Suitable materials
Steampunk is friendly in rooms with natural wood, glass, and metal interior items.
Steampunk in room design Source stroikairemont.com
The decoration of the walls should be made of wood, you can use paint and plaster, or glue photo wallpaper with images of bricks. If the walls themselves consist of this material, then it is better to leave them without finishing; this is quite consistent with the direction.
Brick walls Source design-proekt.com.ua
For the ceiling, it is better to choose whitewashing or painting; wood will also look appropriate. Suitable flooring is tile, parquet or laminate.
Steampunk in interior design Source stroyfora.ru
Stylish interior examples
- Victorian elegance combined with the world of science and fantasy creates a magical and mesmerizing world in a single room.
- The emphasis on technical focus makes the steampunk style attractive and unusual in its own way.
- The combination of red copper and shades of natural wood forms a spectacular combination characteristic of futurism.
The apartment looks unusual and exciting, stylized as the interior of an old submarine, where the main emphasis is on the flight of human engineering.
It is difficult to imagine a Victorian-era interior without a massive leather sofa, which can be the central element of the composition.
Shades of style
The main palette is muted warm colors. Cream, brick, beige tones go well with dark brown shades, even black. The walls and ceilings are decorated in a similar range; in addition, decorative details can be used as an accent.
Dark colors of the room Source interiorscafe.ru
Metal colors suit this trend perfectly. Shades of copper, silver, brass, bronze and gold go well with soft blues, greens, grays and blues.
Metals in the interior Source ice-pohod.rf
Colors and materials
In real designer steampunk you will never see plastic or synthetics. These materials are associated with cheapness and practicality, which style does not recognize. The emphasis is on various types of wood, metal, glass, stone and brick.
The main material always remains wood, since almost the entire Victorian half of the room is decorated using it.
If there is no possibility at all, then some resort to materials that imitate natural ones. But such a “forgery” must be of high quality in order to match the atmosphere.
Among the fabrics, preference is given to silk, satin, chiffon, leather and linen. Brown is always present in the color picture. It usually occupies more than half of the room in different shades.
Using halftones of gray and black, the effect of smoke in the room is achieved and a feeling of floating steam is created. Decorative elements must include brass and bronze.
Steampunk allows for bright shades: turquoise, deep blue, wine red, dark green. These tones only highlight individual details against a general brown background, but in no case draw attention entirely to themselves.
Walls
The nature of the wall decoration will depend on the general situation. If the furniture and decorative elements are replete with small details, mechanisms and gears, then the wall is covered with wallpaper in calm tones with an unobtrusive pattern.
If the decor is as simple as possible, then you can choose dark wallpaper with a subtle but voluminous pattern.
Also, “crumbling” plaster is often left on the walls, which supposedly accidentally reveals an old layer of brick or rough stone. Such “holes” can be created around the entire perimeter of the room. They look especially impressive at corners and behind surfaces on which classical-style decorative details are placed.
Floor and ceiling
The floor is usually covered with natural wood. In order to save money, it is permissible to replace it with a material that skillfully imitates it. Stone or marble colored tiles are used in the kitchen and bathroom. In particularly expensive options, the bathroom floor may look like stone paving stones with all its irregularities and natural defects.
Steampunk always strives upward, so the ceilings must be high.
If there are problems with this in the apartment, then they are visually drawn out with color and light. A large number of arches, columns and “steps” are welcome. Traditionally, ceilings are decorated in soothing colors, among which classic white is the leader.
Furniture and accessories
A steampunk apartment must have globes in gilded holders, maps, vintage telephones, binoculars, barometers, typewriters, drawings, compasses and devices for travelers who set out on dangerous expeditions at their own peril and risk.
Naturally, we should not forget about brass pipes, bolts, pistons, levers, screws and an abundance of gears of different sizes.
Some of them may have a metallic sheen of recently polished parts, while some are artificially aged and twitch with rust.
We must not forget that the main features of the “character” of steampunk are displayed precisely in the details. But the furniture usually remains strict and calm. Preference is given to natural wood, which has found its application in bulky cabinets, beds and tables. Any signs of technological progress (TVs, microwaves, speaker systems, etc.) must be skillfully disguised in the interior.
