What is Industrial Home Decor Style? (Resolved)

Apr 6, 2023

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What is Industrial Home Decor Style?

 

Cast iron pipes, exposed ceiling beams, brick accent walls, and more. Maybe you’ve been a little intrigued by the industrial aesthetic. The raw character of minimalist industrial design seems interesting, but what exactly is industrial home decor?

The industrial home decor style is a modern aesthetic. It focuses on the use of architectural structures. It is a comfortable, clutter-free design style that looks beautiful and effortless.

To find out more about this design style, read on.

 

History of the Design Style

 

History of industrial home design

 

This design style is reminiscent of factories in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. To make these spaces as efficient as possible, they were designed as large, open, and spacious. There wasn’t a lot of clutter just functional space.

These factories were mainly comprised of brick, concrete, iron, and steel. After these factories went out of style or moved facilities, the buildings lay vacant. Large cities, especially, had lots of empty factories taking up blocks of space after the Industrial Revolution. Eventually, people decided to reuse these old factories to construct apartment buildings.

The decor style came out of the necessity to decorate such an unusual space. Many wanted to keep the history of the building while also modernizing it for daily comfort.

In the early 1990s through the 2000s, television shows like Friends and New Girl featured young, exciting characters. These characters were living in industrial apartments with beautiful, fun decorations. This spurred the popularity of the industrial design decor style.

Now, anyone can add this decorating style to their home, no matter where they live.

 

Basics of Industrial Home Decor Style

 

Industrial home decor is an urban design style. This style focuses on the use of natural materials. It takes inspiration from the Industrial Revolution. So, gears and machinery fit in with this style. The aesthetic is about sleek, modern decor that looks effortless.

The building itself is a part of the design. Exposed elements reveal the beauty of its construction. Old and new pieces sit together in harmony.

 

Functionality and simplicity

 

Industrial home decor

 

The industrial home decor style is first and foremost about functionality. Every piece in this design style should be styled with a purpose. Either the item should be useful or it should make an impact in the room.

Clean, clutter-free spaces are the hallmark of this design style.

You also don’t want to get overcomplicated with this style. The vintage pieces and the exposed brick walls may seem hard to pull off. But, this design style is about taking what you already have in the home and using it as part of your aesthetic.

 

Open Concept

 

Open-concept kitchen with industrial aesthetic

 

One feature of the industrial design style is an open floor plan. Since this style originated from large, open factories, open spaces are a must. High ceilings and smooth transitions between living spaces look great for this urban style.

If you don’t already have an open-concept design, you could try to expose more of your ceiling to add height to a room. You can also arrange your furniture to be more open and flow into other rooms.

Also, decluttering will go a long way to making a space look bigger. If there is less stuff, there is more movement room.

Lastly, you can give the appearance of more open space by adding mirrors strategically. Check out this industrial decor-style mirror for inspiration.

 

Dark Color Palette

 

Industrial home decor darker accents

 

Blacks, grays, and dark browns are a part of the color palette for the industrial home decor style. These colors mirror the colors in the construction elements. Think about the exposed bricks, concrete flooring, and dark metals of this style.

You can really lean into this look by adding furniture with darker wood stains. For example, this urban design butcher block dresser is the perfect touch for a bedroom. Pair it with a gray bedspread with some red accent pillows to complete the look.

Also, don’t be shy about using darker paint colors. Sometimes people feel nervous painting a wall dark grey or brown. You may worry this will just darken the room. However, this is a great way to get that industrial look. Especially if you don’t have natural architectural structures such as brick walls to style.

 

Pops of color

 

Pops of color for industrial home decor

 

This darker palette pairs well with pops of bright yellow or red. White can also be a nice contrast, as well as some more untraditional colors such as teal.

Adding in these small hints of color makes them a focus in the room. Colorful throw pillows work well to draw the eye. Blankets can also create contrast.

You can even go so far as to paint an accent wall in a contrasting color.

 

Raw Materials

 

Apartment wall with exposed brick

 

Another hallmark of this aesthetic is the use of raw materials. Exposed brick is a beautiful industrial touch to a room. Steel or cast iron piping is another trendy look. In fact, you can buy lots of decor pieces that feature this style.

For example, check out this industrial pipe clothing rack. This would look great inside a walk-in closet or along a wall in a small, closet-less apartment.

Concrete floors are another raw element included in this design. They may seem cold and barren, but you can spice them up with some beautiful rugs. You could go with something a little more traditional, like this jute rug. Its natural warm brown color makes a room look cozy and inviting.

Or, you could go for something a little bolder like this modern area rug. The colors and curved shapes contrast with other elements in this design style.

Of course, you cannot forget other metals such as brass and copper. Unfinished or distressed woods are another popular raw material in this urban style.

This design style has inspired many other design styles over the years. It shares many similarities with its cousins. In fact, modern farmhouse design shares many of the characteristics of industrial design.

Two elements that they both use are vintage decor and reclaimed, natural materials. However, the modern farmhouse style is much brighter than the industrial design style.

Remember industrial design style is about emphasizing the architecture of the home.

 

Vintage decor

 

Speaking of vintage decor, this is another element of industrial home decor style. You should not over-decorate a room. Instead, choose one or two focal pieces. This will help to let the natural architecture and raw materials shine through.

Metals signs are a great choice for wall art in a living room or dining area. You could add a metal sculpture. You can even use antique items such as a rusted bike to display in your room.

Find items with simple lines. You don’t want overcomplicated patterns or lots of colors. Simple designs and shapes work best for this style.

You want the architecture to shine rather than the individual decor pieces.

Vintage clocks look great in this design style. Also, fixtures with exposed light bulbs also complete this look.

 

Conclusion

 

The industrial home decor style is a popular design aesthetic. It’s a mixture of old and new, functionality and beauty, making it a great choice for a modern home. The main elements of this design are the following:

  • Functionality
  • Simplicity
  • Darker colors
  • Raw materials
  • Simple lines
  • Vintage decor
  • Emphasizing the architecture
  • Open concepts

You don’t have to live in an upcycled abandoned warehouse to have this style. There are many ways to incorporate this urban style into your home. This look is about comfort and beauty. It is about letting the beauty of the construction shine through.

If all of this sound fun and exciting, you may be ready to transform your house with this decor.

Up next, here are 5 DIY Industrial Home Decor Projects You Have to Try!

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