Modern Industrial Interior Design: 11 Ways to Achieve the Look

Modern industrial interior design is all about incorporating clean lines and minimalistic features with a touch of natural materials. This trend often features exposed brick walls, concrete floors, natural light, raw elements, and metal accents.

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If you’re looking to give your home a modern industrial interior makeover, start by decluttering your space and removing excess furniture or accessories. Next, add simple, stylish pieces like a metal desk or a wooden table. Finally, finish the look with natural elements like plants or a few rustic accents.

In this article, we will be exploring key elements of this interior decorating style so you can redesign your space like an interior designer.

What Does Modern Industrial Design Look Like?

Modern industrial design refers to a style that combines modern and industrial elements. It can have a minimalist aesthetic, with clean lines and simple shapes. It often features exposed brick walls, metal accents, and concrete floors.

The style originated in the early 20th century and was a reaction against traditional decorative techniques. At that time, industrialization was on the rise, and manufacturers needed buildings to match their new streamlined design language.

Over time, this modern approach to architecture became an aesthetic choice in its own right. Nowadays, it’s one of the most popular design styles for home interiors, offices, and commercial spaces.

Industrial Design vs. Modern Industrial Design

Yes, it is possible to mix industrial interior design with modern. One way to achieve this is to focus on using clean lines and simple shapes in your industrial design elements while using bold colors and patterns in your modern features.

The main difference between modern and traditional industrial designs is that the former has a more clean-cut style. It’s similar to modernism in architecture – a minimalist approach to interior design. In both cases, simplicity of form is a priority over-complicated decoration.

Modern industrial design interior color schemes are also different from traditional industrial design. Bright colors and natural light can create a more open feel, where the original inspiration was associated with grittier aesthetics.

The material palette is another difference between modern and traditional industrial styles. The latter is characterized by metal, wood, and other materials associated with the industry in its purest form. Modern industrial design may incorporate these elements, but it can also be far more abstract.

For example, you could place a modern sofa in an exposed brick building to create an interesting contrast. It’s not something you’d find in original industrial spaces, but it’s not far-fetched either.

How to Create Modern Industrial Design

In order to create a modern industrial design in your home, you should rely mainly on rustic woods, metal accents, and black and white or earth tone colors. Many homes will include exposed bricks and metals, but you can achieve the industrial look with the right lighting fixtures and furniture.

Related: What is Modern Interior Design?

1) Choose Rustic Colors

Industrial colors or Earth tone paint colors work well. Different shades of brown, beige, and light greens are the most common. Since most of the furniture will include leathers, woods, and metals so it’s best to save the brown and burnt orange for the furniture.

Note: You can use coolors.co to generate a color palette full of colors that you like!

2) Rustic Woods

Raw building materials and unfinished woods are a great choice. Use them as wood beams on the ceiling or install floating shelves. Contemporary industrial home designs will incorporate wood planks for the floor.

Wooden furniture works well in the modern industrial style. You can add some bark to metal and wooden furniture pieces or create a combination of metals and wood.

3) Reclaimed or Exposed Brick Walls

Many industrial homes feature exposed brick walls in the kitchen, dining room, or bedrooms. If you don’t have any space to use bricks, consider using wallpaper with metallic prints like this silver brick wall design. You can also do designs using different colors of paint. Alternatively, you can use bricks to decorate the fireplace. If you don’t have one, an exposed brick wall in your living room would be awesome too!

4) Concrete Floors

Industrial homes will often have concrete floors since it mimics the look of an old warehouse. Concrete is elegant and tough, working well with modern pieces or rustic decor. You can even use it as a backdrop for your bed or dining room table.

Linoleum is another great alternative to concrete that you might want to try out, especially if your home isn’t very large.

5) Metal Accents

Using metal accents is the best way to achieve an industrial look. For example, a few metal accent chairs look great in the corner of a modern industrial living room or dining area. You can also install exposed piping or metal beams on the high ceiling.

You can mix different types of metals in each space. Gold and bronze stand out! You can also apply metal accents to walls or other areas.

Metal structures can be incorporated in your furniture, lamps, chairs, ceiling, shelves, etc.

Some metals to consider are stainless steel, copper, iron, aluminum, and brass.

6) Industrial Lighting

Unique lighting is key to completing the accents in each space. The more dramatic, the better! Here are a few lighting fixtures to consider:

• Pathson Retro Pendant Lighting
• Industrial 3-Light Vintage Metal Cage Flush Mount Ceiling Light
• 18-Light Sputnik Chandelier Vintage Edison Pendant Light Fixture

7) Modern Furniture

The furniture complements the colors and textures established on the walls and flooring. The addition of a long banquet table with a few simple black chairs is a great fit for the industrial space. With some additional bar stools and furniture, this interior design idea can serve as both a commercial or residential space.

8) Black and White Abstract Art

Finishing touches can be black and white abstract art because they match the earth tones really well.

9) Mixing Paints and Textures

Give each space character lots of colors and textures. For example, in this living you, you can see molding on the wall, wood tile flooring, wood beams on the ceiling, and furniture with various textures like metal, fabric, and wood. It ties the space together.