It is acceptable to use futuristic motifs in individual furnishing details. The main role here is played by brass pipes; they are used to make legs, handles or “borders” of objects.
Lighting
Steampunk uses natural light, which enters the room through open windows curtained with thin tulle framed by heavy curtains. Artificial light usually comes from several sources, each of which is located on a separate level.
The lighting is created as diffused as possible, since a certain futuristic gloom should be maintained in the room.
The style only accepts a creative approach, so there is no need to be surprised by the design move in the form of a huge airship “stuck” in the ceiling, which is hollow inside and also serves as a chandelier. “Naked” incandescent light bulbs with minimal decor are also welcome. Lamps, as a rule, are designed no less creatively: they are made from things whose functional purpose is completely different.
For example, a lamp can be hidden in a globe or covered with “drawing” fabric in a classic lamp.
Furniture selection
The temporary basis of the style is the Victorian era, so antique furniture elements would be appropriate here: leather sofas, large armchairs, open bookshelves, shelving, metal chairs, creative stylized items and antique furniture. You can create your own exclusive room design if you make some items with your own hands. Shelves made of metal pipes or an iron table will look good.
Steampunk table Source rusticdeco.com
Children's
A children's room decorated in steampunk style has its advantages. Firstly, it should be decorated using predominantly natural materials. Secondly, the use of decorative elements and accessories such as a globe, ancient maps, chests, compasses, pirate items, and items brought from other planets will help create a mysterious and unique environment in which the child will be interested in growing and developing.
A children's room in the steampunk style is most suitable for a teenager when he can take part in creating the interior of his room and express his wishes and preferences.
Jewelry and accessories
Modern household appliances and various electrical appliances need to be stylized as steampunk: built-in models and various other design devices help with this.
Steampunk TV Source vdr.by
As decorations, you can use black and white photos, images in metal frames, unique panels made of pipes, chains, plates and gears. Personally created items on the theme of the future will also decorate the design of the room. Accessories related to travel and exploration will complement the futuristic look of the room.
Steampunk style panel Source pikabu.ru
Who is this style for?
Do you read science fiction and are an ardent fan of H. G. Wells or Jules Verne? Then you are moving in the right direction.
The works of these writers became a source of inspiration for designers, allowing the steampunk style to emerge.
Such an apartment is a small, separate world in which creative, extraordinary individuals will feel comfortable. In addition, its creation requires a special aesthetic taste and design skills.
If you recognize yourself, then feel free to act, because the steampunk style is definitely for you.
Varieties of steampunk style
Steampunk in the interior can be present in different forms, depending on the size of the room and the effect that the owner wants to achieve. If you plan to completely immerse yourself in the world of technology and mechanisms, then it is worth stylizing all the furniture and objects so that the room resembles a theater stage. You can limit yourself to using individual elements of the direction that are harmoniously combined with the main style. There is also the option of using light motifs on the theme of the future, hinting but not revealing the whole essence of the style. The following types of steampunk are distinguished:
- Orthodox. Most often used in public spaces. In residential premises, the direction is usually used in the kitchen and office.
- Easy. The most popular solution in which it is easy to decorate almost any home.
- Motives. A design in which only hints of the main style remain in the design of the rooms.
Steampunk: the choice of a free person
Interior design in the steampunk style combines seemingly incredible things: Victorian style and industrial hardcore, gothic and futuristic images. This conceptual mixture amazes the imagination and brings a special, incomparable atmosphere to the home. Despite this, steampunk remains a very romantic style.
Interior design in steampunk style
This trend inspires not only fans of science fiction literature, but also young, extraordinary individuals with a rich imagination. Steampunk looks as if time stood still during the era of steam engines. This is the choice of those who like to live in a world that is so different from the surrounding reality.
Steampunk furniture
Style identification
Steampunk originated in the 80s of the 20th century against the backdrop of humanity's craze for science fiction. This is perhaps the only direction that did not need advertising on the covers of glossy magazines. Authentic, daring and so romantic steampunk was fueled by stories from books.
Interior design in steampunk style
The concept of the direction is based on the use of steam engines and their parts in the design: gears, pistons, levers. The steampunk style interior looks attractive not only in the photo. In this manner you can decorate almost any room: office, living room, kitchen, bathroom.
