Industrial interior design is a popular style loved by many homeowners for its raw beauty and slightly rustic visual appeal. If you’re not already familiar with industrial home design, it consists of stripped-down furniture, salvaged pieces, cool tones and natural materials to create an interior that’s as functional as it is aesthetically pleasing. By including these must-have elements in your home, you can pull off industrial style with ease:
Industrial lighting
Having plenty of lighting in an industrial home is crucial for offsetting the cool tones found throughout the interior. Not just any light fixtures will do, however, for industrial style. Look for salvaged or unfinished pendants and lanterns made of materials such as steel, ribbed glass, tin, aluminum or iron. These raw materials add a natural sleekness to any room in your home. Hang metal pendants above your kitchen island, place iron lanterns on top of your brick fireplace or opt for aluminum track lighting on the walls in your living room.
Neutral colors
Most industrial homes start with a base of neutral hues like grays, browns and blacks. A combination of neutrals is far from boring if you use them in the right way. Instead of using the same color throughout a room, vary the shades. Bring in a mix of light and dark tones to keep the room interesting. You may introduce brighter hues like tangerine or turquoise, but it’s important to do so sparingly, using items like pillows, rugs or seat cushions.
Salvaged wood
Weathered wood is a versatile material that’s commonly found in industrial-style homes. Add a distressed wooden dining table to your kitchen, or place a salvaged wood coffee table in the center of your living room. There are a number of ways you can introduce this material to your home. This element is essential for industrial homes because it offers a contrasting warmth to the neutral tones and various metals throughout the interior.
Exposed elements
Your first instinct may be to cover up pipes or wood beams that are exposed in your home. However, these elements are what make up industrial style. They not only serve as supportive structures, but they lend character to the space as well. Leave your salvaged wood beams as they are, and don’t worry about trying to cover up the pipes in your bathroom. Instead, play up these elements to your advantage. Paint the pipes a color that contrasts with your walls to really help them stand out. Instead of covering up those concrete floors, simply stain and polish them to embrace the look of your floors.
Unique pieces of art
You wouldn’t typically find a framed photo of flowers in an industrial home. Instead, think out of the box when it comes to decorating your home’s walls. Mount an old vintage clock or a salvaged road sign on the wall, or put an old metal sculpture on display in your entryway. Just like the exposed architectural elements, these pieces of art add character, texture and dimension to the space.
Photo Credits
- Blue Ocean Traders