Steampunk Scientific Instruments
Steampunk style places emphasis on the bespoke, the recycled and the handmade, as well as high-quality materials and craftsmanship. Steampunk fans also share an interest in the industrial and in machines, especially steam-powered ones.
As a design concept, steampunk can feel elusive. Unlike movements such as Arts and Crafts or American Craftsman, which are rooted in specific historical periods, steampunk combines an imagined past with the present and sometimes even the future.
In the late 1980s, writer K. W. Jeter coined the term steampunk to describe his science-fiction stories, which were set in an idealized version of Victorian London. Since that time, steampunk has evolved, emerging as a design style and a subculture.
Since the mid-1990s, steampunk-styled settings and interiors have become popular in mainstream films such as Sherlock Holmes (2009) with Robert Downey Jr.; Van Helsing (2004), which starred Hugh Jackman; or the Will Smith vehicle Wild Wild West (1999). These movies present a contemporary version of the Victorian past. Steampunk elements, such as dark walls, industrial lighting, brass fittings and Edison bulbs, have also been featured in the designs of numerous restaurants.
When talking of steampunk, design professionals often emphasize the style’s industrial elements. Interior designer Stephen Shadley particularly likes steampunk’s inclusion of factory-style light fixtures. “The elegant simplicity of those fixtures, a white or clear glass shade on a brass base, the bakelite switch. They’re beautiful and functional,” he says. “Here, form follows function almost completely.”
One of the appeals of steampunk lies in its oppositions: domestic versus industrial, refined and polished versus coarse and gritty, Victorian versus new, fantasy versus reality. Because it is up to the individual designer to develop the right steamy mix, you will find a large range of steampunk looks.
A steampunk interior can appear much like the Victorian drawing room in your imagination — stately, restrained, proper — while at the same time containing contemporary comforts and conveniences. Another steampunk-style room can look more theatrical, much like the lair of a mad scientist. And, of course, objects with high steampunk quotient, such as brass light fixtures or Victorian scientific instruments, can add charm and interest to almost any set up.
Steampunk, by combining antique and contemporary and repurposing industrial items, offers a fresh way to enjoy Victorian style.
Find steampunk-style wall decorations, lighting, decorative objects and more on 1stDIbs.
Mid-19th Century French Antique Steampunk Scientific Instruments
Leather
Mid-20th Century American Steampunk Scientific Instruments
Rubber
Early 20th Century American Steampunk Scientific Instruments
Brass
21st Century and Contemporary American Steampunk Scientific Instruments
Paper
1920s Vintage Steampunk Scientific Instruments
Paper
Mid-20th Century American Steampunk Scientific Instruments
Paper
1850s Unknown Antique Steampunk Scientific Instruments
Natural Fiber
Early 20th Century French Steampunk Scientific Instruments
Copper
Mid-20th Century Steampunk Scientific Instruments
Composition
Late 19th Century French Antique Steampunk Scientific Instruments
Pottery
Mid-20th Century German Steampunk Scientific Instruments
Wood, Antler
20th Century English Steampunk Scientific Instruments
Wood, Bone
Mid-20th Century American Steampunk Scientific Instruments
Bakelite
Mid-20th Century French Steampunk Scientific Instruments
Plastic
21st Century and Contemporary American Steampunk Scientific Instruments
Feathers
Early 20th Century English Steampunk Scientific Instruments
1930s American Vintage Steampunk Scientific Instruments
Metal