Apartment design in steampunk style
In order for a house to match the steampunk style, you must adhere to several rules:
- The obligatory presence in the interior of antique objects and decorative elements in the Victorian style.
- Availability of vintage furniture and natural materials for finishing the room.
- A steampunk interior is not complete without handmade items.
A characteristic feature of the direction was the display of communications and pipelines. You can play around with heating appliances in a very stylish way without hiding them from prying eyes. Batteries decorated with decorative pipes will become an unusual and attractive accent.
Unusual doors in steampunk style
In interior design in the steampunk style you can also find all kinds of aircraft. These include futuristic airships and hot air balloons. It is not necessary to use models of real or fictitious mechanisms. Aircraft can be depicted in paintings and posters, and can also be present in the form of prints on textiles.
Airships in steampunk style interiors
There is a thin but clear line between the industrial, loft and steampunk styles. The directions are quite similar to each other and can be combined with each other. Designers are happy to combine these styles, creating unique and exciting interiors.
Steampunk style in the interior: colors and materials
It is unlikely that you will find synthetics and plastic in a genuine steampunk interior. This direction favors the use of wood, brick and stone, glass and metal. If you are not ready to spend a large amount of money on purchasing natural finishing materials, then pay attention to options that imitate their appearance, color and texture. Use laminate and veneer as an alternative to natural wood, or use acrylic paints to imitate metallic finishes on surfaces.
Steampunk wallpaper
The first thing that catches your eye in steampunk interiors is the abundance of brown in all its forms. In order to recreate an authentic design, it is necessary to resort to imitation of sooty surfaces and smoke. This effect is achieved through the use of appropriate colors: variations of black, gray, brown. Bright colors are also appropriate: emerald, burgundy, wine, rich blue.
Interior design in steampunk style
A steampunk interior is not complete without shades of bronze and brass. They, like brown, prevail over other colors. These are natural shades of pipes, machine parts and metal panels with which walls are finished.
Metal pipes in steampunk items
Metals that a steampunk interior cannot do without
The main metals that are typical for this direction are copper, bronze, brass and iron. They are used to make various furniture, lamps, household appliances and household items. Their images are on paintings and photo wallpapers; the overall design is selected for metal products.
Metals indoors Source archidom.ru
Steampunk in the interior: conceptual features
- Stylized household appliances, furnishings and decorative items; Natural materials in finishing and design.
- Original decor. Old maps and globes, typewriters, compasses, grandfather clocks with a pendulum, and other antique paraphernalia. Designers take ideas for creating creative decor from steampunk and science fiction literature dedicated to time travel and alternative reality.
- The presence of elements of steam mechanisms in the decorative design - these can be real interior details or images on wallpaper, posters and paintings.
- Original lighting fixtures. Modern lamps and chandeliers are not suitable for decorating a steampunk interior; they are replaced with unusual sconces, lamps and floor lamps, which can be styled independently or to order.
Interior examples
A steampunk room always looks very unusual and original. It is best to decorate a private house or a very spacious apartment this way. For a small home, you can choose several decorative details that will bring the effect of novelty to the room.
Room decoration in steampunk style Source legko.com
Living room
Decorating a living room in this style will give the impression that non-standard and creative people live here who love originality in everything that surrounds them. The warm shades of the furnishings, characteristic of the direction, make the room cozy and comfortable. Bulky wooden furniture complements the overall look of the room. The main material of the style is genuine leather, but textile items would also be appropriate. Massive furniture in a classic style that is reminiscent of England in the Victorian era is suitable. Modern furniture and appliances will not fit into the style of the room, so you will have to look for exclusive models or make them yourself.
Living room in steampunk style Source foamin.ru
A good idea for placing the TV would be to create a frame from copper pipes. This design will allow you to unobtrusively fit household items into the antique interior. If you have a fireplace, you can make it in the form of a steam boiler. This option will look best in spacious rooms, but in small rooms you should limit yourself to an imitation or image of an object.
