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When it comes to decorating your home, there are numerous interior design styles to choose from. Some popular ones include minimalist, modern, Art Deco, and bohemian. If you’re looking for a more practical design inspiration, however, you might want to consider the industrial style.It takes inspiration from factories built around the 19th century, which emphasises utility, simplicity, and pragmatism in their own interiors.
If you want to achieve the organic and practical look that industrial interior design embodies for your home, here are some decorating tips you can try out.
1. Aim for an Uncluttered Look
One of the main characteristics of an industrial interior is its uncluttered style. Somewhat similar to minimalism, industrial interior design tends to favour having only a few pieces that serve a definite purpose instead of filling up your space with too many things.
Embrace this practicality by creating a space where every item matters. Multi-functional pieces—for instance, a work table with a shelf underneath it—are a benchmark of industrial interiors. Similarly, collapsible furniture is great for industrial designs because you can easily stow them away when not in use so your home can always maintain its uncluttered look.
2. Go for Neutral Colours
The colour palette usually used in industrial interior design is based on tones found on building materials such as steel, bricks, or wood. Hence, grey, white, brown, black, and metallic shades should be your go-to for your industrial-style home. This doesn’t mean that any other colour is out of the question, however. In fact, accent colours and design pieces that catch the eye are just as important to complement the neutral tones.
For example, having a set of art prints with striking imagery in a room full of muted colours can prove to be a great statement piece; it can also prevent the space from looking drab. Don’t hesitate to let an occasional splash of vibrant colour in the form of a piece of furniture or wall decor accentuate all the neutral tones in your home.
3. Don’t Be Afraid to Show Imperfections
Industrial interior design is all about the organic, raw, and less-than-perfect look of the factories it takes inspiration from. It’s this ruggedness that gives it that timeless yet charming look. You can incorporate this appeal in your home by showing off the imperfections and untidy finishes of your interior.
For instance, instead of smoothing out the walls to cover up brickwork, you can leave them exposed to get a more authentic vintage look. Using furniture made with reclaimed wood, particularly if it has a rough or weathered finish, can also achieve a stylishly rugged look. Exposed pipes and metalwork, to a reasonable degree, contribute to the overall industrial look as well.
4. Highlight Metal Features
Metal is a vital part of the industrial aesthetic, giving off a no-nonsense yet durable look to any furniture. This enables it to fit nicely with your other pieces and reinforces the pragmatism that industrial interior design embodies. With that in mind, consider incorporating more metal features in your home. Metal railings for your staircase, stools with metal legs, metal lockers, and wire baskets for easy-access storage are just some of the things you can try out.
Do keep in mind not to go overboard with the metal furnishings and accents. It’s still important to balance the look with natural elements such as wood, stone, or even some plants. For instance, you can opt for a wooden table with a metal base to incorporate both elements without one overshadowing the other.
5. Incorporate Industrial Lighting
Lighting is a key element in any home design and in an industrial-style home, you’d want to go for lighting fixtures that have unique, vintage-looking designs. Pendant lamps are perfect for this as their suspended nature easily draws the eyes. Lamps with exposed bulbs are also great for a rugged, unfinished look of industrial-style homes. Meanwhile, directional wall lamps provide a stylish yet purposeful way to highlight select prints or wall decors you may have.
6. Upcycle Fixtures
In keeping up with the practical appeal of industrial interior design, you may also try upcycling old furniture or fixtures. Repurposing an old dresser as a bookshelf by taking out its drawers or using an old table as a work desk stays true to the purposefulness of industrial style. The weathered look of these old pieces of furniture can even match well with the aesthetic of your other pieces.
Another benefit of upcycling is that it helps you save on decorating costs. Changing up the interior design of your home into a completely new style doesn’t have to be expensive if you’re able to utilise furniture and accessories you already have.
Redecorating your home can be a challenging task but aiming for an industrial-style design can actually be easy to achieve. That’s because it focuses on having key fixtures that serve a practical purpose and even encourages a more natural look as opposed to an overly polished one. Let the design tips in this article guide you in giving your home that simple yet visually stunning industrial look.
