So how does that feature in home design? Well steampunk is industrial, steam inspired and can be something as simple as exposed copper pipes or as functional as the bare element light bulbs that we see all over. it’s a genre in its own right and has seen a massive increase in popularity over the last few years (look no further than Tim Burton’s marvelous creations), inspiring lighting designers to create huge statement pendants finished with the barest finesse and marketed at equally large prices. Whether you love it or hate it, it’s here and it looks like it’s staying.

 What it has done, especially in the world of interiors, is revive the ‘old fashioned’ and inspire an appreciation for the imperfect. Refreshingly, it avoids the high tech side of life that we have come to expect in contemporary design. Simplicity has been shoved out of the way in favour of the complex, seamless finishes have been forgotten while the naked weld takes centre stage.