For a lot of people, it can be difficult to find the right tone for the design of their home. You want to find a decent balance between both your own personality and what will look good, as well as being functional and practical for the family. The problem at times in trying to find that balance, is that you can end up with a relatively bland, generic looking home. This isn't always a bad thing as it offers a home that's something of a blank canvas, meaning personality can be added on top of it in the form of decorations. However, a lot of people would much rather that their personality came out in the house itself, with the fittings, walls and features. This is why I love the Industrial style.
Regardless of the age or style of the property itself, the industrial look can work in all kinds of ways to bring that sleek, raw look into your living space. Here's just a few ways to bring this wonderful bold style into your home, embracing the feeling of the bright lights and the big city.
Behind the scenes
A lot of the appeal in industrial design comes from the fact that you're taking things that in any other style would be hidden away and instead, putting them forward, making a feature of them and utilising their basic charm.
This means that things like exposed brickwork and piping should be embraced throughout your home. Exposed vertical radiators (like the kind you can find here) are another great way to bring that sense of 'behind the scenes' into your home. Think about the kinds of things that you'd usually hide away and see if you can find a way to incorporate them into the overall design of your home's interior. This kind of style works best on older homes, though reproductions can be really effective to create the same feels in a newer property.
Clean lines
Some interior design styles, such as rustic and shabby chic, favor asymmetry and naturalistic lines that make things seem as though they've been placed in a slightly more random, almost haphazard manner. This doesn't work quite as effectively with industrial design.
When building an industrial style into your home, you need to make sure that your lines are clean and crisp. Metal furniture is perfect for this, with sharp clear angles, rather than more ornate wooden furniture. Of course, there are exceptions to this rule, but they usually work specifically because of how much they stand out from the rest of the industrial style. Mixing styles can work really well though, so don't be afraid to mix themes and textures as well as old with new.
Space
One of the key elements of any industrial style is having the right space to make the look work. If you're living in a cramped space, then there's a chance that it could start to feel a little dark. Having more space, you not only have large open areas to separate the sharp angles of the decor, but you also get to let a great deal of light into your home at all times. That said, the industrial look can be incorporated anywhere in the home and with clever lighting, even the smallest spaces can make the perfect setting if done in the right way.
If your space is lacking in natural light, you may struggle to get the kind of atmosphere that you need to make an industrial styled property feel like a home. You don't need a huge home to do this though, you just need to be able to use the space well, and be clever with artificial lighting, wall colours and those all important furniture choices. If you can create clear lines of movement throughout the room and try not to fill up too much floor space with unneeded clutter, you're off to a good start.
Minimalism
With clutter in mind, there is one word that often comes up with industrial styles and that's minimalism. A cluttered home with an industrial style could end up looking messy, with those vital features hidden. Decorations that you have on show should exist to make a statement about your tastes, an important picture or trinket that compliments the room. It's hard for those treasures to stand out when they sit among many others.
If like me you are working on de-cluttering for a more minimalist (but lived in!) look, it's time to start being brutal with what you keep and what you throw/give away. Compared to things like bohemian or Victorian designs, industrial homes work really well with a lot of blank space in order for you to have the breathing room that you really need. Embracing a more minimalist design philosophy isn't always that difficult, but there are plenty of resources online to help you get started. Minimalism doesn't always mean empty white rooms, it usually captures the essence of most the gorgeous homes we lust after in magazines, with simpler living, minus the stress of clutter.
If you're not careful, the industrial look can make your home feel cold and lacking in personality. In order to prevent this from happening, you need to perfectly balance it with more traditionally domestic styles. Decorations, blankets, cushions and other things that will increase the comfort of your home such as a bold splash of colour, are a great counterpoint to the classic industrial style you're trying to create. A mix of textures with sharp hard metals and soft loose fabrics can work wonders for bringing that much wanted style and comfort together, it is a home after all!
Are you a fan of the industrial style in your home?
*Collaborative post
