Some people prefer the calm, familiar classics in their home, while others immerse themselves in experiments. Such people want to create an exclusive environment around them that will breathe individuality. It is for this category that the non-standard steampunk style (paropunk) is suitable. Visually, it resembles the furnishings of houses at the beginning of the 20th century, in which adjustments uncharacteristic of that time were introduced. It was as if history at the turn of the century turned in the other direction and took the alternative path, letting unusual, crude details and complex mechanisms into classical Victorian rooms.
In those days when steampunk was just in its infancy, the “heavy” and cumbersome classical style with the remains of the Victorian era had not yet completely left home, although it had already begun to slowly move towards a symbolic exit.People were tired of stiffness and pomp, I wanted something new, simple and original. At the intersection of eras between the passing “backward century” and the progressive era of science and technology that came to replace it, a fundamentally new “industrial” direction was born. It became a breath of fresh air that burst into the interiors of the first wealthiest houses, and then spread everywhere.
However, not everything was so simple, although the rudiments of the direction appeared already at the beginning of the 20th century, it was finally formed only in the early 80s. The word itself came from the pen of an American science fiction writer. He simply did not know which genre to attribute his new work to and invented this direction on his own, thereby rubbing his nose with an already fed up cyberpunk. The key part is played by the first part of “steam”, which literally translates from English as “steam”. Steampunk creators were inspired by steam engines from the late 19th century. The abundance of pipes and complex mechanisms is considered the canon of style. The second component of “punk” does not have a literal translation, but in colloquial English it means “trashy”.
Famous musical groups played a role in popularizing punk, which promoted individual freedom bordering on anarchy. Herbert Wells, Jules Verne and Mary Shelley are considered to be the "fathers" of the style, who indirectly had a hand in him. In their works they created utopian pictures for that time, which seemed to be panoramas from the future.
By the way, steampunk is not only a direction in interior design, the very same name bears a characteristic style in clothes, music, cinema, painting and science fiction. Some fans go further and join the eponymous subculture, which has its own rules and canons.
Who is suitable for
Steampunk in the interior is chosen by individuals who want to go beyond the usual.The owner of an apartment where antiquity coexists with rude technological elements can only be an eccentric or a zealous admirer of famous science fiction writers. Such people, as a rule, have a rich imagination and choose creative professions: artists, fashion designers, writers, designers, journalists, sculptors. Perhaps they are driven by a desire to be different from the rest, to have a twist even in the interior of the apartment, but more often such unusual personalities just want to turn the fairy tale into reality and revive strange and grotesque images from their favorite books or their own imagination.
Specific traits
Steampunk has several branches, a thin line of differences between which is quite difficult to identify:
Steampunk Fantasy;
Technical Park;
Classic Victorian steampunk.
The first direction is subject to the motto "What would a house look like if ..." It is born exclusively of fantasy, and is embodied in whole images. Steampunk fantasy is the most free style, it allows any liberties. The second direction is characterized by a large concentration of rough parts and hard materials. The ancient "base" on which futuristic elements are strung is overlapped by them and plays the role of an exceptionally dull, contrasting background. Victorian motifs prevail in classic steam room. They occupy almost 80% of the overall picture of the interior and are only slightly diluted with non-standard items for that era: pistons, levers, gears and full steam engines. For the style, the main characteristic features are distinguished:
Necessarily the presence of natural materials in decoration and vintage furniture.
The presence of decorative items hails from the Victorian era.
The presence of items that were made by hand.
The characteristic location of the industrial “stuffing”, which in a different situation would be hidden behind the panels, can also be attributed to the features.
Do not confuse the Steampunk room decoration with the result of the usual carelessness of the owners, who are too lazy to hide heating batteries or pipes. Style is born on the basis of harmony of elegance with rudeness. This can be called the main thesis of the direction.
Colors and materials
In a real designer steampunk you will never meet plastic or synthetics. These materials are associated with low cost and practicality, which the style does not recognize. The emphasis is on various varieties of wood, metal, glass, stone and brick. The main material always remains wood, since almost the entire Victorian half of the room is designed using it. If there is no possibility at all, then some resort to materials that mimic natural ones. But such a “forgery” must be of high quality to match the atmosphere.
