On Nicholson Street in Hyattsville, in Maryland, the US, stands the outlandishly decorated house of Clarke Bedford, a retired art conservator at the Hirshhorn Museum. Every square-inch of the exterior is decorated with pieces of metal that Bedford has salvaged or bought. There are old metal fans, statues, fenders and headlights. On the white fence surrounding his house hang more objects that have been bent and shaped. His steampunk cars parked on the street in front of his house have underwent the same kind of treatment.

An artist all his life, Bedford’s home improvement began in 2000 when he began experimenting with his Saab convertible. He ripped off the bumpers, and with other replacements, made his car look more like a ‘30s roadster. He then began incorporating the unused parts into the fencing around his property. Once he was done with the fence, he began working on his house.

Bedford calls his site "As-sem-blage Co-ttage," pronounced in rhyming French. His best-known vehicle, called “Vanadu”, is an ’88 Ford Econoline van.