The Industrial design style is one of the most trending classifications of interior design right now. Everyone’s trying to get the cool, effortless yet striking look that the industrial style creates. If you’re interested in industrial interior design, but aren’t quite sure where to start, follow along to learn everything you need to know to get the look.

What Is Industrial Design?

Industrial interior design is all about highlighting the raw building materials that most design styles try to cover up. It can even go as far as to fabricate fake utilitarian objects, or use them in places they wouldn’t normally function, like using piping to create shelves or putting up fake exposed brick or distressed wood flooring.

The industrial style is often used in alternative housing to your traditional family home, like loft apartments and commercial spaces. This design style celebrates the imperfect and unfinished. It’s all about functionality, edge, and the juxtaposition between the modern and vintage.

The Key Elements Of Industrial Interior Design

1. Metal And Wood Finishes

The two most common materials used in construction are metal and wood. So, highlighting these supplies in your interior design will help give an industrial feel to the space. This could look like a metal countertop, handcrafted wood flooring or support beams, and metal or wood décor.

2. Showing What’s Behind The Drywall

While most designs feature a smooth drywall finish for both the walls and ceiling, industrial design encourages you to tear that away and expose what’s underneath. This may mean exposing a brick wall (or creating one if you aren’t blessed with natural exposed brick) or revealing the piping and ducts that run along the ceiling.

3. Black Accents

While bright colour is not unheard of in the industrial style, black accents are quintessential to this interior style and really gives the space that edgy factor that it needs. Try incorporating black into your wall art, décor, tile, or even paint choices to achieve a more industrial look.

4. Dark Flooring

Keeping with the edgy theme, dark flooring really suits this interior design style. Consider a deeper toned handcrafted wood flooring to ground the space. Dark wood flooring will accentuate the sophistication within the industrial style, while still keeping it modern and chic.

The Heritage Plank in Conker

5. Upcycled Furniture

The industrial style loves to play with the juxtaposition of modern and vintage pieces. One of the easiest ways to do this is by upcycling vintage furniture. This not only adds depth and a more lived-in feel to your design, but can help save money, as thrifting pieces and upcycling them is typically much more cost effective than purchasing things brand new.

6. Statement Lighting

A key element of industrial interior design is fun, modern statement lighting. Think Edison bulbs. Think repurposed utilitarian lighting. Light fixtures are also a great way to incorporate those other essential details in industrial design like upcycled pieces, metal, and wood accents. Since many aspects of industrial design are very dark, like the black accents and dark flooring, having lots of lighting vignettes helps keep the space from appearing too heavy.