Of the fabrics, silk, satin, chiffon, leather and linen are preferred. In the color picture, brown is necessarily present. It in different shades usually occupies more than half of the room. With the help of gray and black halftones, the effect of smoke in the room is achieved and a feeling of soaring steam is created. In the elements of decor, brass and bronze are necessarily present.
Steampunk allows bright colors: turquoise, deep blue, wine red, dark green. These tones only set off individual details against a common 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 abound in small details, mechanisms and gears, then the wall is glued with wallpaper of calm tones with an unobtrusive pattern. If the situation is as simple as possible, then you can choose a dark wallpaper with a subtle but voluminous pattern. Also, “crumbling” plaster is often left on the walls, which supposedly accidentally opens an old layer of brick or rough stone.Such "holes" can be created around the perimeter of the room. They look especially impressive at the corners and behind the surfaces on which decorative details of the classical style are placed.
Floor and ceiling
The floor is usually covered with natural wood. In order to save, it is permissible to replace with a material that skillfully imitates it. In the kitchen and in the bathroom, tiles of the color of stone or marble are used. In particularly expensive options, the floor in the bathroom may look like stone paving with all its bumps and natural defects. Steampunk always tends to rise, so the ceilings should be high. If there are problems with this in the apartment, then they are visually pulled by color and light. A large number of arches, columns and "steps" are welcome. Traditionally, the ceilings are decorated in soothing colors, among which classic white is the leader.
Furniture & Accessories
In a steampunk apartment, the presence of globes in gilded holders, maps, antique telephones, binoculars, barometers, typewriters, blueprints, compasses and travel accessories that are sent on dangerous expeditions at your own risk is mandatory. Naturally, do not forget about brass pipes, bolts, pistons, levers, cogs and an abundance of gears of different sizes. Some of them can give a metallic sheen, recently polished parts, and some artificially age and twitch with rust.
It must not be forgotten that the main features of the "character" of the steam park are displayed in detail. 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, speakers, etc.) should be skillfully masked in the interior. Futuristic motifs may also be used in individual furniture details. The main role here is played by brass pipes, from which legs, handles or the “border” of objects are made.
Lighting
The steampunk uses natural light, which enters the room through open windows, curtained with thin tulle framed by heavy curtains. Artificial light usually pours from several sources, each of which is located on a separate level. Lighting is created as diffuse as possible, since some futuristic gloom must remain in the room. The style takes only a creative approach, so one should not be surprised at the design move in the form of a huge airship "stuck" in the ceiling, which is hollow inside and concurrently acts as a chandelier. “Naked” incandescent bulbs with minimal decor are welcome. Lamps, as a rule, are designed no less creatively: they are made of things whose functional purpose is completely different. For example, a lamp can be hidden in a globe or covered with “drafting” fabric in a classic lamp.
In the interior of the living room
The steam room style can be furnished with dark brown upholstered leather furniture. The windows are curtained with heavy curtains with a classic twisted pattern. On the walls, family portraits alternate with old maps under glass in bronze frames. On the shelves, battered boxes, a spyglass on a gilded stand, a compass and a barometer of a strange design are freely located. The soft carpet on the floor is still the same brown color, and the wall is decorated with beige wallpapers with an unobtrusive picture of a world map. One of the corners can be “damaged by time”: there are no wallpapers on it, but a part of the brickwork has been exposed. The coffee table is made of a combination of glass and brass tubes. Instead of a lamp, it has an original composition of tubes, bolts and gears, which is crowned with a simple incandescent lamp. The TV cabinet is decorated with sheets of metal with rough rivets, and the miracle of technology looks like one of the windows of Nautilus captain Nemo.
In the interior of the bedroom
In the bedroom you can create a real bunker, the cabin of the ship or the cabin of a submarine. The bed is cumbersome, made of heavy and durable wood with neat carvings in the best traditions of the Victorian era. It is covered with rough fabrics of gray, blue, burgundy or lilac shades. A giant compass, an impressive clock, an old drawing or an abstract composition of obligatory gears, cranes, bolts and other mechanical attributes can be placed over the heads of the sleeping people. The walls can be decorated with gray steel wallpaper that mimics the sheets of metal, and the room can be divided into zones with decorative arches, enhancing the resemblance to a submarine. A classic dressing table or simple chest of drawers is decorated with pipes and decorated with a globe on top. The whole bedroom should breathe the spirit of futurism, to which the classics preserved in it desperately resist.
