With a blend of exposed steel and rustic wood, industrial decor is one of our favourite design styles for its ability to achieve aesthetic balance.
Baring it all takes courage, and modern industrial interior design is about exposing all that lies beneath to achieve raw, edgy style. What other styles are at pains to hide, industrial design boldly puts on display. Structural elements are turned into showpieces, achieving a look that seems unfinished, yet cohesive and chic. Increasingly used to style loft apartments, commercial spaces and even some modern homes, the industrial interior design trend is fast winning converts around the world.
We will present you some decorating guides on how to furnish your home in one of the most popular interior design styles.
Before undertaking any interior design project, it’s important to draw some inspiration for your future space. As a fan of breaking conventional rules and mixing different schools of design together, you’ll notice that, though the below examples are undeniably industrial modern, they have elements of mid-century modern or boho introduced within the overall design.
Observe that the examples below range quite significantly in degree of rustic and clean aesthetics. Depending on your preference, industrial decor can err on the side of contemporary chic or rugged steampunk.
Selecting the right colour palette is essential to establishing the foundation of your interior design. From the rug, furniture, lighting, and accents, all of your pieces will be dependent on your colour preferences.
If your home includes exposed brick walls (painted or unpainted), cement floor, or any wood, then you’re already halfway there. Rustic colour schemes tend to feature a lot of brown and beige. Keep in mind that your sofa, chairs, and tables will likely be constructed of leather and raw wood, so you will naturally have plenty of brown or burnt orange. This gives you plenty of opportunities to use accent colours for your rug and other decor.
Industrial furniture relies heavily on raw, unfinished wood. Whether it’s the coffee table, dining table, or end table, at least one wooden table is a must-have to achieve genuine industrial decor. Though the table can be constructed of all wood, it can also have exposed steel legs – check out examples below.
A recent trend that is gaining popularity is the use of reinforced concrete. Personally, I find this look amazing and our customers who have used concrete tables have had striking results.
Industrial sofas and chairs often have leather finish. Though the materials are similar, the style of the leather furniture can be quite different. You can pick a traditional chesterfield or opt for a more modern low-profile sofa.
If you somehow don’t like leather, linen upholstered sofas and chairs are also a good option. If you prefer this look, you will almost always pick a design that is traditional (think tufted seats, lined with steel nail heads).
When it comes to rug options, industrial decor is rather limited in ideas. Try to avoid rugs that are overly vibrant and chic (abstract art), or have distinct geometric patterns (chevrons or lattices) as they tend to look awkward in a rustic setting.
Instead, I’d recommend something that is either faded or is generally dark (gray, crimson red, burnt orange, or blue). Consider a distressed oriental rug (or another traditional/ethnic style rug like Southwestern), textured solid rug, or a woven jute rug.
You have more flexibility when it comes to picking your decor items. For pillows, throws and poufs, pick something that shows off its leather or woven texture. Have the colours complement the rug – if the rug is solid and dark, try adding pieces that are colourful with artistic flair. The great part about industrial decor is that your tables, chairs, and sofas will be neutral toned, so your decorative accents can easily fit in.
Industrial decor lighting often come in two categories: vintage, Old World-inspired lamps with frivolous ornamentation and details or modern, geometric designs with brushed or grainy steel.
Though ceiling lamps are typically overlooked in most homes, they form a critical component in industrial style decor. You can get a single statement piece or opt for a series of dimmer Edison bulbs.
Mechanical components reminiscent of other-era steampunk culture are a popular occurrence in industrial decor lighting. Though I often find them overelaborate, I’m sure you can find an intelligent way to implement them.
That just about wraps it up for this guide! I hope you were able to find this helpful in your quest to furnish your new space. Whether you were inspired by new industrial decor ideas or found a specific piece that you wanted to add, please let me know your thoughts in the comments below!
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