How to create a steampunk interior?

Characteristic features of the style

The name of the style comes from the English “steampunk”, where steam means steam. This direction in design was inspired by industrialism: steam engines, various mechanisms, pipes.

A room in the steampunk style cannot be confused with any other, its features:

• Details of mechanisms. Gears and other noticeable elements are found in the decoration (a pattern on the wallpaper), furniture (a table made from an engine) and decor.
• Unusual lamps. Metal, made of pipes and wire – this is a separate moment in the decor.
• Stylized furniture. Homemade shelves from pipes and brushed wood, tables with old metal bases, unusual facades decorated with gears.
• Original decor. Worn typewriters, old faded maps, wooden globes.

Colors

Steampunk design is extremely dark, when entering such an apartment, it should create a feeling of being in an old abandoned factory.

The main color scheme:

• black;
• brown;
• gray;
• burgundy.

Steampunk colors are typically warm – red, brick, beige. The steampunk style in the interior is refreshed and given a special charm by shades of metal – bronze, copper, silver, brass, gold. They can be imitated or natural sources can be used. Oxidized metal (blue, green) or rusty metal are also good as an accent.

The photo shows the steampunk style in the interior of the workspace

Finishing materials

The spectacular finishing of a house in the steampunk style is both cozy and rough.

• Ceiling. Sheathed in wood, aged, decorated with beams. Or simply whitewashed.
• Walls. Most often, they use brickwork or its imitation, sheathing with barn boards or clapboards with subsequent painting, decorative plaster, imitation concrete. Photo wallpapers with various themes that fit the steampunk design are popular.

• Floor. When renovating, keep in mind that this is the darkest surface of a steampunk home. Any of the standard floor coverings: linoleum, laminate, parquet, tiles, porcelain tiles.

The finishing may include genuine or artificial leather, stone, metal, glass.

The photo shows a large gear clock on the wall

Furniture, appliances, plumbing

You can’t buy steampunk furniture in a regular store; you’ll either have to make it yourself or order it from a professional. In most cases, steampunk interior items have already been used, they are restored, decorated and reused. And it is justified: an antique chest of drawers or a Victorian chair will turn an ordinary apartment into a work of art.

The upholstered furniture in a steampunk room is mostly upholstered in leather. A harmonious combination of dark leather, mahogany and brass nail heads is a characteristic feature of the style. If leather seems uncomfortable to you, order velvet or velour upholstery.

Cabinet furniture is dark, preferably made of natural wood or metal. Open shelves or racks made of water pipes, for example, are easy to make yourself. An alternative option is to find an antique cabinet at a flea market and restore it yourself or with the help of a specialist.

Sometimes furniture is assembled from absolutely amazing things: for example, using a part of an old sewing machine as a table base. Or an old engine.

The photo shows concrete bathroom wall finish

A living room in the steampunk style definitely requires a leather sofa and an unusual coffee table, a toilet with a high hanging cistern will harmoniously fit into a steampunk bathroom, a study in the steampunk style cannot do without a massive desk or a stylish secretary.

Important! You should not spoil the entire appearance of the room with modern household appliances. Look for a retro design or play it up yourself: for example, by immersing it in a wooden or metal case.

The photo shows a modern interior with industrial decor

Decor and accessories

The steampunk style in the interior looks like it has been processed in “sepia”, so bright accessories in acid shades will not work here.

The walls are decorated with monochrome photographs, old faded paintings, maps with marks, drawings of various equipment, clocks and clock compositions. You can put a typewriter or sewing machine, an authentic globe, a worn compass on the table.

The decor can be do it yourself: assemble a composition from gears, make a frame from old wood or pipes.

Suitable attributes are embodied not only by post-apocalyptic fiction or pirate themes. References to marine themes are popular: vintage diving suits, aquariums, portholes. In some interiors you can even find whole boats or their parts.

In a steampunk kitchen, place enamel or copper dishes with scuffs, make an iron stove or its imitation, ideally buy a vintage coffee grinder.

Lighting

Steampunk decor will not be complete without original lamps. At the same time, the suitable lamps are diametrically opposed in appearance, but look equally good:

• Rich Victorian-style chandeliers are suitable as ceiling lighting. It is good if the design has a lot of metal and glass.
• Industrial table lamps, sconces or floor lamps are used as additional lighting in certain areas.

You don’t need to make the lighting too bright: there should be a lot of lighting fixtures, but the light itself should be dim and even slightly gloomy. To achieve this effect, screw Edison or Ilyich lamps into the sockets.

Photos in the interior of the rooms

The main room in the steampunk style usually creates a feeling of creative chaos. And that’s good – if it’s filled with lots of little details, your guests will always have something to look at. And for you, such an interior will always look new.

The photo shows the use of a glowing airship in the decor

A steampunk bedroom is gloomy but cozy. The main item that should match the style is the bed. Buy a metal frame and dark bed linen.

Pay special attention to the steampunk bathroom. Open pipes, unusual brass or copper faucets, iron sinks, mirrors in metal frames will work here.

You can recreate the atmosphere in the kitchen with the help of open metal or wooden shelves, rough industrial cabinet doors, and a characteristic hood. It is possible to purchase an iron stove – it is not necessary to use it for its intended purpose, let it replace one of the cabinets.

The dining area also needs to be decorated. Often, a standard table is replaced with a bar counter, placing high chairs with wooden or leather seats and a cast-iron base next to it.

If necessary, even a children’s room is decorated with elements of the style – the embodiment of steampunk will look especially good in the interior for a boy.