What is industrial decoration and how to achieve it in your home?

Industrial style decoration is a type of decoration that is characterised by loft-style dwellings, open spaces, lack of structures such as piping, exposed brick walls, original beams…

A type of decoration that emerged in the 1950s in New York City, in industrial areas full of disused factories and warehouses. In those areas, materials such as iron, concrete, exposed brick and wood in an almost raw state predominated.

Characteristics of industrial style furniture

Industrial furniture is usually made of unfinished wood, an essential element in industrial decorations. Materials such as wrought iron, rustic-looking wood, veneer and leather upholstery predominate in this type of furniture.

Colours in industrial style furniture

The colour range is usually neutral and basic colours such as grey, brown or black. No bright colours.

In this style, the aged effect of tables and chairs is used extensively to create a more contemporary ambience.

The lighting of industrial decoration

Iluminación industrial

The lighting of industrial decoration is based on old factories, metallic lamps, pipes, metal beams, large windows, etc… Lighting is quite important in order to achieve an appropriate decoration for this style.

To achieve industrial style lighting we must:

Have large lamps: large pendant lamps in pairs or in groups of three.

Make use of metals: tables, chairs, anything but metal.

Ceiling spotlight strips: adapted to the industrial style and with focused lighting to highlight a specific part of the room.

Finishes: aged or clean finishes in both enamel and nickel.

Aged industrial furniture

Industrial furniture has a markedly aged character, its design recaptures the essence of the New York lofts of the early 20th century. There are all kinds of industrial furniture to decorate your living room and achieve these atmospheres.

The most commonly used furniture for industrial decoration are:

Mirrors in the living room: usually used to avoid the effect of an empty wall.

Furniture with iron and wood: this material is present in all the materials that make up the industrial style.

Chairs: ‘tolix’ chairs, stool version chairs made of metal, perfect to give an industrial touch to your living room.

Silla de decoración industrial

Lamps: metal ceiling lamps are another great industrial classic, as are exposed light bulbs or studio spotlights.

Exposed materials: if there is one thing that defines the industrial style, it is to leave the materials exposed.

How to achieve an industrial look in your living room

We are going to deal with 4 aspects that we consider essential to achieve an industrial decoration for your living room:

Materials

In this case, materials such as steel and metal are essential, they are usually used in chairs, tables, furniture, lamps, etc… They are also combined with wood, and make good vintage industrial decoration style combinations.

Colours

Talking about colours we have to be simple, any dark tone or a simple tone, fits perfectly with this style. The most used colours are brown, black, grey, white and beige.

Furniture

The furniture in this style is basic furniture with strong, dark colours. Vintage furniture brings exclusivity, quality of materials and original design. Vintage furniture can also be combined in many ways, creating a pleasant and comfortable atmosphere.

Minimalism

It is necessary to make good use of space, combine elements well and use antique objects. All this while maintaining the order that characterises the industrial style. Minimalism is always identified with a phrase, ‘less is more’.

How to achieve cheap industrial decoration

Industrial decoration is not as expensive as we think. For example, you can take advantage of furniture with unfinished aspects, buy one and remove a part of it to make it look incomplete.

You can also make your own furniture, the wood has to look more worn and work with products that make it older. The second-hand market is quite a cost-effective option, as it is usually worn furniture with corrosive aspects and will look very good and is priced for industrial design.

Cocina con decoración basada en hierro.

Industrial decoration in different areas of the home

We are going to talk about industrial decoration in each of the areas of the home. We will divide it by rooms:

Bedroom: a bedroom has to have everything in sight, the materials not only have to have steel and metal, wood has to be present in the furniture. The main colour is usually grey, but it can also be mixed with blue, red, green…

Bathroom: a bathroom should be reminiscent of a building site, the main material should be metal and there should be very good lighting. In this place, unlike the others, it is also highly recommended to cover the ceiling.

Dining room: the dining room is a simple space, the simpler the elements in the room, the more industrial your dining room will be. You have to know how to play with artificial light and make the most of natural light. The walls are usually white or grey, especially if the dining room is dark.

Kitchen: the kitchen should have the building materials in plain sight, metal everywhere, dark but light environment. A large amount of space should be left for cooking.

Living room: materials such as metal and steel should be the protagonists in the living room, the room in general should be an open space and everything should be visible (pipes, brick walls, beams, etc…).

At Gilmar, we are the leading agency in the real estate market with more than 38 years of experience in the sale of homes in the main cities of the national territory. Discover what we can offer in terms of construction solutions and let our team of architects, designers and builders advise you, contact us!

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