Modern Industrial Interior Design: Definition & Home Decor

Pipes are sticking out from everywhere. The wires are hanging, and there are traces of rust on metal surfaces, walls of shabby bricks are visible… Have someone ever completed the repair here?

Yes! This is an industrial interior design, and in this article, we will talk about it in more detail.

What is industrial style?

Industrial interior has its own  unique style. Unlike others, it does not hide or disguise flaws. It glorifies the dawn of the era of technological progress from the second half of the 20th century. Walls, ceilings, floors preserve the finish of the industrial premises, and communications remain open to the eye. For a long time, it was not recognized as an independent style but was classified as a method of projecting factories and office premises.

History of industrial

Many people think that the industrial style interior design and the loft are one and the same. This is not entirely true. Prerequisites for the emergence of industrial appeared in the XVIII-XIX centuries. The culprit of everything was the industrial revolution.

The massive use of mechanisms has facilitated the daily lives of people and has changed the structure of society – the gap between the low-income and prosperous segments of the population has narrowed noticeably. Furniture, wallpaper, fabrics, and other interior items began to be produced at affordable prices. Now, not only the rich could furnish the house with taste.

So, the tendency to flaunt everything and interest in various mechanisms gave rise to two unusual and slightly theatrical interior styles – steampunk and industrial.

Key features of industrial design

If in the loft style it was the factory building initially converted into a residential one, then with the industrial style interior, everything is the other way around. Therefore, the main feature is resembling of factory.

Other style features:

• Production attributes;
• Flaunted wires, valves, pipes, batteries, etc.;
• Surface roughness;
• Shagginess of textures;
• Minimalistic décor;
• Natural color scheme and a small number of bright shades.

Modern industrial style

Modern industrial interior design is a rather specific style in terms of materials used, geometric shapes, and colors. It appreciates the complex texture, emphasized rudeness, aging, and some incompleteness. The architecture is dominated by high functionality and manufacturability.

Today, industrial home interior design is successfully embodied in private houses, suburban apartments, and office premises. Its popularity is driven by availability, as it involves the use of simple and affordable materials. In rooms decorated in the «factory» style, you will not find expensive wallpapers, textured plaster, smooth stretch ceilings, and other expensive finishes.

Even though the design uses unprocessed, simple surfaces, and details, the industrial style can be comfortable and cozy.

In any room, it is necessary to use several of the most important materials of the concept:

• Concrete;
• Aged or thus designed tree;
• Glass;
• Steel furnishings or structural steel with traces of rust, wear, and patina.

Despite the fact that metal is one of the most important materials, the use of new and shiny is not allowed. All metal structures must be aged or rusty.

At the same time, metal surfaces should not look dirty – they only passed the severe test of time but are not abandoned. Therefore, the modern industrial house interior should reflect the main idea – the transformation of the formerly neglected premises into a habitable and renovated building.

Industrial style furniture

Furniture in the industrial style should be simple and not clutter up space.

The ideal furniture for such a room is made of aged wood, metal with traces of rust, plastic.

It is not forbidden to use modern upholstered furniture. It can be leather sofas and armchairs, elegant iron tables, chairs, and more. Modern materials with an antique look are also welcome. The main thing is to adhere to the general concept in design.

When choosing furniture, designers of Xena Interior Visions Limassol recommend giving preference to massive objects, so that they fit harmoniously and balance a considerable area of ​​the room.

Avoid round shapes! Make the choice in favor of large sofas, tables, big chests of drawers.

As for the color, upholstered furniture in solid colors with upholstery made of natural materials is suitable for the interior in the industrial style. In this case, it is unacceptable to use furniture of too bright colors, romantic patterns, ruffles, and draperies.

Color palette

When you design a room in an industrial style, not overdo with bright colors, remember that this is a «harsh» industrial style, so the color palette should match the factory premises. White, gray, black, beige, brick, dirty blue, and khaki are the best to create the necessary atmosphere.

A good solution would be to arrange the room in one color using its various shades. For example, light walls, the floor is a little darker, and the furniture is of a brighter shade. In the decor, you can combine different shades of the main color. Ideally, this idea is suitable for brown, gray, and beige colors.

