Steampunk More Furniture and Collectibles
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.
1910s American Vintage Steampunk More Furniture and Collectibles
Wood, Paper
1950s American Vintage Steampunk More Furniture and Collectibles
Copper, Iron
Mid-19th Century French Antique Steampunk More Furniture and Collectibles
Leather
Early 19th Century American Antique Steampunk More Furniture and Collectibles
Metal
1950s American Vintage Steampunk More Furniture and Collectibles
Metal
Mid-20th Century American Steampunk More Furniture and Collectibles
Rubber
Early 20th Century American Steampunk More Furniture and Collectibles
Wood
Early 20th Century American Steampunk More Furniture and Collectibles
Brass
19th Century American Antique Steampunk More Furniture and Collectibles
Late 19th Century American Antique Steampunk More Furniture and Collectibles
Copper
19th Century American Antique Steampunk More Furniture and Collectibles
Mid-20th Century North American Steampunk More Furniture and Collectibles
19th Century French Antique Steampunk More Furniture and Collectibles
Iron
1920s American Vintage Steampunk More Furniture and Collectibles
Leather, Velvet, Plaster
Mid-20th Century American Steampunk More Furniture and Collectibles
Leather
Early 20th Century Japanese Steampunk More Furniture and Collectibles
Wood
1920s German Vintage Steampunk More Furniture and Collectibles
Aluminum, Gold, Steel
19th Century French Antique Steampunk More Furniture and Collectibles
Leather, Wood, Paper
1930s British Vintage Steampunk More Furniture and Collectibles
Pine, Paint
Mid-20th Century American Steampunk More Furniture and Collectibles
Paper
1850s Unknown Antique Steampunk More Furniture and Collectibles
Natural Fiber
Early 20th Century Japanese Steampunk More Furniture and Collectibles
Wood
16th Century Spanish Antique Steampunk More Furniture and Collectibles
Other
20th Century American Steampunk More Furniture and Collectibles
20th Century American Steampunk More Furniture and Collectibles
Metal
Mid-20th Century North American Steampunk More Furniture and Collectibles
1950s American Vintage Steampunk More Furniture and Collectibles
Late 19th Century Antique Steampunk More Furniture and Collectibles
Canvas
Mid-20th Century Steampunk More Furniture and Collectibles
Iron
Mid-20th Century American Steampunk More Furniture and Collectibles
Copper
1890s Antique Steampunk More Furniture and Collectibles
Leather
Late 19th Century Antique Steampunk More Furniture and Collectibles
Late 19th Century Antique Steampunk More Furniture and Collectibles
Late 19th Century Antique Steampunk More Furniture and Collectibles
Late 19th Century Antique Steampunk More Furniture and Collectibles
Mid-20th Century American Steampunk More Furniture and Collectibles
Copper, Iron