In the interior of the kitchen
A steam-punk-style kitchen looks more like a laboratory for conducting innovative experiments than a cooking room. The table top and the main working area are made of wood (cherry, oak) or marble. The floor is tiled, imitating the texture and color of the stone. The set is made in dark or light uncompromising colors. The furniture handles are necessarily metal, styled as Victorian. Brass and bronze look spectacular against the background of ebony, which in turn contrasts with the laying of white brick on the walls. They also place large panels with a chaotic set of "technical" elements.
This decor detail is easy to do on your own. The hood can be made of sheet iron or “trimming” a metal barrel with coarse rivets. Do not forget about the placement of decorative elements around the perimeter of the kitchen: on the bar, window sills and wall shelves. An original lamp is placed above the table, the height of which is adjusted using a simple but outdated mechanism.
In the interior of the bathroom
The walls of the bathroom are decorated with waterproof wallpaper with a sloppy graphic pattern. Naturally for this room water pipes in no case hide. On the contrary, they are put on public display, and sometimes replaced with more bulky and multicomponent ones (with a large number of bends and knees). The floor is also decorated in dark colors: it is covered with tiles with a rough pattern (black marble, rough and porous stone).
If a piece of a wall is accidentally “bare” near the bathroom itself, then futurists and dreamers can only do it. The coarser and more natural the brick looks, the better it will fit into the steambank. The faucet and taps are selected "antique" from brass, which looks like a "seen". The sink and bath go from the classic standards with white enamel to the option with a bronze shine. Some particularly creative steampunk fans manage to stylize a bathing capacity for a miniature submarine with a cut-off top and a metal ladder for lifting "on board". Chests of drawers and cabinets for storing things are chosen from classic models that are decorated with all the same pipes and gears. Lighting is dim: there are enough reflective surfaces in this room that will scatter it many times.
Conclusion
Steampunk is a unique direction that managed to find its niche in design, while its main competitors lived their short century of “butterflies” and sunk into oblivion. There is a joke among professional designers that a steampunk house risks becoming a museum. In fact, the way it is: the rooms are usually decorated so creatively, with a unique approach and the maximum disclosure of the designer’s imagination, that they can easily be presented with a stylish repository of exhibits. This, of course, does not mean at all that steam park gives the rooms "sterility" when it is scary to touch the surrounding objects.On the contrary, in such an environment, a true dreamer and a fan of science fiction feels like a fish in the water of an alternative story, like the hero of one of the futuristic works that has become a reality for him.
Some people prefer the calm, familiar classics in their home, while others immerse themselves in experiments. Such people want to create an exclusive environment around them that will breathe individuality. It is for this category that the non-standard steampunk style (paropunk) is suitable. Visually, it resembles the furnishings of houses at the beginning of the 20th century, in which adjustments uncharacteristic of that time were introduced. It was as if history at the turn of the century turned in the other direction and took the alternative path, letting unusual, crude details and complex mechanisms into classical Victorian rooms.
Content
Style story
In those days when steampunk was just in its infancy, the “heavy” and cumbersome classical style with the remains of the Victorian era had not yet completely left home, although it had already begun to slowly move towards a symbolic exit.People were tired of stiffness and pomp, I wanted something new, simple and original. At the intersection of eras between the passing “backward century” and the progressive era of science and technology that came to replace it, a fundamentally new “industrial” direction was born. It became a breath of fresh air that burst into the interiors of the first wealthiest houses, and then spread everywhere.
However, not everything was so simple, although the rudiments of the direction appeared already at the beginning of the 20th century, it was finally formed only in the early 80s. The word itself came from the pen of an American science fiction writer. He simply did not know which genre to attribute his new work to and invented this direction on his own, thereby rubbing his nose with an already fed up cyberpunk. The key part is played by the first part of “steam”, which literally translates from English as “steam”. Steampunk creators were inspired by steam engines from the late 19th century. The abundance of pipes and complex mechanisms is considered the canon of style. The second component of “punk” does not have a literal translation, but in colloquial English it means “trashy”.
Famous musical groups played a role in popularizing punk, which promoted individual freedom bordering on anarchy. Herbert Wells, Jules Verne and Mary Shelley are considered to be the "fathers" of the style, who indirectly had a hand in him. In their works they created utopian pictures for that time, which seemed to be panoramas from the future.
