Decor 101 : Industrial Home Decor

Industrial home decor is modern, raw and versatile. Although it looks simple, it conveys understated elegance and can be personalised to suit individual design sensibilities. Whether in a cosy studio apartment, a small flat or a traditional, large home, it is easy to recreate an industrial look that is a reflection of the homeowner. Industrial is all about keeping furniture and accessories in a raw, unfinished state. Bare, straight-lined furniture, metal and exposed wall fixtures, raw wooden furniture and simple mono-tone furnishings are what underlines this kind of decor.

Remember, you don’t necessarily have to go full-on industrial. You can pick and choose certain elements of it in your home. You can mix any other decor styles with industrial for an edgy touch. For example, farmhouse homes and even Scandinavian homes can have elements of industrial style beautifully infused. Industrial style can be mixed with many different decorative tastes. Here’s how you can do it:

Showcasing the Original Material

The important aspect of defining an industrial look is the material and its colour. Metals and furniture in industrial decor, including stainless steel kitchen furniture, reflect their raw grain, set against a palette of greys, blacks and neutral tones. Grey palettes in walls help the colour of furniture and furnishings stand out. The trick to bringing balance to this kind of decor is contrasting cold colours with bright ones either in furniture or furnishings. Grey walls help wood stained furniture stand out. Yellow chairs or pink rugs add a pop of colour to this otherwise monotone decor look.

Celebrating Metal

Industrial decor is all about celebrating metals – whether steel, copper, aluminium or bronze. Since this decor is raw, its essence makes it mandatory to showcase functional elements in their most natural states. Pipes, fixtures, vents, taps are all exposed and celebrated instead of being hidden. If your home doesn’t have these exposed, do them yourself. Place light fixtures and wires for all to see, use old industrial lamps as centrepieces, fashion buckets into basins and bucket pails into planters, there are so many ways to celebrate this metal and decor.

Exposing Brick Interiors

Since industrial decor is all about being unapologetic, exposed brick walls infuse identity and a factory-like look into space. Leave walls unpainted, distress paint walls and decor, place metal furniture and manage with bare minimum accessories. Brick interiors look good, are low on maintenance and very easy to pull off.

Keeping Storage Old Fashioned

Don’t miss storage while going industrial. When designing storage, go minimal and pick metal almirahs or wardrobes that mimic metal in bedrooms. A combination of raw wood and metal like the unit below is also a great option. In the kitchen, go for metal racks. You can also find file cabinets and lockers made of metal to be placed in the hall or other rooms.

Adding Grills and Structures

The windows and doors play a very important part in bringing together the industrial look. Grilled windows painted in black are reminiscent of old factories and warehouses. Just keep the look simple, minimal and non-fussy.

If industrial decor seems right up your alley, do try to add these elements to your home. The best part of industrial decor is that it is easy to replicate and helps make your space chic and minimal. The emphasis is on aesthetics rather than the quality and price of the material used. If you feel you need some help with your industrial look, do reach out to the experts at HomeLane.