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Oftentimes the place we live in becomes a reflection of who we are. The way we shape and design our home tells a lot about our personality, tastes and interests. As individuals, we all are different and so are our lifestyles. Some people like to live a carefree life with little rules and want to live in a house that reflects that, like bohemian interior design. Others may want a contemporary look in their house. Shabby-chic interior design, on the other hand, can attract those who like the vintage look and feel in their homes. And for people who like to have a raw and edgy look and feel in their home interior, industrial interior design offers exactly that.

living room
Industrial Interior design celebrates the edgy look with exposed materials

What is an industrial interior design?

This particular interior design is all about maintaining a raw, unpolished, and edgy look throughout your home. That is why in an industrial interior design, the use of bare brick walls, exposed structures, metal frames (if any), and furniture with an unfinished look will be prominent. Since this style is inspired from the lofty look of warehouses, factories, and other industrial structures, it will bring an edgy look into the house. But one of the benefits of implementing this style is that you will have total control over furniture customization that is completely unique to your home.

History of this design

Although the origin of this style is little known, it is widely assumed that it started to become popular during the early 20th century when the 2nd industrial revolution was nearing its end. At that time a series of situations emerged. Plenty of industries moved their operation to other countries and a lot of them were left abandoned. But during the early 90’s, the population started to boom once again and it was a logical solution to transform the abandoned industrial areas into residential neighborhoods. However, instead of rebuilding and replacing, those areas were transformed via gentrification. 

That is to say, instead of throwing them away, people recycled and upcycled all the industrial equipment and incorporated them into their interior design. Thus, industrial decor in interior design was born. 

Dining area
This design became popular during the early 90’s

The mantra of industrial interior design

What makes this design unique and refreshing is its seamless use of exposed material, colors, and furniture. But there is more.

Materiality exposure

As mentioned at the beginning, industrial design is all about leaving every element of your interior exposed and raw. That includes materials as well. The skeleton of the building, steel or wooden beams, or even unfinished walls; all are part of this style. Although there is no limitation on what material to use and what not, they need to be exposed and showcased beautifully. 

Neutral color

Just like contemporary style, the industrial decor style also celebrates the usage of “neutral” colors. That is to say, gray, brown, black, and white are great for this style. Also, you can take advantage of dark colors such as red, orange, and green. Instead of using multiple colors throughout the house, using one or two colors can make the style truly come alive.

Bare windows

Another one of the core features of this style is to use the windows without any shade. In industrial interior design it is called the “classic industrial bare window”. The metal framing of the window can make it look popped.

Furniture 

Clean and strong lines, low profile furniture are prevalent in industrial interior design with no patterns. Materiality celebration is also apparent in furniture. For example, you can use industrial pipes or metal pipes in pieces like a side table or bookshelf. Also, you can use a piece of wood as furniture.

Flooring

Living room
Exposed stone, brick, and wood are great for flooring in industrial interior design

In this style, polished concrete, stone, and wood are popular as floorings. The usage of rugs on the floor is not preferable. However, you can go with small neutral-colored rugs to bring your floor a warm feeling.

How to decorate your house with industrial interior design

With just a couple of simple but effective tips, you can easily decorate your house with industrial interior design.

Neutral color 

From your kitchen and bathroom to your living room and bedroom, use neutral colors everywhere. This will give your house a uniform look just like a warehouse or factory. Also, neutral colors sync well with exposed furniture, bare bricks, and uncovered materials.

Open floor

Keeping an open floor plan is the key to this interior style. As this style is inspired from factories and warehouses, you need a bigger space to bring that vibe to your house. A larger floor area also gives more creative freedom to do more with space.

Mix and match

The use of wood with metal is for industrial interior design. Metal framing with wood can bring an industrial atmosphere inside the house. You can use different types of metal for framing. For instance, you can use steel-framed mirrors with your vintage wooden vanity.

Highlight the visible pipes

One of the hallmarks of this design is to expose or unhide everything that is usually concealed.  In that sense, highlighting the visible pipes can take the design even further. However, the overall effectiveness of this action depends entirely on how creatively you implement this. If done correctly, this will enhance the look and feel of the house.

Every design style has its uniqueness in the use of different elements and implementation. Depending on how well an interior design is implemented, it can project your personality and tell a story that is unique to you only. If you like raw and ruggedness in everything, then go ahead with industrial interior design.

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