Living room interior in steampunk style Source design-homes.ru
Bedroom
In the steampunk style, the flight of imagination is unlimited. For example, a bedroom can be designed in the form of a bunker, a ship's cabin or a submarine. A heavy and massive bed made of natural wood looks beautiful with Victorian era carvings. Textiles should be as rough as possible, in gray, blue and burgundy tones. On the wall behind the bed you can place a huge antique clock, a composition of gears, ancient drawings or futuristic mechanisms.
Bedroom in steampunk style Source mz-gallery.ru
The walls are decorated with gray wallpaper that imitates the surface of metal. A large compass can serve as an additional decoration. If you install decorative arches in the room, you can achieve a similarity to the interior of a submarine. Cabinets can be decorated with copper pipes and a globe placed on top. The overall style and spirit of the bedroom should look futuristic, but at the same time its basis remains an ancient classic.
Bedroom interior in steampunk style Source mz-gallery.ru
Original laboratory
Spectacular steampunk loves “laboratory” elements. You can safely invite the following items into the interior:
- characteristic tubular screens;
- steel tables mounted on wheels;
- glazed medical cabinets.
Interesting fact! A popular restaurant decorated in this style used chairs reminiscent of a dentist's patient's chair to add some flair!
The following decorations will help emphasize the laboratory aesthetics:
- glass elements in the form of test tubes;
- flasks;
- droppers;
- jars.
An interesting decoration is black and white engravings of fauna and flora, reminiscent of illustrations from 19th century encyclopedias.
The kingdom of dark futurism
Helmets from an ancient diving suit, pieces of parachute fabric, a stone with the imprint of the skeleton of an ancient fish on it, even ship portholes - you won’t find anything in these interiors.
Steampunk has no special requirements for the premises: the kingdom of gloomy futurism can be arranged in three square meters. A steampunk-themed bathroom can be so stunning that guests will take selfies there with the curves of decorative copper pipes, heated towel rails, coils with pressure gauges, an antique tank with a chain, black tiles, a copper sink and a mirror framed by gears. A studio apartment, a dacha, a house, an ordinary city apartment, a two-level loft, and an attic are suitable for this style.
Some walls may not be treated at all if there is good brick there. Concrete panels still need finishing. Window frames are preferably wooden, and if it is plastic, let it be dark brown, black, dark gray. Floors - wooden boards or any imitation, parquet, laminate, tiles.
Top 3 Steampunk Movies: Role Models
The steampunk setting is often played out in comics, anime, gaming and music industries. However, the fashion for steampunk is largely due to cinema, and the visual code of the genre was strongly influenced by science fiction thrillers with a steam-age setting:
A still from the beloved steampunker movie “Wild Wild West”
"The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen"
An adventure film by Stephen Norrington starring iconic Victorian characters including Captain Nemo, Dr. Jekyll, Dorian Gray, Tom Sawyer and Professor Moriarty.
"The Golden Compass" by Chris Weitz
An adaptation of the first book in Philip Pullman's acclaimed His Dark Materials trilogy about the brave girl Lyra, who defies the sinister Council of Sacrifices.
Steampunk keyboard
The computer keyboard, the keyboard nicknamed “Mars Rover” (and this is exactly how its name is translated, the word Sojourner) looks like the typewriter on which Lenin dictated his decrees to the secretaries of Smolny.
Ah, here is another chronotope, also officially belonging to the steampunk era. This includes our entire Great Oktyabrskaya, along with the Civil.
To type at such a (typewriter) keyboard, you need to “conform.” First, cut your hair with a comb, put that comb in your hair, and wear a long, tight skirt that will make you look ugly. Light a cigarette.
If you are a man, start wearing a vest, and under it, of course, a freshly ironed shirt. Light your pipe. And learn to distinguish the Underwood model from the Remington model at first.
14.08.2020
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Steampunk and cyberpunk: cyberpunk churn
The Daily Expeller butter churn from Taiwan is mistakenly classified as steampunk. This is a very typical confusion, by the way. The fact is that the mass consumer often “heard a ringing, but did not know where it was.” The mass consumer quite comically confuses “two different punks”: steampunk and cyberpunk.