Use materials that are different in texture. This will help to differentiate objects.

Lighting in industrial

Large wooden, aluminum or artificially aged windows are an integral part of the industrial style. The sun’s rays entering through them fills the space with light. Traditionally, they are left without any decor. It is acceptable to use light, simple curtains with a neutral light or dark color, but only if artificial light sources compensate lack of natural lighting.

There should be a lot of lighting devices. These may be ceiling chandeliers of unusual shapes hanging from the ceiling, floor-lamps and table lamps. They should have an original style, and be made of metal or glass.

On the walls, chrome-plated or bronze sconces will be appropriate. The main thing is to distribute the lamps not only from a decorative but also from a functional point of view.

Room decor

The industrial style in the interior provides a very rich field for the embodiment of design imagination.

It is very difficult to make a mistake when choosing industrial style decor. You can safely use almost any old items reminiscent of physical labor, for example, old typewriters, metal car wheels, water taps, industrial scissors. Moreover, the older these items look, the better.

In a modern interpretation of the style, the rough finish of the floor and walls can be combined with stylish furniture, textiles, and decor. At the same time, the main rule to be followed is minimalism.

When decorating the premises, materials such as shabby brick, concrete, metal, glass, old chains and fittings, chrome parts, non-working machines and other same kind objects are widely used.

Old original items of various shapes can also be used as decorative elements.

Any installations, fragments of billboards and signs, graffiti on the walls, street lamps will be appropriate. You can decorate rooms with handmade objects. For example, photos and paintings in frames made from improvised materials look good.

Why and when choose industrial design

Industrial style is usually divided into natural and artificial:

• Natural industrial style

It should be created in the industrial zone, using many of the attributes that were in the building before the renovation: walls, windows, floors, beams, and floors, stairs, elements of machinery and equipment – hoods, pipes, ventilation. Also, a natural industrial style will be appropriate for large open spaces, often for office rooms and interiors of spacious studios with high ceilings. The layout here is as free as possible, with an open kitchen, a built-in attic and large open windows.

• Artificial industrial style

This option can be implemented in any room, up to the usual apartments. All attributes inherent to the industrial style are created artificially: decorative bricks are laid, or special «concrete» murals are glued, accessories typical for industrial buildings are selected.

For whom the industrial style will be good?

The surrounding space creates a special atmosphere in which a person will spend most of his free time. Therefore, the interior must be created in such a way that it is fully consistent with the aspirations and ideas of the «ideal home.» Industrial is not suitable for people who want to surround themselves with a measured and harmonious atmosphere conducive to rest and relaxation.

It will be an ideal option for those who are constantly on the move, looking for a charge of vivacity and inspiration. Industrial is perfect for creative people. It is not necessary to design the entire interior in such a style. It is enough to confine oneself to a «workshop» room, in which everything will prompt new achievements, and will be set up for fruitful and active work.

This is especially convenient when there is no desire to remodel the apartment into the studio, demolishing the walls, or rebuilding the whole floor of the cottage.

When is an industrial style not the best solution?

Wooden buildings cannot be adapted to the industrial style. And even if the house is huge and spacious, does not have partitions, there will be made too much effort to translate the plan into reality. The complete transformation of a wooden rooms into industrial house interior will cost a lot and often simply impossible.

In small apartments with low ceilings, industrial is losing its zest. Housing will look like a cluttered space with unfinished repairs, in which it is simply impossible to feel comfortable. The only option is the demolition of the walls to free up the area, but even then there is not always enough space on it to implement a full-fledged industrial style.

Conclusion

Creating an interior in an industrial style, you can go too far and make it pessimistic and cold. When carrying out repair work, the main thing is not to overdo it with the eradication of the original elements of the house. It is important to leave negligence and manufacturability outside, as is, and not to hide the flaws in the repair, posing them as industrial style.

Professional designers from Xena Interior Visions Limassol will help you avoid such mistakes and find some new industrial interior design ideas and solutions.