What is industrial interior design?
Industrial interior design traces it’s roots back to the post-industrial revolution era, when factories and warehouses were abandoned and converted into apartment buildings.
The style focuses on displaying the inner workings of a building such as metal framing, beams, vents, pipes, and unfinished ceilings. The overall look is rugged, big with wide open spaces and high ceilings, containing elements of metal and wood.
Key features on this style
This style has gained much popularity over the past decade as it’s very practical and don’t require many colours or lots of different little bits and bots to add to the style. It’s relatively easy to implement, especially if the building you are in already has industrial elements. For newer build you might need to be a bit more creative.
Let’s take a closer look the key features of industrial style:
Exposed Elements
This can include piping, vents, aircon ducts, plumbing – anything mechanical related to the building. It creates a focal point to build the rest of your design around. If you have a newer building, it might not be possible to achieve this look as these elements might be hidden behind walls, or the roof might be enclosed.
Open Layouts
Similarly to exposing elements, industrial design focuses on large open spaces with high ceilings, like factories. It’s possible to achieve this look by opening rooms up with existing builds or designing rooms meant for open living.
Industrial materials and colors
Use materials like cement flooring, reclaimed wood or metal beams. The color scheme usually ranges from a white base to dark wood colors and metal silver, grey elements. Keep mind the design style is inspired by factories built in the 1900’s and not an all-modern warehouse with modern technology, bright colors. The key is to match dark accents with wood throughout the build.
Lighting
Using old style light bulbs such as Edison bulbs matches the industrial look very well. You don’t have to use outdated bulbs and can even find LED Edison bulbs online that are more energy efficient.
Furniture
Furniture can be vintage, metal, wood accents, darker colors. Normally they are not new clean metal, a little used or repurposed instead, a distressed look. Trying to replicate elements, items or furniture that would have been present in the actual factory is key as it add character to a space.
Shapes
Shapes used are more geometric with some curved elements here and there but not many.
How to bring incorporate this design style
You don’t need to live in an old factory to embrace industrial design. Here are some tips to introduce this style into your home:
- Choose one room to experiment with exposed brick wallpaper, industrial lighting and some antique furniture items.
- Combine wood and metal. Use some distressed metal material with reclaimed wooden shelves, beams, or furniture.
- Softening hard edges with plants or textured fabrics can make the space feel more inviting. Adding an indoor plant such as a fiddleleaf fig tree or a mini palm tree.
Industrial interior design with IQ construction
IQ Construction are custom home building specialists in Perth, WA. We have a dedicated interior design team that can help you achieve your industrial interior design look within any home!
Get in touch with us today for more information!
(08) 9399 6715
admin@iqconstruction.com.au