March 05, 2015 / RJ Living

How to Create an Industrial Style Apartment

The popularity of industrial interiors has risen greatly over the past couple of years with many people searching for an easy, unpretentious look. The appeal of the industrial style is that it provides all the comforts of a modern home combined with a little bit of history and edge.

Industrial is all about rawness, utilitarian surfaces, salvaged objects and stripped back materials like exposed bricks and timbers. The interiors are pared back to the essentials, often with a neutral colour palette with a focus on showing off architectural details such as the framework and functional elements of the building like the pipes.
If you think your style is industrial, but don’t know where to start transforming your apartment and achieving the overall ‘look’, then read on as we share all the essential tips to get you started.

Give your interior space

Interiors that pull off the industrial look well, don’t over-clutter the space. Instead they allow for key pieces to stand alone with space around them. Think how a gallery or museum displays artwork and sculpture.
While the industrial style best suits an open plan loft environment, you can still successfully achieve the look within a more enclosed floor plan if you edit well. Allow for plenty of space surrounding your objects, furniture or art work and focus on the ‘less is more’ approach. When you think you are done decorating, remove one or two more pieces and then you will be there!

Expose the raw

One of the key elements to pulling off an industrial look is to strip back materials and expose the raw finish. Show off the brick on some of the walls, pull up the carpet to display the raw concrete underneath and reveal the pipe work hiding behind plaster.
However, you don’t need to live in a cold interior for it be industrial. You can add warmth by including soft furnishings such as simple rugs, or paint some of the walls white while exposing the brick on others. Remember industrial is celebrating the factory life, so don’t be afraid to have elements that look a little unfinished.

Highlight metal and wood finishes

Metal and wood are two signature finishes of the industrial era, and you will see it everywhere in industrial interiors. From the windows, flooring and structural beams to the staircases, shelving and benchtops, metal and wood are celebrated.
Strip back any paint that is covering up the natural finish, select minimalistic metal storage and raw wooden furniture pieces such as a dining table, and avoid polishing or sanding anything back to remove evidence of wear and tear.
If your interior is quite modern, you can easily add metal and wood finishes with just a few accessories. Think about replacing bigger items such as kitchen bench tops with a recycled metal surface. Keep your eye out for lighting with large bulbs and rustic shades, even down to the finer details of factory-like door handles and knobs.

Start salvaging

Picking out furniture and accessories for any interior is one of the most exciting stages of a home makeover. Unlike modern interiors the industrial style requires you to get a little bit more creative than simply heading to your local department store.
Adding vintage items to your space will give it integrity and offer warmth to an otherwise cold interior. How vintage you go is up to you, just think outside the square and consider items such as an old filing cabinet for your kitchen unit or some floorboards as shelving. Don’t be afraid to mix and match old, worn furniture with new modern pieces – let’s not forget you want a little luxury and comfort in your home!

Be bold with artwork!

Industrial interiors often play with artwork to create impact and interest in the space, but you don’t have to think about heading to a gallery and purchasing expensive framed pieces. Get creative and perhaps even make your own artwork for your interior. Bold graphics, symbols or even numbers painted directly on an exposed brick wall can make an instant daring statement. Use old signage from your local junk store or frame old, torn posters. Even hanging your bike on the wall (providing it’s not a pink mountain bike!) with industrial style heavy brackets can help your room pop and bring the overall look together.

Industrial style is all about celebrating the aged, the knocks and bumps, the utilitarian factory pieces and a pared back space. If you can remember to keep things minimal, expose the textures and mix contemporary with old, you will be well on your way to achieving an uber cool industrial home.

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