The industrial decorating style originates in abandoned factories that were remodelled into homes for creative professionals. It focuses on raw and humble materials and utilitarian objects. It highlights salvaged furniture pieces and decorator items. Metal and worn timber take pride of place in an interior with a rather unfinished look.
To achieve an industrial style interior follow the tips below:
Visualise your ideas with a mood board
Muted colours in shades of brown, grey, blue, or green combined with off-whites work well with this decorating style. Greenery and foliage add more vivid colours to the muted scheme. Use one of your furniture or decorator items to start your colour scheme or draw inspiration from Mother Nature. Then, create a mood board to visualise your ideas. Place it in situ for a while and tweak it, if necessary.
Use worn and rustic material
Think of anything and everything that has been worn and marked over time: rustic and scarred timber, metal (steel, iron, aluminium), wire baskets, tarnished mirrors, worn linen and washed vintage fabrics for cushion covers or tablecloths. Linen is practical and durable and adds some warmth and softness to your space.
Choose a key piece of furniture
Find a hero piece to start your interior. This could be anything from a worn wooden dining table with metal chairs, vintage bar stools combining metal and timber, antique light fixtures, vintage metal cabinets used in laboratories or doctor’s clinics to a timber sideboard (on wheels), worn leather sofas or chairs or a factory cart coffee table.
Browse antique shops for quirky accessories
There are a myriad of objects you can use to style the finishing touches: think of old timber crates as book shelves or cabinets of curiosity for vintage displays, metal lamps, clocks, industrial letters, metal or timber trunks, timber trays, wire baskets, typo prints, vintage posters and maps.
Light up your space with metal, concrete or glass fixtures
Use floor and table lamps or pendants with metal, glass or concrete fixtures to create ambiance in your space and to define your living areas, especially if you live in a warehouse-style dwelling.
Focus on the floor
Aged wood or stone flooring, and polished concrete will help you achieve the industrial look. Ask yourself what you would put in a warehouse when choosing flooring. Rugs and carpets should be in line with the industrial edge using coarse weaves, such as Sisal, for example.
If you would like some assistance in putting together an industrial look contact me for an initial consultation.
