Do you dream of living in a real post-industrial loft, but have a standard flat in a block of flats or a house at your disposal? Nothing lost – industrial style can be introduced into any interior, you just need to know a few basic principles of post-industrial design!
Industrial interiors have their own unique character. They are a derivative of the retro style adapted to post-industrial residential design. Minimalist furnishings, raw materials and muted colours create an atmosphere conducive to calm and concentration. To help you create the interior of your dreams, we have put together a few tips to help you choose the accessories and furnishings for your new home.
Industrial style – principles
Industrial style has a certain catalogue of rules whose observance will ensure the creation of a decor that resembles as much as possible the truest post-industrial loft. These rules leave a lot of room for your imagination, they are actually guidelines and not rigid rules, so it is worth reading about them before embarking on the final decoration of your industrial flat.
Raw finish
The finishing materials typical of an industrial interior are primarily raw, untreated materials. Furniture and other furnishings should be constructed from wood (preferably close to the raw state), various metals, concrete, recycled components and the wildly fashionable brick. The latter comes in many colours, but the most popular are red, white and orange. If you don't have the option of finishing your flat with one of these materials, choose an accessory to replace it, such as a concrete wall print screen.
Functionality
Industrial style does not leave much room for decorating the interior with superfluous items that have no role other than decorative. Almost every piece of furniture fulfils a specific role, just as it does in a real industrial plant. In this case, less is more, which is why furniture for the industrial style should be placed in well-thought-out and optimal locations in order to best fulfil its role. For such interiors, it is best to choose multifunctional furniture, such as table with drawer.
Colours
Industrial interiors are primarily functional colours that blend in with the minimalist character of the furnishings, rather than standing out above it. Above all, colours associated with finishing materials typical of industry, such as metal, stone and brick, are king. The walls should include colours such as beige, various shades of grey, white and black, as well as colours characteristic of brick walls, i.e. reds tending towards rusty tones.
Open space
Familiar from the corporate vernacular, "open space" is one of the most characteristic features of the industrial style. One room in such an interior serves multiple functions, for example a living room combined with a kitchen, dining area and workspace. In short – the fewer partitions, the better. The absence of frames and doors will significantly increase the usable area of your flat and allow natural light to stream in.
Windows
In most manufacturing plants, windows extend from the floor, right up to the ceiling. This is dictated by the need to provide adequate light and to save on electricity bills. The same solution is used in both lofts and industrial flats. Even the smallest room will optically gain space when one of its walls is a real window onto the world. No classic curtains or drapes are used in this style, so if you need to cut yourself off from the outside world, install simple roller blinds.
Industrial style home accessories
Every object and piece of furniture is meant to serve a specific purpose, and the home should be free of so-called trinkets. To understand this idea, just imagine a large room in a former factory, which was furnished to maximise the potential of the place and optimise work. You can follow the same principles when finishing your industrial interiors. It's not just the walls and windows that should look like they've been taken straight out of a factory – you can easily find accessories such as a space-saving steel wall wardrobe or tables and chairs constructed from wood and metal.
Industrial vs loft style
Simple shapes, maximum use of the surface area of furniture and walls and minimalism are the features that link the industrial flat with the loft style. However, this is where the similarities end, because the term loft refers to a living space created in a place that was formerly actually occupied by a factory. Such flats usually have original elements of former equipment, such as exposed brick walls, metal staircases or huge windows divided by frames. An industrial flat can be created anywhere, it does not have to be an area that has a large-scale industrial history.
This extremely interesting design style, despite its minimalist character, is gaining new followers. This is not surprising, as the austere but not ascetic interiors are not only for professional interior decorators, but also for anyone who loves the style of post-industrial lofts and would like to bring it under their own roof.
