Steampunk’s Futuristic Soul

TYPE

Residential

How do you capture the retro-futurism of steampunk in every detail of a home? You trust JAQUE.

Steampunk design has its roots in science fiction. Its imaginative, retro-meets-the-future approach has given birth to a unique aesthetic that won’t be forgotten. Instantly recognizable, steampunk relies heavily on the marriage of history and steam-powered machinery to create a slick look and feel in anything it touches.
Using influences from the British Victorian era 19th century, and or circa the 18th and 19th centuries, this design style diverges from history in its vivid conceptualization and exaggeration of technology in these historical settings. (Design Trend Report – Steampunk Design)

The client had followed JAQUE’s work for nearly a decade, so when he approached her to create a steampunk fantasyland in a new residential framework, they both knew she was born for the job. The result is a stunning fusion of artistic and mechanical elements in a Victorian setting that expresses romanticism, flair and old-school values.
As you approach the home, you immediately leave the suburban setting to enter a magically Victorian world, complete with a 40-ft. concrete statue conjuring the power and mystery of a goddess. Inside, you experience a mind-blowing non-stop array of authentic steampunk artifacts mixed with modern-day amenities. Textiles and custom-made furniture harmoniously complement the style, and the tufted roundabout, science fiction artwork and 20-ft. glass bead light fixture let your imagination run wild.

JAQUE gave particular design attention to the main-level bar, which features a built-in wine machine, a beer tap, custom-made bar risers, a 110-inch movie screen that drops from the ceiling, a 60-inch circular two-sided fireplace, a cocktail table built from piping, a standup snack bar made from reclaimed wood and piping, and a 24 x 24 foot ceiling made entirely from antique glass to resemble a large broken mirror. For an added touch, LED lighting completes the steampunk experience.
The second floor blends high Victorian and Edwardian styles with a fantastical Jules Verne-era science fiction sensibility. Standout features include a master suite that conjures a time-traveling fantasy world embracing steampunk-style film, design, music and fashion. The 1,500-sq. ft. master suite comes complete with a large laundry, hot tub room, exercise room, massive closets (complete with bowler hats) and a well-appointed bath.

The homes second floor boasts a 1500 square foot master suite, complete with a large laundry, hot tub room, exercise room, massive closets complete with bowler hats, and a well-appointed bath. The underground style looks back not just decades, but a century more, blending the high Victorian and Edwardian style with a fantastical Jules Verne-era science fiction sensibility. The master suite sub-culture is an aesthetic expression of a time traveling fantasy world, one that embraces film, design, music and fashion.
The second-floor loft contains a large pulley which the owner found on a trip suspended from the third floor it travels to the first floor. A sort of “art gallery” this space displays many artifacts that are one of a kind pieces that have been collected through the years and of course the magnificent glass bead light fixture that travels through a hole to the first-floor entry. All of this inspired by the extravagantly inventive age of dirigibles and steam locomotives, brass diving bells and jar shaped protosubmarines.

The second-floor loft displays one-of-a-kind artifacts collected through the years, including a glass bead light fixture that travels through a hole to the first-floor entry, and a large functional pulley (found by the owner) that can travel from the third floor to the first.
From the landing of the second floor, you can view the “fantasy room,” which includes a bed suspended in air with an antique ladder, furnishings made from closed New York City factory parts, and a mural of over 100 images that blends various mechanized accoutrements—like brass and wings made from pulleys, harnesses, clock-like pendants, steam engines and characters wearing vintage clothing. The 3rd floor features a large Prohibition image pulled from a Wisconsin history museum, plus a secret door custom-made from an old Coke machine and a restroom made from antique suitcases.

Additional home highlights include an office anchored by the front end of a car converted into a desk (complete with working headlights), a formal dining room adorned with chairs by Christopher Guy, and a powder room featuring a maze of exposed piping, gears, valves, antique phones and built-in lighting. If you want to escape from the modern suburbs into a magically imaginative world of non-stop surprises, this is a place where you can feel very much at home.