What you see is exactly what it is - cyberpunk. “Metallic color” of “robots” and “spaceships” from science fiction of the 70s of the 20th century. But it is difficult to blame the mass consumer for his confused concepts. Often this confusion is brought about by the artists themselves, who do not hesitate to mix steampunk and cyberpunk in one of their works.
And then marketers also made their contribution... Marketers know that the average person is more familiar with the word “steampunk” and likes it more, which means they buy better and click more often. And why? Steampunk was sung by Jules Verne, Herbert Wells and the science fiction writer Belyaev - the worlds of which the average person is well familiar with, even if in childhood he set himself the goal of growing up to be a complete idiot and ignoramus.
But with cyberpunk everything is much more complicated. This is a niche thing, covering a narrow and very intellectual target audience, which has not penetrated into mass culture. Cyberpunk - the style of those who watched Doctor Who in the 60s or like in the USSR - read science fiction that was published in technical magazines for smart youth, and even Asians. The Japanese privatized cyberpunk as they had the right to do, thanks to their economic surge after the 1945 depression.
And so it turned out that a lovely thing in the cyberpunk style is deliberately sold as steampunk. However, even if you call it a pot, it presses the oil properly, and that’s the main thing.
Lighting in the spirit of retro and steampunk
The ideal lamp for this style is retro Edison lamps. If, in the implementation of the design project, greater emphasis is supposed to be placed on Victorian England, then here it is worth taking a closer look at vintage forged lamps with voluminous lampshades.
- Instead of the main light source, we recommend hanging a massive lamp, stylized as an old airship. The more authentic the frame and details of your flying ship are, the more authentic the entire interior of the room will ultimately look.
Advice! By analogy with the loft style, any open communications on the walls and ceiling look very organic in steampunk. Therefore, we strongly recommend that you do not use suspended ceilings and plasterboard structures. Brutalism, simplicity and some deliberate roughness in decoration are your must-haves.
Steampunk chess
Probably during the First World War they played with spent cartridges. This is exactly what the design studio Olde World Custom Creations imitates. Well, the board itself resembles, of course, an officer’s tablet.
These chess sets are handmade to order, so they are all different. Well.
By the way, it should be noted that the First World War (1914-1919) is also entirely included in the chronotope of the “steampunk” style. Take there military uniforms, lumpy German helmets, weapons, cars, all the gadgets of those years and ancient gas masks with a trunk.
Keep this in mind when you create this horror yourself - this is also steampunk. In this way, both Schweik and Remarque fall under this style, enriching it with themselves, but there is no joy from this information. It would be better if the Archduke had not been killed in Sarajevo...
Steampunk clothing.
Another important element of style is clothing. It goes without saying that it should thematically correspond to the style of the one that was actually used in the Victorian era. So for men this is: coats, tailcoats, tweed suits, vests, bowlers, top hats, canes, pocket watches , etc. For women these are: long dresses, corsets, umbrellas, hats . It goes without saying that all these things are stylized as steampunk, decorating them with various elements corresponding to the style.
Steampunk books.
- Boneshaker (Cherie Priest) - 2009.
- Frankenstein (Mary Shelley) - 1818.
- Homunculus (James Blaylock) - 1986.
- Leviathan (Scott Westerfeld) - 2009.
- Mortal Engines (Philip Reeve) - 2001.
- Station of Lost Dreams (China Mieville) - 2000
- The Anubis Gates (Tim Powers) - 1983.
- The Diamond Age (Neal Stephenson) - 1995.
- The Difference Machine (Bruce Sterling and William Gibson) - 1990.
- The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde (Robert Louis Stevenson) - 1886.
- The Time Machine (H.G. Wells) - 1895.
- Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea (Jules Verne) - 1870.
Steampunk wallpaper: what to look for in stores?
Pay attention to products with luxurious decor and elements characteristic of the era. You can take collections that directly remind you of the main theme - rolls with painted gears, clocks, and various mechanisms. Those with futuristic images, balloons, and airships are also suitable. Imitation of brick, rust, old maps, concrete, and metal will also look great.
Wallpaper and bedroom decoration in steampunk style
If such solutions are not close to you, take a closer look at special decorative paints, especially the colors of precious stones. Create a velvety effect or simply choose a pretty tone from a dark palette of green, blue, and brown.
