when you don't have fresh flowers.
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| Constellation chart and solar system. Maybe I'd know where to find Andromeda if I had one of these hanging near my window. |
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by mark gerwing
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| Telescope. And if I can't find Andromeda, then perhaps one of these will help. The next time you're at an auction or estate sale, keep your eyes peeled for a telescope. I have always wanted one but have yet to find one for the right price. They take up minimal space and just look cool. |
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Arithmetic. I picked up a bundle of vintage flash cards from an antique shop a few months ago for less than two bucks. Ideally I'd like to get a large frame for them, but this works for now.
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by Nicole Lanteri
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| Abacus. This gigantic wall piece is pretty sweet, isn't it? It's from the CB2 collection in case you are interested.
Tip: I'm guessing that something like this would be pretty easy to replicate with a handful of dowel rods, paint, an old frame and some large wooden beads if this version is not in your budget. Maybe you can even get your other half in on this one (if, of course, you fall into the right vs. left household I'm talking about). |
by Cristi Holcombe
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Another abacus...and a jellyfish! I've been keeping my eyes peeled for a small counting frame like this. It would look great on a bookshelf or a desk. And that jellyfish on the wall looks like something that could have been peeled from my biology teacher's classroom.
by Kerrie L. Kelly
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Blueprints. What's not to love about them? They are graphic and fun and it's an easy way to add a nice shade of blue to your walls. I haven't been lucky enough to find one yet, but I know they are out there. You just have to look.
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| Maps. Maybe if I had one of these in my house I would know where all of my globe-trotting friends are actually going...
Tip: If you don't have enough space or don't want a world map, I recently found a vintage map of my state on Etsy. My friends are always asking where they can get one. The colors are great! Try a quick search to see what you can find. |
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Property maps. I really like the way this collection is displayed! These maps are so much fun, and I was even able to find one of my own neighborhood through Google before we bought our house!
Tip: You can purchase a map of your area similar to one of these at Historical Map Works.
Tip: You can purchase a map of your area similar to one of these at Historical Map Works.
by The Locker
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Globes. I know a certain someone who has been wanting one for years. Maybe it's time I get him one. I see them at thrift stores all the time but they're never the right color. I just need to look past the color thing and just buy one already.
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Dinosaurs. I can't get over these guys. They make this space feel so intelligent, don't they?
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Specimens. I'm not sure how many of us actually have access (or want to have access) to the oddities that are inhabiting these jars, but you could always try something else. Just no fingernail collections, okay?
What elements of geek chic do you have at home?
More: See design photos with numbers
Browse more home design photos
What elements of geek chic do you have at home?
More: See design photos with numbers
Browse more home design photos
Ideabook updated on June 9, 2012.
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I have quite a few of these (no dinosaurs) and my favorite is a sturdy spigot head from a jail which I use as a trivet on my wood stove - keeps my coffee warm.
I have been wanting some blueprints for ages - hard to find!
http://pregnantpower.blogspot.com/2010/08/csi-project-top-10-pottery-barn.html
triciarose: "geek chic" is a term mainly used in fashion but i thought it worked well for this topic! i WISH i had thought of it!
cje4: yeah, black globes are awesome and it's an easy way to bring more black into your home, which can sometimes be a challenge.
tedmonston: that's so neat that you have the blueprints to your home! and old property maps are so cool, especially when you know the area now and look at what it used to be.
christyn: i'm with sheila on this one- that armillary sphere is SO cool! now i want to make one for my husband! i have 3 steel hoops that i found in my yard when i moved to my house & i was thinking of just a sphere, but this takes it to the next level. nice work!
Thanks so much for the feature! To see the how to of the entire staircase, visit
http://funkyjunkinteriors.blogspot.com/2010/04/paint-ed-wooden-crate-stairs-for-so-you.html