Who is suitable for
Steampunk in the interior is chosen by individuals who want to go beyond the usual.The owner of an apartment where antiquity coexists with rude technological elements can only be an eccentric or a zealous admirer of famous science fiction writers. Such people, as a rule, have a rich imagination and choose creative professions: artists, fashion designers, writers, designers, journalists, sculptors. Perhaps they are driven by a desire to be different from the rest, to have a twist even in the interior of the apartment, but more often such unusual personalities just want to turn the fairy tale into reality and revive strange and grotesque images from their favorite books or their own imagination.
Specific traits
Steampunk has several branches, a thin line of differences between which is quite difficult to identify:
The first direction is subject to the motto "What would a house look like if ..." It is born exclusively of fantasy, and is embodied in whole images. Steampunk fantasy is the most free style, it allows any liberties. The second direction is characterized by a large concentration of rough parts and hard materials. The ancient "base" on which futuristic elements are strung is overlapped by them and plays the role of an exceptionally dull, contrasting background. Victorian motifs prevail in classic steam room. They occupy almost 80% of the overall picture of the interior and are only slightly diluted with non-standard items for that era: pistons, levers, gears and full steam engines. For the style, the main characteristic features are distinguished:
The characteristic location of the industrial “stuffing”, which in a different situation would be hidden behind the panels, can also be attributed to the features.
Colors and materials
In a real designer steampunk you will never meet plastic or synthetics. These materials are associated with low cost and practicality, which the style does not recognize. The emphasis is on various varieties of wood, metal, glass, stone and brick. The main material always remains wood, since almost the entire Victorian half of the room is designed using it. If there is no possibility at all, then some resort to materials that mimic natural ones. But such a “forgery” must be of high quality to match the atmosphere.
Of the fabrics, silk, satin, chiffon, leather and linen are preferred. In the color picture, brown is necessarily present. It in different shades usually occupies more than half of the room. With the help of gray and black halftones, the effect of smoke in the room is achieved and a feeling of soaring steam is created. In the elements of decor, brass and bronze are necessarily present.
Walls
The nature of the wall decoration will depend on the general situation. If the furniture and decorative elements abound in small details, mechanisms and gears, then the wall is glued with wallpaper of calm tones with an unobtrusive pattern. If the situation is as simple as possible, then you can choose a dark wallpaper with a subtle but voluminous pattern. Also, “crumbling” plaster is often left on the walls, which supposedly accidentally opens an old layer of brick or rough stone.Such "holes" can be created around the perimeter of the room. They look especially impressive at the corners and behind the surfaces on which decorative details of the classical style are placed.
Floor and ceiling
The floor is usually covered with natural wood. In order to save, it is permissible to replace with a material that skillfully imitates it. In the kitchen and in the bathroom, tiles of the color of stone or marble are used. In particularly expensive options, the floor in the bathroom may look like stone paving with all its bumps and natural defects. Steampunk always tends to rise, so the ceilings should be high. If there are problems with this in the apartment, then they are visually pulled by color and light. A large number of arches, columns and "steps" are welcome. Traditionally, the ceilings are decorated in soothing colors, among which classic white is the leader.
Furniture & Accessories
In a steampunk apartment, the presence of globes in gilded holders, maps, antique telephones, binoculars, barometers, typewriters, blueprints, compasses and travel accessories that are sent on dangerous expeditions at your own risk is mandatory. Naturally, do not forget about brass pipes, bolts, pistons, levers, cogs and an abundance of gears of different sizes. Some of them can give a metallic sheen, recently polished parts, and some artificially age and twitch with rust.
It must not be forgotten that the main features of the "character" of the steam park are displayed in detail. 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, speakers, etc.) should be skillfully masked in the interior. Futuristic motifs may also be used in individual furniture details. The main role here is played by brass pipes, from which legs, handles or the “border” of objects are made.
Lighting
The steampunk uses natural light, which enters the room through open windows, curtained with thin tulle framed by heavy curtains. Artificial light usually pours from several sources, each of which is located on a separate level. Lighting is created as diffuse as possible, since some futuristic gloom must remain in the room. The style takes only a creative approach, so one should not be surprised at the design move in the form of a huge airship "stuck" in the ceiling, which is hollow inside and concurrently acts as a chandelier. “Naked” incandescent bulbs with minimal decor are welcome. Lamps, as a rule, are designed no less creatively: they are made of things whose functional purpose is completely different. For example, a lamp can be hidden in a globe or covered with “drafting” fabric in a classic lamp.
