Above is the Palais Ideal, built by mailman Facteur Cheval in Hauterives, France in the 1800s. Below is a13 story high wooden skyscraper in Archangelsk, Russia by the owner of a small construction company, Nikolai Sutyagin.
I enjoy how individuals can push beyond the realm of the "normal" into the fantastic, unbound by tradition and rules. You may not have the stamina to create something as awe-inspiring as these works, but they should serve as inspiration for doing the extraordinary, yet still beautiful, for your home.
For more (less steampunk) examples, fuller stories, and links, see the full article.
