The industrial style was born at the end of the sixties in the United States at the time of the decline of the metallurgical industry. Many investors then considered the disused factories as great opportunities to be seized and transformed them into habitat with the furniture found on site. Our 10 tips to give your interior an air of loft new-yorkais.
1 – Open spaces like in a warehouse
The urban loft-type architecture takes on the raw appearance of a converted warehouse or a rehabilitated former factory. This very trendy style likes grands volumes, open spaces, without doors or partitions. the decompartmentalization also promotes the circulation of light because industrial architecture does not necessarily rhyme with austerity. On the contrary, it can be bright and even amplified by the presence of XXL windows. If you can’t decompartmentalise everything, it is sometimes enough to open the kitchen to the living room to obtain the desired feeling of space.
2 – Keep the original elements
To have a “factory” spirit, places must keep their fundamental or structural elements as much as possible, such as brick or stone walls, waxed concrete floors, unfinished parquet, metal frames, beams. wooden, the air ducts and other pipes that run from the ceiling to the wall. Does your house hold such treasures? Highlight them by leaving them apparent. If you don’t have any original elements, you can use tricks, such as brick-effect wallpaper or imitation wood lino.
3 – Favor raw materials for an industrial effect
Inspired by old factories, the industrial style adopts robust materials, capable of withstanding time. Steel, concrete, wood, zinc, brick form a beautiful marriage. And if the raw materials are adorned withasperities, it’s even better. favorite material, bois choose the least smooth possible, even irregular: the visible veins and knots will give a beautiful authenticity. Aged effect, black or anthracite, the metal is the other featured material. If you can install a metal spiral staircase, it will become the centerpiece of your decor. Initially reserved for exterior construction, the concrete has been redesigned and now invites itself elegantly into interiors by bringing a mineral touch that harmonizes with a wide variety of materials and colors.
4 – Create a workshop type canopy
Open volumes are preferable, but if you really want to separate two rooms, the essential workshop canopy will be just perfect. In addition, it will visually offer an impression of space thanks to the glazing which lets the light. To be made to measure or, for small budgets, to make yourself by screwing wooden cleats painted black. If there is no canopy, it is also possible to paint the door frames in noir to give them a workshop look. To separate the rooms, you can also create a boundary using a black or metal-colored metal shelf or wooden furniture with a weathered look.
5 – Use sober colors
Industrial furniture has the vintage charm of old factory furniture. Combining raw materials with a weathered and used look, the color palette deploys fairly cold and neutral which oscillate between black, gray and beige. May be added notes of burnished red (on the bricks) or coppery (on the pipes). If you want to brighten up your industrial decor, you can opt for bright colors in small touches by placing, for example, panels of the signage plants, a lamp or a chair that sport red, yellow or electric blue tones.
6 – Hunt around to find an industrial decoration
You can buy new in decoration brands that have adopted the industrial trend, making sure to choose worked materials such as polished metal or weathered wood. However, the industrial spirit is based more on the idea of retrieve furniture straight out of factories. Authenticity being the keystone, do not hesitate to hunt for old items and other vintage finds in flea markets, consignment sales, clearance sales, garage sales, antique dealers and on the net. This is where you will find the most beautiful pieces to which you will also offer a new utility.
7 – Use furniture that has lived
Industrial decoration is not fussy. Also, choose furniture simple, solid and functional, like professional furniture: garage, factory, workshop…. On the kitchen side, multiply the wall storage and favor the shelves that will display the utensils. Opt for a large family table that looks like aestablished. The more daring will put a large plank of raw wood on two trestles metallic. As for storage, prefer metal cupboards found in locker rooms or container furniture like docks. In the living room, a reel industrial table around which metal cables were once wrapped or a pallet (on feet or on wheels) will make a very trendy coffee table.
8 – Choose seats in the industrial spirit
As with the wall and floor coverings, the seats must be adorned with materials that look robust and unadorned. The leathers dark, weathered and cottons grainy industrial canvas will adorn sofas and armchairs (but also cushions) wonderfully. For these seats, the style Chesterfield also blends in perfectly with the decor. A comfortable salvaged armchair, which combines wickerwork and velvet, will look great, while metal chairs and stools are a must in an industrial decor.
9 – Pamper the lights
The lights – preferably metallic – are objects to be selected with care. The pendant lights with cables can easily be used by two or three, to accentuate the factory effect. Track projectors and adjustable spotlights will delight lovers of a modern style without harming the industrial atmosphere. Protected behind its grille, the site lamp, also called hand lamp can play nomads in different rooms. In the office corner, place the famous workshop lamp originally designed for precision trades (industrial designers, architects, design offices, etc.) With its articulated arm, it is a great classic industrial design. As for the suspensions with ampoules filament, they will bring a refined touch and will appeal to vintage enthusiasts. On the color side, we generally stay in a sober palette, varying from black to gray. But if you want to brighten up the decor, a lamp with a bright hue, in style Artywill contrast with the raw materials.
10 – Add an extra industrial touch
Do not neglect the details because they will enhance the desired effect. Start by installing a credenza in subway tile white in the kitchen. Decorate with plants is the best method to breathe a natural note into an industrial interior: in a pot placed on the ground, on a box or on suspended wooden shelves. On your windows, swap the curtains for stores, more suitable for the industrial style. In your bedrooms, use gray for the bed linen. And on the wall, don’t forget to hang the essential watch in metal that proudly displays its mechanical gears. You will finish in style and… on time!