# What Would Cellphones, PCs, etc. Look Like if Art Deco Were The Style Today? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [April 12, 2013, 1:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-cellphones-pcs-etc-look-like-if-art-deco-were-the-style-today/655499 "2013-04-12T13:49:08Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![ralph124c](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/8797f3/32.png) [@ralph124c](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ralph124c)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2013, 1:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-cellphones-pcs-etc-look-like-if-art-deco-were-the-style-today/655499/1 "2013-04-12T13:49:08Z")
I like the way that the Steampunk folks have taken modern appliances, and given them a 19th century look. One guy redid his keyboard to make it look like it was from 1890. Has anyone attempted the same thing, using Art Deco as the style? I love the Art Deco execution of clocks, stoves, radios, etc.-I would love to see the style extended? Anyone know of any sites where I might see this? ---
**Author:** ![MostlyClueless](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ba9def/32.png) [@MostlyClueless](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MostlyClueless)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2013, 3:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-cellphones-pcs-etc-look-like-if-art-deco-were-the-style-today/655499/2 "2013-04-12T15:11:34Z")
Possibly something like the device on this page: [Dark Science #05 - Friendship Status - Dresden Codak](http://dresdencodak.com/2010/09/25/dark-science-05/) ---
**Author:** ![Jophiel](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jophiel/32/66_2.png) [@Jophiel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jophiel)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2013, 3:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-cellphones-pcs-etc-look-like-if-art-deco-were-the-style-today/655499/3 "2013-04-12T15:13:19Z")
You can do an image search for “Art deco case mods” for some PC ideas. [Example (metal)](http://steampunkworkshop.com/sites/default/files/1.jpg) [Example (hybrid)](http://fc00.deviantart.net/fs71/f/2011/046/6/c/art_deco_case_wip_by_e_squid-d39lr79.jpg) [Example (hybrid)](http://forums.bit-tech.net/picture.php?albumid=1869&pictureid=26404) [Example (wood)](http://www.minervity.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/03/art-deco-pc-mod.jpg) [This guy](http://microcentertech.com/byopc/?p=568) has a Bioshock inspired case mod. Bioshock is a popular video game that takes place in an art deco themed underwater city in case you didn’t know. It may be a useful search term for modding. ---
**Author:** ![Jophiel](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jophiel/32/66_2.png) [@Jophiel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jophiel)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2013, 3:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-cellphones-pcs-etc-look-like-if-art-deco-were-the-style-today/655499/4 "2013-04-12T15:19:28Z")
I didn’t see much for cell phones but I don’t think today’s minimalistic style lends itself to making it more art deco aside from making it from different materials or putting an art deco inspired image on the case or screen. Steampunk is a little different: just glue a bunch of gears and metal crap to it and call it steampunk (relevant [Youtube link](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TFCuE5rHbPA)) ---
**Author:** ![Evil\_Captor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/f17d59/32.png) [@Evil\_Captor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Evil_Captor)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2013, 3:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-cellphones-pcs-etc-look-like-if-art-deco-were-the-style-today/655499/5 "2013-04-12T15:24:02Z")
Google “etsy art deco” and the name of the product. ---
**Author:** ![Beware\_of\_Doug](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/278dde/32.png) [@Beware\_of\_Doug](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beware_of_Doug)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2013, 3:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-cellphones-pcs-etc-look-like-if-art-deco-were-the-style-today/655499/6 "2013-04-12T15:29:57Z")
I’m thinking parquetry veneer and Catalin marbled plastic, both of which were used in radio cases. Heat from hard drives would mean the veneer would craze and warp and the catalin crack and turn brown. Just like back in the day with vacuum tubes. ---
**Author:** ![Mona\_Lisa\_Simpson](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ce7236/32.png) [@Mona\_Lisa\_Simpson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mona_Lisa_Simpson)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2013, 7:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-cellphones-pcs-etc-look-like-if-art-deco-were-the-style-today/655499/7 "2013-04-12T19:05:14Z")
I would love to see a jadite coloured bakelite case for phone or laptop. I love jadite coloured glass and bakelite. ---
**Author:** ![ISiddiqui](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/97f17d/32.png) [@ISiddiqui](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ISiddiqui)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2013, 9:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-cellphones-pcs-etc-look-like-if-art-deco-were-the-style-today/655499/8 "2013-04-12T21:48:03Z")
Decopunk? I mean there is already Dieselpunk and Atompunk in addition to Steampunk, so why not? edit: apparently it already exists!! > **[Cyberpunk derivatives | Decopunk](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cyberpunk_derivatives#Decopunk)** > > Decopunk, also known as coalpunk\[citation needed\], is a recent subset of dieselpunk, centered around the art deco and Streamline Moderne art styles. Other influences include the 1927 film Metropolis as well as the environment of American cities like New York, Chicago, and Boston around the period between the 1920s and 1950s. > Steampunk author Sara M. Harvey made the distinction that decopunk is "shinier than dieselpunk;" more specifically, dieselpunk is "a gritty version of steampunk set in the 1... ---
**Author:** ![Leo\_Bloom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leo_bloom/32/10377_2.png) [@Leo\_Bloom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leo_Bloom)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2013, 1:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-cellphones-pcs-etc-look-like-if-art-deco-were-the-style-today/655499/9 "2013-04-14T01:41:54Z")
Nokia [Deco Phone](http://www.artdeconews.com/ProductsGizmos.htm). As above, deco-style phone cases abound. ---
**Author:** ![thelurkinghorror](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/7c8e57/32.png) [@thelurkinghorror](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thelurkinghorror)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2013, 6:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-cellphones-pcs-etc-look-like-if-art-deco-were-the-style-today/655499/10 "2013-04-14T06:04:09Z")
[Pip-Boy](http://geektyrant.com/storage/0998-post-images/Fallout3_Pipboy3000_Full_7.jpg?__SQUARESPACE_CACHEVERSION=1361901307193)! Okay, maybe it’s not the best example, but the Fallout series has a bunch more. And Bioshock, too. ---
**Author:** ![Alessan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alessan/32/465_2.png) [@Alessan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alessan)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2013, 7:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-cellphones-pcs-etc-look-like-if-art-deco-were-the-style-today/655499/11 "2013-04-14T07:00:16Z")
Now I’m wondering what a Bauhaus phone would look like.