Creating a stylish living room that is suitable for lounging around and entertaining guests is a fantastic way to make your house feel like a home. While there are many different living room designs that you can incorporate into your space, industrial style living rooms have increased in popularity and have taken the interior design world by storm.
You may think that you need an open-concept loft space or warehouse to achieve the industrial look in your living room, but the truth is that industrial living room design is more than just exposed ductwork and floor-to-ceiling windows. With a few accents, additions, and touches, you can have an industrial vibe to even the most traditional living room. In this blog, our design experts shed some light on industrial interior design and share some simple ways that you can achieve the industrial look in your space.
Elements of Industrial Interior Design
The industrial interior design style came into existence nearly five decades ago, as property developers and architects started to convert warehouses, factories, and other industrial buildings into modern homes. The popularity of the look has increased tenfold in recent years, and shows no signs of slowing down — it’s safe to assume that the industrial interior design style is here to stay. Industrial style interior design typically consists of stripped back architectural details including the use of brick, metal, and wood, as well as salvaged and recycled materials.
How to Create Achieve Your Own Industrial Living Space
The industrial look remains one of the most timeless styles you can achieve for your living room and throughout the rest of your home. The best benefit in creating industrial style spaces is that you’ll have the opportunity to customize the look using furniture and decor that are entirely unique to your home. When planning an industrial style living room for your abode, keep these tips in mind.
1. Utilize Neutral Colors
One of the most notable things about industrial style interior design is the rich color palette it incorporates into your space. Brown, white, black, and other neutral tones create a clean, minimalist, and harmonious look. Consider pairing different shades of brown and tan to get a more relaxing space, adding white elements and black accents to both create clean contrast and character.
2. Open Up Your Space
Warehouses, factories, and other industrial buildings were typically large, open spaces. Industrial living room interior design is often incorporated into spaces with an open concept layout for that reason. However, you can recreate that same feeling in your living room regardless of your surroundings. Make function the focus of the space. Eliminate any clutter and keep pathways clear. Make sure that your living room furniture is arranged in groups to create areas for conversation and relaxation without disrupting the openness of the space.
3. Incorporate Industrial Style Lighting
Lighting plays a huge role in interior design, especially when it comes to a space like your living room. While every interior style has its own preferred lighting choices, industrial lighting choices are unique in a way that they have the ability to create a statement in your space. The most popular industrial style lighting is made of metal and often consists of a combination of pendants and lamps — the light bulbs often vary in both size and shape and it’s common to find fixtures being hung straight down from the ceiling. Other popular features for industrial style lighting are wood or metal details and unconventional objects, such as repurposed pipes and chains, as parts of the lamps or fixtures.
4. Highlight Exposed Structural Elements
If your space already has exposed structural elements and finishes, you’re already a step ahead of most homeowners that want to achieve the industrial style in their living space. Brick walls, concrete floors, ductwork, and pipes are elements that, besides being typical features of industrial style, are unique to your space and will certainly add character. If you have these elements in your space already, draw attention to them by painting them a contrasting color.
5. Add Metal Accents
Metal accents are another staple of industrial style interior design. In modern living rooms with industrial style, it is common to see metal pieces used to introduce black accents to the space. When thinking about which metal accents to incorporate into your space it is important to remember that, in an industrial interior setting, metal accents can go further than just you may think. Look to add a touch of metal wherever you can to add to the industrial style of the space. Shelving units with a metal structure, tables and chairs with metal legs, and other metal decor and accessories will bring glamour and cohesiveness to your space.
6. Consider Faux Steel Beams
What is the best and easiest way to achieve the industrial look in your living room? Installing faux steel beams is a great start! Faux steel beams manufactured by Volterra Architectural Products are the perfect solution to transforming both the look and feel of your living space. They are manufactured using lightweight hardwood material, making them incredibly easy to install compared to real metal ceiling beams. If your space doesn’t naturally have the exposed structural elements of an industrial building, decorative steel beams are an easy solution. Not only that, but their realistic appearance and black color add appeal, contrast, and depth, to any space in which they are installed. To learn more about faux metal beams, click here.
Industrial interior living room design allows you to achieve a space that embraces antique beauty while still enjoying modern conveniences. Remember, you don’t have to live in an open loft or renovated warehouse to achieve the industrial look you desire. Use the tips above to transform your living room into an industrial setting.
If you are interested in enhancing your space with faux steel beams, Volterra Architectural Products has what you need. If you’re looking for a more rustic design for your space, we also manufacture quality faux wood beams. Shop our selection of decorative ceiling beams today.