In the interior of the living room
The steam room style can be furnished with dark brown upholstered leather furniture. The windows are curtained with heavy curtains with a classic twisted pattern. On the walls, family portraits alternate with old maps under glass in bronze frames. On the shelves, battered boxes, a spyglass on a gilded stand, a compass and a barometer of a strange design are freely located. The soft carpet on the floor is still the same brown color, and the wall is decorated with beige wallpapers with an unobtrusive picture of a world map. One of the corners can be “damaged by time”: there are no wallpapers on it, but a part of the brickwork has been exposed. The coffee table is made of a combination of glass and brass tubes. Instead of a lamp, it has an original composition of tubes, bolts and gears, which is crowned with a simple incandescent lamp. The TV cabinet is decorated with sheets of metal with rough rivets, and the miracle of technology looks like one of the windows of Nautilus captain Nemo.
In the interior of the bedroom
In the bedroom you can create a real bunker, the cabin of the ship or the cabin of a submarine. The bed is cumbersome, made of heavy and durable wood with neat carvings in the best traditions of the Victorian era. It is covered with rough fabrics of gray, blue, burgundy or lilac shades. A giant compass, an impressive clock, an old drawing or an abstract composition of obligatory gears, cranes, bolts and other mechanical attributes can be placed over the heads of the sleeping people. The walls can be decorated with gray steel wallpaper that mimics the sheets of metal, and the room can be divided into zones with decorative arches, enhancing the resemblance to a submarine. A classic dressing table or simple chest of drawers is decorated with pipes and decorated with a globe on top. The whole bedroom should breathe the spirit of futurism, to which the classics preserved in it desperately resist.
In the interior of the kitchen
A steam-punk-style kitchen looks more like a laboratory for conducting innovative experiments than a cooking room. The table top and the main working area are made of wood (cherry, oak) or marble. The floor is tiled, imitating the texture and color of the stone. The set is made in dark or light uncompromising colors. The furniture handles are necessarily metal, styled as Victorian. Brass and bronze look spectacular against the background of ebony, which in turn contrasts with the laying of white brick on the walls. They also place large panels with a chaotic set of "technical" elements.
This decor detail is easy to do on your own. The hood can be made of sheet iron or “trimming” a metal barrel with coarse rivets. Do not forget about the placement of decorative elements around the perimeter of the kitchen: on the bar, window sills and wall shelves. An original lamp is placed above the table, the height of which is adjusted using a simple but outdated mechanism.
In the interior of the bathroom
The walls of the bathroom are decorated with waterproof wallpaper with a sloppy graphic pattern. Naturally for this room water pipes in no case hide. On the contrary, they are put on public display, and sometimes replaced with more bulky and multicomponent ones (with a large number of bends and knees). The floor is also decorated in dark colors: it is covered with tiles with a rough pattern (black marble, rough and porous stone).
If a piece of a wall is accidentally “bare” near the bathroom itself, then futurists and dreamers can only do it. The coarser and more natural the brick looks, the better it will fit into the steambank. The faucet and taps are selected "antique" from brass, which looks like a "seen". The sink and bath go from the classic standards with white enamel to the option with a bronze shine. Some particularly creative steampunk fans manage to stylize a bathing capacity for a miniature submarine with a cut-off top and a metal ladder for lifting "on board". Chests of drawers and cabinets for storing things are chosen from classic models that are decorated with all the same pipes and gears. Lighting is dim: there are enough reflective surfaces in this room that will scatter it many times.
Conclusion
Steampunk is a unique direction that managed to find its niche in design, while its main competitors lived their short century of “butterflies” and sunk into oblivion. There is a joke among professional designers that a steampunk house risks becoming a museum. In fact, the way it is: the rooms are usually decorated so creatively, with a unique approach and the maximum disclosure of the designer’s imagination, that they can easily be presented with a stylish repository of exhibits. This, of course, does not mean at all that steam park gives the rooms "sterility" when it is scary to touch the surrounding objects.On the contrary, in such an environment, a true dreamer and a fan of science fiction feels like a fish in the water of an alternative story, like the hero of one of the futuristic works that has become a reality for him.