The industrial interior design is one of the most creative modern design styles in 2020. Inspired by the old industrial buildings of New York and London, it’s still popular today. I’ve put together a list of 14 industrial interior design ideas that can inspire you with your style. I use it in my work as an interior designer in London. So, if you want to give your flat a new look or need to interior design an industrial style loft – keep reading or watch my YouTube video.
1. Open Plan IS Key with Industrial Interior Design
So, the first element that makes the space feel industrial is the open plan. When you already have the property that has this industrial feel, it’s worth keeping the open plan. Whether it’s an; old factory, a fire station, cinema or even an old auction house.
However, if your property doesn’t have this open space, it’s possible to join two rooms together. Such as the dining room and kitchen or the entrance and the sitting room. This will create a similar effect.
Industrial interior design is an aesthetic trend and a selection of ideas inspired by the old industrial buildings of New York and London. It’s rough and original look become very popular among interior designers, developers and home owners. The main elements of the industrial interior design are: exposing the existing architectural features, use of industrial lighting, as well as polished concrete and rough wood. If you want to transform a space into an industrial loft, read the full article below.
Industrial interior design become popular mainly because of it’s origins. Old abandoned industrial buildings were a cost effective way to buy a property, therefore a lot of artists saw it as an opportunity. They started transforming them into art studios and homes. Soon, large parts of big cities like New York and London started changing into artistic hubs. The industrial artistic look became very fashionable. The second reason for the popularity of modern industrial interior design is the fact that it’s based on second hand or vintage items; which are more affordable and more sustainable than new furniture.
2. To Uncover the Industrial Interior Design Style, Refer to Existing Architectural Features
Firstly, the industrial feel is usually preserved in these beautiful old metal framed windows or very industrial heavy doors. Never loose these elements. So, to uncover the industrial design style, you can refresh it by cleaning it up or giving it a fresh coat of paint. Sometimes leaving the existing state highlights it’s architectural features.
3. Use New Industrial Features to Match the Existing Interior Design Feel and Style
The third element when creating the industrial feel is to look at the existing features and introduce new ones that match the style. For example, if your property has these beautiful tall metal windows, try to match the style, colour & proportions and introduce new glass partitions within the property. A common element you see in many industrial looking properties (especially in New York or in London) are the black metal framed doors and windows – Crittall Doors.
I love these dividers between spaces because they allow you to keep rooms separate but without compromising the open feel of the property. So, make sure the new architectural features match the existing ones.
4. Use Unusual Objects in Industrial Interior Design and Loft Apartments
These objects will give the space a unique and original look. For example you can use musical instruments like guitars or old cymbals/drums. In my New York Bachelor Pad project I used two guitars to make the space look extra special.
Almost every industrial building has some history and heritage behind it. I love to research what happened there in the past. What was the space used for? What did people do there? etc. You’ll always find amazing little stories to help with interior design ideas. The design becomes extra special when it’s based on the history of the place. That’s why it’s worth adding these special objects.
Any vintage collectable items can be also displayed as art. Especially if they back-lit.
5. The Industrial Lighting – One of the Most Important Interior Design Elements
In any interior design project lighting plays a huge and very important role. I would suggest to use the lighting together with the architectural features. For example LED strip mood lighting hidden behind joinery and structural elements will give the space the nice ambience. After sorting out the mood and functional lighting you can move on to the beautiful industrial lighting fixtures.
Buster & Punch
My absolute favourite for cool industrial projects is a British company called Buster & Punch. They have the best looking industrial bulbs: in the form of chandeliers and single bulbs. You can mix and match them to get the industrial effect. Also, you can hang them in a cluster. You can still see the exposed cables. Which I think is a really nice touch. It’s one of my favourite industrial interior design ideas.
This is what I did in one of my bachelor pad projects in New York. In the bedroom I put a lot of bulbs randomly hanging from the ceiling.
Brokis
The second brand that I really like is Brokis. It’s a Czech brand that really pays attention to craftsmanship and appreciates the glass as a material. Their range of products is very original and I like using them on my projects.
One more type of lighting I would recommend for industrial projects is neon lighting. Neon lighting becomes really interesting if you can make it bespoke and write your own personal message on the wall.
6. Black & White Art – Important in Industrial Interior Design
The next element of the industrial interior design is black and white modern art. Black and white photographs will give the space a nice, artistic look. Especially if you make them really big!
In my interior design projects I often put my own photographs. I usually take these photographs due to the research I do on the project. It always adds an extra level of uniqueness to the project.
7. Open Plan Kitchen
The seventh element of the industrial and modern interior design is the open plan kitchen. The kitchen in a loft apartment is a vital space. It’s usually the hub of everything that’s going on in the flat. Therefore, it’s worth transforming it in a special unique area. For example, I like to use rough wood mixed with polished concrete and metal kitchen tops to make it really industrial. Add some cool bar stools and you have a perfect industrial minimal kitchen.
8. Contrasting Finishes
The industrial style likes contrasting finishes. If you look at this bathroom, I used only the three colours: black, white and grey. It gives a really strong look. Simplicity is the key. The space shouldn’t be over designed. It should be driven by the function and comfort. This is one of the reasons why industrial interior design is so popular.
9. Limited Use of Colour
When I interior design an industrial loft I opt for a limited use of colour. I tend to keep everything black and white, complementing it with the neutral colours of the wood. Mainly because the original buildings, especially the warehouses, were designed for one sole purpose. They weren’t meant to be overly decorated and extravagant. Therefore I think a simple black and white or neutral colour palette is the best pick for the industrial looking properties.
10. Polished Concrete
Polished concrete is one of these seamless beautiful surfaces that are minimal but very effective. So for example, if you’re thinking of a cool industrial bathroom, you could use polished concrete on both the walls and the floor. Together with black fixtures (taps etc.) it will give you this great industrial loft look. A must-have in terms of industrial interior design ideas.
11. Rough Wood
Wood makes your space feel comfortable and cosy. It also gives this nice soft touch to any industrial property and creates a home-like environment. Ideally the wood you use throughout your new home should be rough with a lot of texture. You should also be able to so see the grain. Opt for a slightly greyish tone in colour and be careful not to use any yellowish or orange types of wood. You don’t want it to look non-industrial.
So, in terms of interior design, the grey tones are the best match for the loft industrial apartments.
12. Plants
To make an industrial loft look more like a home, add a few plants. It’ll look good especially if you create a big cluster of them. It makes the space look a bit more soft, fresh and inviting. Here, I’ve put a lot of plants next to the dining area. Also, having some planted herbs on the kitchen window sill is beneficial as you can use them whilst cooking.
13. Roman Blinds
In my experience, window treatments that are the best match for industrial interior design are roman blinds. I used them a lot in my New York project because they don’t tend to cover the entire window. Naturally we don’t want to hide the industrial windows as they are one of the most important features. I believe that roman blinds made out of a nice fabric complement the industrial black framed windows, a lot.
14. Minimal and Modern Furniture
Last but not least – minimal and modern furniture. In an industrial loft project I treat furniture only as functional items. I tend to opt for very minimal, simple modern furniture designed to be a functional. Because Industrial Interior Design is not about decorating per se, it’s about functionality.
Summary
To sum up, these are the industrial interior design ideas and elements that you can use to style your loft. I use them in my own interior design projects, especially the modern industrial ones. It’s worth remembering that every project IS different and everything depends on the research you do beforehand. So I’ll often change my approach accordingly. Nevertheless, using this list will allow you to create a nice, special and very original space.
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