Think about the contrast with texture and color too. For example, the apartment shown below is painted in light colors but has dark floors. Automatically it creates an interesting contrast.

10) Natural Elements

One way to add natural elements to your industrial interior design is by using plants. Plants can help to soften the look of a space and make it feel more welcoming. They can also add a pop of color and create a focal point.

If you’re not sure how to use plants in your industrial interior design, here are a few tips:

• Use potted plants to add color and texture to your space
• Hang plants from the ceiling or use them as wall art
• Use succulents or air plants to add greenery without too much space

11) Geometric Shapes

Using geometric shapes is perfect for industrial interior design because they are simple and modern. They’re also quite easy to use, as many of the shapes are already found in nature.

For example, you could place cylinders around your space to act as tables or decorations.

• You can hang triangles from the ceiling like light fixtures or wall art.
• You could even use cubes for seats or couches if you don’t want to invest in sofas.

As long as you don’t use a million different geometric shapes at once, your space should come off looking sleek and modern.

So how does it feel to have an industrial interior design?

Industrial decor can make a space feel gritty, unique, and stylish. It can add a touch of sophistication to any room and is perfect for anyone who wants to add a little bit of edge to their home. Industrial decor focuses on the simplistic and is often paired with neutral tones.

Using industrial pieces helps create a space that is both stylish and unique. It can be used in any room of your house, from the bathroom to the dining room. Unfortunately, most people think that you have to earn a degree in interior design to make your space look stylish when it comes to design.

This isn’t the case! You can create an industrial-style room without formal training in interior design. All you need are a few key pieces, the right resources, and some helpful tips. Your space will be unique, sophisticated, and charming in no time at all.

The Benefits of Industrial Design

There are several reasons why industrial interior design has become so popular. Firstly, it makes for an interesting change from more traditional styles like minimalism and Scandinavian design. It also feels fresh because industrial spaces are very prominent in pop culture – particularly factories and warehouses. This might seem like a less than appealing design aesthetic, but there is more to it than that.

Industrial spaces aren’t very pretty, but they are incredibly functional and make for interesting homes. They also offer a unique sense of character – which often makes up for their lack of beauty. For this reason, industrial design has become very desirable and trendy in recent years.

The popularity of industrial design means that it’s become increasingly accessible for homeowners who wish to emulate this look in their own spaces. As such, here are some of the most popular ways to achieve an industrial interior:

History of Industrial Design

The history of industrial design interior decorating can be traced back to the early 20th century when designers such as Eliel Saarinen and Ludwig Mies van der Rohe pioneered the modernist movement. This movement rejected traditional design principles in favor of a more simplified and functional aesthetic.

Industrial interiors are soon becoming popular for their ability to create stylish and efficient spaces that were well-suited for the modern age. The 1950s and 1960s were incredibly productive times for industrial-designed areas. The Bauhaus movement brought about a new attention to clean lines and aesthetic functionality that included the development of modern lighting, furniture design, architecture, and graphic design.

During the latter part of the 20th century, industrial design was applied to more commercial environments such as offices, homes, retail shops, and restaurants rather than just industrial buildings. Today, industrial design has grown to include items found in these environments.

Things such as interior lighting fixtures; kitchen countertops; dining tables for commercial use; office chairs; desks; worktables; shelving units; lounge furniture like sofas and benches; decor items like wall art, rugs, vases, clocks, and wall decor; paint colors for walls; flooring types like wood, tile, carpeting, vinyl, cork, and rubber material.

Industrial Interior Design Today

Industrial interior design is as popular as ever and continues to evolve with new trends and technologies. Some of the most popular current trends in industrial design include:

• Using natural and reclaimed materials in furniture and decor
• Mixing different styles to create a unique look
• Incorporating vintage pieces into the design
• Adding greenery and plants to brighten up the space
• Using bold, bright colors and graphic patterns
• Displaying mass amounts of books and magazines for a more personalized feel
• Using an open plan to create flow and connection between rooms
• Adding statement art pieces as decor (especially those with color or graphic patterns)
• Incorporating industrial structural elements such as metal beams, raw wood materials, lighting fixtures with exposed bulbs, and concrete in the decor
• Using vintage finds in unique ways, such as using reclaimed wood to design kitchen or bathroom vanities
• Creating eclectic looks by mixing high and low pieces to create a unique look that is all your own

Industrial interior design has come back into popularity because of its clean lines, simplicity, functionality, and industrial elements such as metal, concrete, and industrial lighting. Today’s industrial-designed homes and offices often mix industrial design with modern design or even incorporate rustic elements for a unique look perfect for today’s lifestyle.

Bottom Line

Modern industrial interior design is a popular style for a good reason. It is simple, functional, and customized to fit any lifestyle. So whether you are just starting your decorating project or are looking to add some industrial elements to your current design, these ideas will help get you started.

Industrial style is more than just a look; it’s a lifestyle that reflects your values. When you design your interior space this way, it becomes reflective of who you are and what matters to you.

When considering industrial decor for any room in your home, don’t be afraid to think outside the box and use unexpected elements like manufactured materials, metal accents, and lighting fixtures you might normally associate with a warehouse or factory.

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