8 Industrial Interior Design Ideas To Help You Own The Look

The industrial interior design aesthetic simply goes from strength to strength. Once only treasured within open plan city loft apartments, today we see versions of this highly versatile look claimed beautifully in urban and rural, and commercial and home settings. The trend is easy to understand, as we examine a style that speaks to simplicity, boldness, comfort, and minimalism, all at once. The rules of industrial interior design are fairly fast and low, as long as we stick to the golden rules of raw materials and juxtaposed composition. To help you begin on your quest towards the perfect industrial interior, read on for 8 style-defining tips!

1. A Composition Of Materials
Channelling industrial warehouses, factory buildings, and the manufacturing processes of bygone eras, we tend to associate industrial interior design with a few keystone material elements. Although not always required as a complete set, the basis of the industrial aesthetic can be found in a combination of exposed brick or mortar, metal, wood, and concrete. We expect to see such textures presented as a patch work, with perhaps oversized chevron or herringbone parquet flooring paired with stripped back brick walls, and metal girders or railings. The look often incorporates feature walls, with perhaps one in immaculate white, and another left as bare brick, or of stripped and polished render. With the foundational materials selected, we can begin to build the human elements upon them in a playful fashion!

2. A Palette To Build Upon
Just as certain materials are foundational, so too is the colour palette. An industrial interior design core can be created with grey scale and neutrals – black, browns, greys, tans, whites and everything in between. From there, it is at the discretion of the designer to add a fun and energizing feature colour, through conceivably yellow seating, red kitchen cabinets, or a decadent blue rug. Feature hues will greatly influence the energy of an industrial design space. Warm shades will create a vibrant and fun vibe, while cool shades can create a sense of calm and relaxation.

3. Combining The Warm And The Cool
Just as colours influence mood, materials play their part in impacting the way we feel. Excellent industrial interior design strikes a balance between the softening and the hardening. Powerful metallic lines are countered with warm and tactile wood. Rough concrete is met harmoniously by comfortable seating. That oversized parquet flooring we mentioned softens the rigidity of industrial surfaces, while the latter serves to further expand and elongate the space.

4. Create Comfort Zones
Indeed, it might be easy to imagine that an industrial interior cannot be homely, or even cosy, but for most harnessing this style, comfort is key. Industrial interior designers tend to grasp the possibilities of practicality that the look affords so well, and this usually means bountiful lounge areas! Where we are so lucky to have such a space to play with, industrial interiors tend to be favoured within large spaces that can accommodate open-plan living. The element of comfort is added by creating comfort zones. For example, a seating area may include a plush and inviting rug, and a grouping of inviting sofas, centred within their allocated area – with fabulous downlighting overhead. If renovating an industrial interior to your own taste, or that of your design client, wide plank engineered wood flooring could perfectly create the look while adding the opportunity for underfloor heating!

6. Play With Placement
With open plan spaces, every designer can take their moment as an artist, creating eye catching vistas in all sorts of different areas! That seating area can be considered a stand alone composition and styled as such. A dining area can be utterly unique within an otherwise spacious and raw interior. Paintings can be lent casually, directly on that wide plank engineered wood flooring, rather than hung on the wall. Art pieces, or even architectural plants, can be allocated their own free-standing space, for the simple viewing pleasure of the interior's inhabitants!

7. Let The Light In
A most prized feature of industrial interiors is certainly expansive factory style windows. Bathing the space with light is fantastic when it's possible, but if not, such a look can be re-created. In terms of lighting, low hanging lights are favoured within industrial interiors – usually highlighting each used living space. Beautiful antique brass downlights may hang above the dining table or the kitchen worktop, or an ultra-modern chandelier above the seating area. If you lack the luxury of floor-to-ceiling windows, those signature hanging lights can be complemented with recessed spot lights. In this way, the whole space can be illuminated, while still creating those inviting pockets of warmth.

8. Steer The Aesthetic With Masculine Or Feminine Elements
While the industrial design look is often considered strictly masculine, it can be hugely adaptable with the right accessorization. For a classic industrial bachelor pad, reclaimed mechanical parts transformed into wall art, or incorporated into bespoke furniture, can work wonders. For a softer touch on the industrial look, more delicate choices of fabric or artwork can take the style in a quite different direction. When choosing what makes the final touches – from wall art, to plants, or floor to ceiling bookshelves – we can steer the industrial aesthetic to reflect any energy we desire.

Bonus Industrial Design Elements
For those able to make structural decisions about their industrial design space, mezzanines add an immediate flair to the look. Whether they are used to create a raised sleeping area, a home office, or perhaps a reading nook or home cinema space underneath, this industrial indulgence is fun to explore! This year's industrial interiors are also sporting a spectacular range of modern feature fireplaces. Artistic free-standing wood fires are highly sought after, with the creme-de-la-creme unquestionably being placing such a fire right in the middle of a space, with the chimney rising up through the room. Of course, underfloor heating allows such spaces to enjoy warmth without any unwelcome impact on their stylish interior composition. If you would like to explore oversized parquet flooring, or wide plank engineered wood flooring – either to incorporate underfloor heating, or simply to instantly transform a space – ready for your industrial composition, don't hesitate to contact our team!