Steampunk as a Juxt of Victorian/Edwardian and Altered Reality in Home Decor
I’ve been away working on my Portfolio and pitching our new MadMen collection – but I really miss posting! I’m so excited about Steampunk though I couldn’t help myself. I just had to jump into the water this week.
Steampunk rocks! As I understand it from my earlier research, and Yancey's, Steampunk is an alternate reality story where instead of the internal combustion engine, steam power was the science we stuck with and developed, and our world, our culture, our décor evolved from there. Stylistically Steampunk lingers in Victorian/Edwardian décor, architecture and fashion. The industrial vibe that has become more popular with Restoration Hardware and others, is part of this story – warehousey, brick walls, industrial windows, brass instruments, ironwork, leather, but also includes hacked décor and clothing…
Yancey and I started working on this vibe years ago, before Restoration Hardware popularized the Industrial look and dipped their nib in this aspect of the Steampunk inkwell.
The suite we were working on at the time was called Compass Rose. We ended up shelving it for later due to changes at my day job and the opportunity to do something even more daring, ModHome. But Compass Rose we loved and love still. It’s a his/hers collection with a juxt of scientific/mechanical (the Compass) representing the male character in the story (me) as an Inventor, the Rose was the female character [played by Angelina Jolie…er, Yancey, of course :) ] as a naturalist/artist/botanist. Together we traveled to far away and vine covered places in search for new scientific discoveries and botanical specimens. All of this was wrapped up in a Victorian timeframe, with all the beauty and period charm the late 1800’s could afford.
Fast forward to today and this story is still exciting to us and relevant. In the pictures that follow, I’ve pulled from my original archive of decorative elements that begin to tell the story. Later on in the week I plan to show more room settings. I only wish I had more time, cuz it’s such a cool vibe!
Hope you enjoy!
Shine On! Braxton
Let's start with Hacked Gadgets and Steam/Mechanical Elements...
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| Quirky goggles are part of the story, in leather or hacked! |
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| Gadget rocks! WTF is this? |
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| Excellent oldschool fan - not exactly up to today's safety standard -you could also use this to make coleslaw :). A Victorian Veg-O-Matic! |
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Clockworks rock this vibe |
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| Steam tractor - cool use of red/black and brass/copper |
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| Another WTF hack |
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| Seems like brass instruments tell the story- make into a lamp? |
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| Of course, the steam engine... |
Scientific and Nautical Instruments...
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| Love the heavy glass lens- this a clock but could be barometer, etc |
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| Beautiful |
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| Juxt of wood and brass is fantastic |
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| Scientific glassware- use for budvase or tablewear? |
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Spot on with the story |
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| Awesome |
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| Love these bell jars- great for plants inside or out, to capture a cool clock or animal skeleton |
Decorative Victorian Elements...
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| So perfect! |
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| Ornate decorative ironwork is a good fit- especially with a heavy brass rail. Wood in this pic. |
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| Brass key motif works |
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| Ball and claw is a great element, especially with a glass ball |
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| Fantastic doorknob |
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| Glass palace |
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| Very deeply tufted sofa in this classic style works |
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| Victorian greenhouse could be a muse for a china cabinet... |
Time Instruments...
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| Clocks and timepieces seems a perfect element for this story |
Scientific and Naturalist drawings and Specimens...
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| I picture this art on a brick loft wall, or they could be sketched during botanical trip by Yancey |
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| Botanical specimens under glass are perfect for our version of the Steampunk story |
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| DaVinci drawings work for me for this story - especially the ribbing/skeleton here |
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| Nautilus shell is a beautiful specimen and rocks the Divine Proportion math that I love |
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| Beautiful old school handwriting could be a muse for fabric, pillows, lampshades... |
Nautical, Industrial and Hacked Lighting...
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| Love! Can imagine better, as in Yancey's Temple StClair necklace (maybe she will share later) |
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| Hanging bare oldschool Edison bulbs! Yeah, Baby! |
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| Something about the Nautical influence really rocks this story - maybe it's 20000 Leagues Under the Sea? |
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| Wireform classic lamp shape works for me |
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| Awkward, Victorianesque, but awkward can be a bold, screaming story in a room. At least it doesn't scream Walmart :) |
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| Birdcage design in modern lamp is perfect! |
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| Very Restoration Hardware-esque but these seem fresher to me- like the oversized story |
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| Always loved these - perhaps too Long John Silver's, but like... |
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Excellent, awkward, primitive fun
Lighting Hacks... |
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| Love the copper plumbing and bulbs with oldschool filaments |
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| Buglike - as if machines were hacking themselves as a new lifeform |
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| Any of these would make a screaming style statement in a room! |
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| I know I have a lot of these, but too Way Cool not to share... |
Finally, I couldn't help myself, Mazes...
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| WOW! I am in love with this water maze design |
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| The Romance Shot...What do you think of the Steampunk Muse so far? |
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