What is steam-punk style and how can you use it in interior design? Steam-punk effortlessly combines modern technology with the original industrial designs of the Victorian period. The word comes from science fiction. Author Kevin Jeter came up with the expression to differentiate himself from cyberpunks. Steam-punk loves technology, but also looks back and appreciates the design aesthetics of the past. So if you love retro but still want working light bulbs and laptops rather than gaslights and typewriters, then steam-punk is the look to go for.
You can also check out another of my posts on how to help you design a unique home, which will give you some more ideas on ways to personalize your property. Here, we’ve put together an edit of great ideas to get this cool industrial look in your home.
Colors
Materials used in the home of stream-punk style include brass, copper, refurbished steel piping, wood and glass. Go for muted colors in dark tones, such as reds, plums and greens. These are colors that were used in the Victorian period. Think about channeling Sherlock Holmes and H.G Wells. Machinery and Gothic elegance are the styles you’ll want to develop.
Leather and Bricks
If you can, leave bricks and concrete in your house exposed, for an industrial chic edge. Keep floors wooden. Invest in Victorian style leather furniture and steamer trunks that can double up as stylish coffee tables. Source furniture made from salvaged wood, piping and machinery to add even more depth to this look. Furniture should be over-sized and luxurious.
Vintage Lamps, Maps and Machinery
Many companies now specialize in the re-creation of steam-punk style. Items such as a retro table lamp with industrial iron piping will create the type of vintage Gothic style you’re looking for. Use Edison light bulbs for an ultra-hip vintage touch. Leave these bulbs exposed in their raw form to highlight the fascination with invention.
Source vintage maps and herbariums that you can elegantly frame. If you can’t find any you like you can make your own. Search flea markets and antique stores for a classic vintage Victorian typewriter that you can use as a focal point in the entrance hall. A fundamental symbol of steam-punk style are the gears used in machinery. Invest in a beautiful gear clock to channel this love of early technology and machinery. Gear clocks are like works of art for your wall and pull together a Victorian aesthetic. This was a time where mechanics was seen as magical, and there was a lot of excitement around invention and innovation.
Develop the steam-punk design even further by sourcing vintage hard back books, an antique globe and some stylish Victorian walking canes.
Gothic/Industrial Beauty
While the steam-punk look is about the inner workings of machinery, innovation, lead piping and raw industrial finishes; it is not without beauty. This is a movement whose beauty lies in Gothic romance and dreams of what technology would be like in the future. It’s about mixing metallic with copper and old with new. It’s also about injecting history and surrealism into your home in an elegant and nostalgic way.
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