Industrial Edge
Industrial style or industrial edge refers to an aesthetic trend in interior design that takes clues from old factories and industrial spaces that in recent years have been converted to lofts and other living spaces. Components of industrial style include weathered wood, building systems, exposed brick, industrial lighting fixtures and concrete. This aesthetic became popular in the late 2000s and remained popular in the 2010s.
Industrial style can also be seen in the use of unexpected materials used in building. Shipping containers are now being used in architecture for homes and commercial spaces. The Industrial style of design is most commonly found in urban areas including cities and lofts. These are prime locations because they provide almost a blank space for homeowners to get started with a fresh canvas. These locations also contain some of the key elements used to achieve this style of design including exposed bricks and pipes, concrete flooring, and large open windows. These elements help give the space a “warehouse” feel which is the ultimate goal of this style of design. This style incorporates raw materials to give the space an unfinished feel.
To achieve an industrial feel, a natural color palette is most commonly used. A mix of grays, neutrals and rustic colors can be seen in these spaces. These simple colors allow for the use of furniture and other accessories to help liven up the room. Also, having the walls a neutral color allows for open areas like lofts to feel bigger and more connected while giving furniture the opportunity to help create a natural flow of the room.
Large sectionals are a staple item in any industrial style room. This is because of their ability to help close off larger spaces and help divide up the living areas. This is important because spaces like lofts tend to be very open. In order to create the illusion of multiple rooms, a sectional can help block the flow and define a separate living area.
As far as lighting goes, floor lamps are trending. Any light fixture with metal finishes fits right into this style. Large open windows also help bring natural light into the space which can be very beneficial for smaller spaces. Overhead light fixtures can also give the area an industrial ambiance, especially in the kitchen.
To tie into the industrial theme, many homeowners resort to a kitchen island. These islands tend to be made of reclaimed wood or other earthy materials. A kitchen island can also contribute in separating a big room and providing a defined kitchen area. They can be paired with barstools that are made of wood or contain metal finishes. Open faced shelving and storage are big hits when it comes to an industrial kitchen. Free standing metal racks can also provide extra storage and can be beneficial in smaller rooms. If they have wheels, they can multitask. For example, low shelving on wheels can serve as a computer desk one day; the next day it can stand-in as a bar cart. Exposed overhead beams, brick and concrete are notable accents to the kitchen along with darker cabinets and shelving. Lighter colored floors or polished concrete are ways to incorporate this style into any kitchen. To modernize this rather rustic look, decorative tiles look great in the kitchen. Tile as a backsplash can help create a modern twist and help liven up the space.
Nothing says effortless cool and easy maintenance than an industrial-style living room. Exposed brick walls greet black and white typographic prints, factory windows meet shaggy rugs, and iron piping encounters roughshod wooden floors to create living spaces that look perfectly thrown together. Unleash your inner bookworm by piling your factory ceilings high with books. Inject prim and proper detailing, comfortable couches and beautiful light fixtures into a space lined in concrete. Light a fire in the middle of your living room, housed in copper and glass. Design your own industrial-style interior, by taking a read through our lounge guide.
Make the most of concrete walls, by interspersing them with wood and slate. This many-textured apartment keeps it simple by using only brown, grey, black and green in its colour palette. Camera lights and a wooden runway guide the way in, while longer pendants dangle in the kitchen. A block sofa and wooden-crate coffee table offer a place to relax, while newer crates provide an inbuilt seat opposite. Black, chalkboard-esque textures make the room appear worn and torn, as a projector TV caters to modern needs.
Create a dark and dreamy industrial home decor mood. This high-ceilinged space reverses roles as polished wood lines the ceiling, rough concrete the floor. A soft brown L sofa provides a seat, matching the wooden tones of the bookcase behind. Rows of black shelving add an air of intellectualism, eschewing artwork. Stencilled details in a one-wheel coffee table, rows of lighting and a staircase add finishing touches.
