Steampunk Victorian Decor

I know that my steampunk references have been a bit confusing, which is not surprising; my word processor doesn’t even recognize the word.  But being in the antique business, it is becoming increasingly popular, and since it also fascinates me, I have decided it is simply not to be ignored.

Steampunk.  If you find yourself a true hipster or just someone who knows what is fashionable before everyone else, you are probably fairly familiar with this term.  For those that are hearing this for the first time, we’ll give you a brief definition.  Steampunk can refer to a variety of things, anywhere from books to movies, from clothing designs to antiques.  Whatever the object described may be, in order to be defined as steampunk, it needs to include a variety of things.  It needs to take place in or include an item from the Victorian era.  Additionally, it needs to have or portray a form of technology that was present in that era.  Lastly, it needs to show the deconstruction, reimagining or rebellion of the first two.

 Being a slightly contradictory notion, examples of steampunk serve to best define the term. Time Bandits is an example of a steampunk movie; distressed décor by Tim Holtz, or the novel, “The Great Invention of Hugo Cabaret” are also class steampunk items.  What we would like to focus on here in this blog are repurposed items and antiques that fall into this category.  Take a dark, distressed wood chest with a few additions, such as a 1900’s magnifying glass, thermometer, old typewriter, a couple of clocks, some wire rimmed antique glasses and some metal piping artistically arranged.  This is a great example of steampunk.  Antique eyewear and binoculars can also be great steampunk items as well.  As steampunk becomes increasingly popular, the genre will become better defined. As it stands, those with a great understanding of the Victorian era and a passion for antique inventions will have the ability to combine the two into what is becoming an increasingly popular style.