Decorating a Bedroom in Steampunk Style

Subdued Color and Interesting Texture

The color scheme for a steampunk bedroom is not gloomy, but it is subdued, as you can see in the wonderful loft room from Indeed Decor in the picture above. This is not the style for bright colors, wild patterns, or lively, ethnic looks. Colors that work well for this design theme include:

• Grays
• Browns
• Cream
• Burgundy or deep red
• Deep purple
• Black
• Navy blue or grayish-blue

Create an interesting contrast with the use of textures. Shiny, smooth satin, luxurious velvet, and intricate lace all have Victorian flair and add spice to the low-key color scheme. Touches of metal, particularly brass, copper, brushed nickel, pewter, or tin are also a great way to liven up the room while keeping true to the steampunk vibe.

Shop Secondhand, Buy New, or DIY: It's All Good

One of the advantages of a steampunk design theme is the emphasis on old, secondhand, or repurposed furnishings. Though you can buy brand-new furniture that is designed to look steampunk Restoration Hardware is a particularly good place to shop for industrial/steampunk furnishings, there is no need to do so as long as you are creative. Check out your local Goodwill, your grandmother’s attic, or a nearby garage sale for old-fashioned, but good condition furniture that will fit in your bedroom. Some particularly desirable items are:

• A brass bed frame, sleigh bed, or tall four-poster. Buy your mattress new, however; you don’t want the health risks of a used mattress.
• A rolltop desk tucked in the corner of your bedroom is the perfect place to write bills, use your laptop, store files, or just sit and read your favorite steampunk novel.
• An antique chair to complement your desk. An ornate wooden chair with ball feet and wheels is both convenient and steampunk. A leather armchair with an old-school, gentlemen’s club-style is quite a steampunk and also a perfect spot to sit and read before bed.
• Your steampunk bedroom needs at least one old trunk for the perfect Victorian touch. Use a trunk at the foot of your bed as the footboard, and also for storage.
• A wooden armoire is perfect for storing your clothes, electronic equipment, or anything else that needs a home. Look for dark wood for the most Victorian flavor.
• You are going to need shelves to hold your books and various steampunk décor, so choose an ornate, dark-wood bookcase with a touch of ornate trim.

Have Fun with Steampunk Accents

Have a good time picking out your decorating accents. There are no hard and fast rules to steampunk, and that’s half the fun. Shop garage sales, secondhand shops, and antique stores for items that really are—or just look—Victorian. Anything made of metal, with exposed gears, hands or other workings are especially good. Keep in mind a world where today’s technology looks like it could be placed a century ago.

• Your bed is probably the largest piece of furniture in your bedroom, so it tends to be the focal point. Pick out bedding that plays up the steampunk theme by choosing rich, deep reds, browns, or grays in a thick velvet or satin comforter.

• Shop antique stores, or buy replicas online of old maps to hang on the walls. Old globes are also appropriate.
• Fill your bookshelves with old, hardback books, and nautical or antique instruments used for sailing, predicting weather, or surveying.
• Set an antique-looking clock on your nightstand. Go for a replica here; you don’t want to miss work because your alarm clock didn’t go off!
• Though you probably prefer electric lights, keep the Victorian, industrial age look alive with fixtures that look like lanterns or candles.
• Wall art made from gears and mechanical pieces is very steampunk, and you can create the look yourself with parts from a scrapyard.
• A retro or antique table fan will keep you cool in the summer, plus add a great steampunk look to your bedroom.
• Dirigibles are a popular steampunk theme. Find a model or poster of a Victorian-looking airship, and hang it on the wall or from the ceiling.
• Stick with dark wood and metal for your accents. Ornate, curved designs are more Victorian than straight lines or plain styling. 

Steampunk Literature for Your Bedtime Reading Pleasure

 If you have an interest in reading some of the literary pillars of steampunk, both new works and the classics that inspired them, visit your local library or bookstore for any of the following:

• Infernal Devices by K.W. Jeter
• The Prophecy Machine by Neal Barrett
• Mainspring by Jay Lake
• Frankenstein by Mary Shelley
• The Anubis Gates by Tim Powers
• 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea by Jules Verne
• Steampunk edited by Jeff VanderMeer
• The Difference Engine by Bruce Sterling and William Gibson
• The Time Machine by H.G. Wells

Enjoy reading while curled up in your reading nook amid the futuristic and anachronistic blend that is steampunk.