When an interior style allows you to blend old world elegance with sleek modernity, while keeping the home neat but not naked is broadly welcome. That’s one way of describing the industrial architectural style – a style often incorporated in home remodeling projects. Should we take a much closer look?
Industrial architectural style: the beginning
Those who love the industrial interior design owe a big thank you to the way structures were built back at the end of the 19th – beginning of the 20th century. The main building materials were iron, brick, wood, concrete, steel – durable to last for years. At that point in time, such buildings hosted factories, industries, warehouses and so the interior space was open – nearly no walls. With the expansion of the cities, these buildings became part of the urban area and a few decades back, they ceased operating as factories or warehouses and the vacant buildings were transformed into apartments.
Now, when you think of industrial homes, the mind goes straight to lofts. Right? That’s natural. You see, these old factories – now vacant, were not the ideal homes for families due to their open space and due to their location within the city. And so, they were cheap and the perfect opportunity for artists, who also needed large, open spaces for their big paintings. And that’s how the industrial style slowly became dominant.
Defining the industrial home style
Are all industrial homes lofts? Today, they are not. Traditionally, they are. After all, the main features of the industrial design are the exposed brick walls, the exposed pipes, the huge steel windows, the open space with nearly no walls at all.
Nowadays, industrial interiors are inspired by the good old classic lofts and incorporate all the main features – wood, metal, exposed bricks and pipes, natural materials, open space. Although these materials and features bring some intensity, this style has nothing to do with maximalism. It’s rather much closer to minimalism since it’s stripped from the excess and focuses on the natural.
How to incorporate the industrial style in your home remodel?
Surely, an open space, high ceiling loft with a mezzanine, brick walls and large windows with a steel grind system is a classic industrial home.
Does that mean that you cannot incorporate the style in your home renovation, if this is a family house? Let’s be honest. The results won’t be exactly the same. But then again, one of the advantages of this style is its flexibility. You don’t have to leave the pipes exposed to have an industrial home, but go for brick walls. Go for neutral colors. Prefer stone, wood, steel, iron and not glass unless you want a sliding door – not a glass coffee table.
The lines are strict and squared. There are no curves as the industrial style is kind of strict and masculine. You may have books and shelving but no decorative items. The lines are minimal, the space is minimal in terms of what you bring in.
No small wall art either. Even if this a regular size room, prefer fewer but bigger wall art. Also, ask your home remodeling company if you can tear down some walls. There’s no closed kitchen with industrial styles.
All things you choose must be simple, even the lighting fixtures. In fact, there’s a huge list of industrial lighting nowadays on the market. Embrace concrete, even for the floor. Or choose wood. There’s no patterns, floral designs, intricate textures – nothing of the kind.
The whole setting should resemble an old factory with a leather sofa, big paintings on the walls, an open plan kitchen, items kept to the minimum. Then, you can call your home industrial.
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