An industrial living room doesn’t have to be brown and grey. This smaller space brings in a dash of lemon, which forms abstracts and a slinking cat in the kitchen. A black quilted couch offers comfort before painted brick in the same hue. Light-wooden floors create warmth amidst concrete and grey, as guests are led to a modern panel fire.
Lucky enough to live in a loft? Use its high factory windows to full effect. Unfinished concrete walls and wooden floors provide an industrial canvas for bold, modern ottomans, sleek grey booth chairs and an eclectic dining table. Elements of cream dot the space in hovering lamps, simple bookcases and dining table ornaments. Paired with white rafters and different-texture rugs, its high windows shine upon a room both industrial and modern.
Have a ceiling that stretches two floors? Make the windows a little wider, the concrete bolted and the rails iron, and you’ve got a winner like this classy living space. Mirroring the joinery, a geometric light hangs low from the ceiling, drawing the eye to its two chains. A large, airy space allows black to pepper framed artwork, seating and rugs, while an exposed brick walls bring colour. Unique finds in a yellow ostrich egg, golden telescope and garbage-can pot add personal style.
Want to create two floors, where you only have one? Make like this living room and construct a steel staircase on stilts. Framed by high ceilings of bolted concrete, a spiral staircase winds up to the loot, lit by drop pendants on the way. Low, leather cubby chairs, an abstract gangster dog and simple potted tree finesse the look.
Industrial spaces don’t have to be separate. This lounge, kitchen and bedroom area uses steel, glass and polished wood to create the vibe of a modern factory. Ceiling rafters, couch frames, staircases and kitchen stools mix wood with metal. Through an uncannily-high entrance, the floor reveals large extractor piping, impressive under a runway of glass. A cloister of idea bulbs form a chandelier and edge along the runway, lighting up the space alongside factory windows.
Take your industrial living room down a level. This space keeps it clean and sophisticated in terracotta, grey and light wooden hues. Factory windows meet face-to-face with an abstract of the sea. Polished concrete holds terracotta leather met by white and wooden tables, their steel legs tying in modern elements. Potted plants beside hark back to nature.
Give your lounge an artsy look. Under a concrete ceiling and snaking extractor fans, a criss-cross wooden floor holds a variety of art deco objects. A black dog statuette guards the tree-lined balcony. A quilted white leather couch and chandeliers add luxury, while a chequered floor decal ties black and white in. A final fusion lies in the china cabinet, industrial in its steel frame, traditional in its wares.
This industrial lounge carries a relaxed, warehouse vibe. Faded wallpaper sits beside whitewashed rafters and exposed brick, creating large expanses interspersed by leaning prints. Two grey leather couches slide over a scratched rug, while a bevy of unique floor lamps keep watch behind.
Create fire in the middle of your lounge. This lounge uses brown and grey wood with a sprinkling of brick to house an innovative modern fireplace. The focal centre of the room, copper-pipe railing keeps the feel industrial, while a one-piece S-chair, Turkish rug, turquoise L-seater and pendant lamp bring elements from the 70’s.
Indulge your hipster inclinations with a bike on the wall. With one wall washed over in white, this mostly-grey space uses its original red brick as a feature. Lined with Scandinavian-style shelving, it makes an impact beside muted grey seating and a horsehair throw. A geometric rug, female figure and glass-jar lighting provide personality.
Living in an abandoned factory? Make the most of your location, by mixing the corporate and industrial. Stacked glass cubes create rooms under corrugated iron, as thick grey piping winds around the space. As bright orange pops beside concrete and exposed brick, light falls from ceiling-hung rosary bead lighting. A mosaic floor decal and leather seating take centre stage, as large palms and a jukebox lurk behind.
Take the rustic look into the 21st Century. Using pops of red to highlight focal spaces, two leaning prints, nesting coffee tables and wall-mounted deer head draw the eye over fire. Leather couching goes from rigid to relaxed; bookcases from wooden and solid to made of metal. An exposed brick column and concrete inner balcony add points of interest.
