<p class="indent">After Steampunk powered its way into the world of fashion, it’s only natural the next stop would be the living room. The word “steampunk” was added to the Oxford English Dictionary in 2010. It’s not a new term. But what does it mean, exactly?</p><p class="indent">“Steampunk is a design vocabulary, applicable to interior design and fashion, but it’s not a style of architecture,” said Lori Durio Price, senior cultural resources specialist/ architectural historian. “It takes its cues from science fiction, anachronistic technology, Victorian/Industrialization Age references, etc.”</p><p class="indent">Steampunk became a buzzword among lovers of certain science fiction novels. In the online article, “What is Steampunk, and Is It ‘Over,’” Sara Goodwin explains why it isn’t and the word’s origin.</p><p class="indent">“Steampunk has its roots in the Victorian era and the fantastical works of such authors as Jules Verne (<span>Around the World in Eighty Days, The Steam House,</span> and <span>20,000 Leagues Under the Sea</span>), H.G. Wells (<span>The Invisible Man, The Time Machine</span>), and even Mary Shelley’s <span>Frankenstein</span> to some degree…. You don’t have to steampunk the whole house just because you enjoy the aesthetic (but you sure can if you want to and have the time and the means!)”</p><p class="indent">The following is from Wikipedia:</p><p class="indent">“Although many works now considered seminal to the genre were published in the 1960s and 1970s, the term steampunk originated in the late 1980s as a tongue-in-cheek variant of cyberpunk.” Cyberpunk is a subgenre of science fiction in a future setting. Think of the movies <span>Blade Runner</span> and <span>The Matrix</span>.</p><p class="indent">Steampunk is a reminder of an era in which the ornate and artfully hand-crafted coexisted with new inventions and the beginning of the age of industrialization.</p><p class="indent">Simply put, steampunk is defined as the combination of both machinery and elegance, according to the online site, Impressive Design Interiors.</p><p class="indent">What would a steampunk room look like? Colors would be muted. Think cream, brown, sepia, black, dark red, dark green and metallic colors.</p><p class="indent">Furnishings might combine the elegance of a sparkling crystal chandelier with a deeply tufted leather chesterfield sofa and a large steamer trunk repurposed as a coffee table. Old maps, preferably in sepia tones would be framed and on the walls. Nearby would be a solid wood bookshelf or side table with curving and ornate trim. If the paint is peeling, all the better. Stack a few large gears or other heavy-duty mechanical parts – the rustier the better – and voila. That’s the steampunk look.</p><p><span>This steampunk bathroom captures the style by combining elegant and industrial elements.</span></p>Special to American Press