The industrial look is quickly becoming another smashing hit in the interior design world. With the favour of steampunk inspirations and the charm of the early 20^th century coming back, the industrial style is one which quickly grows on you. Whether you’re renovating your home completely or trying to add a few things to really bring out this style of living, here are a few tips and tricks for you to perfect the industrial look in your home without a sweat.

Track Lighting

Track lighting is one of the defining features of industrial inspired designs. The black tracks travel across the room in a parallel fashion and act as a guide overhead for the path around the home. The exposed black tracks give a bold and imposing look, encompassing the hardiness of the industrial age, while the soft orange glow lightens the mood and keeps it from being too serious and imposing.

Normally the track lighting comes with soft orange lights, often coloured LEDs, but for a real authentic look, nothing beats good old tungsten lightbulbs. Its also common practice to have these bulbs exposed, recreating an early 20^th century look to the décor.

Exposed Piping

Exposed piping is another hallmark of the industrial look. With track lighting around the home, the exposed pipes are the obvious continuation. Instead of having boring straight direct lines, try making your piping creative, with bends and turns to make it look more fun and interesting. The piping itself can play a part in the ambiance of the home.

Sometimes exposed piping in the toilet can be quite an eyesore, and covering it up could make it even worse, with a giant block sticking out of nowhere. So instead, why not integrate the toilet piping as part of the design itself. This creative solution not only plays into the design, but cleverly disguises that eyesore of a pipe into the background discreetly.

Bare Brick

Exposed brick walls fit in great with the rustic and nostalgic look that the industrial style aims to achieve. The wornness of the bricks adds to this effect, resembling a structure that’s stood the test of time and gives the room a certain character and boldness. The exposed red brick creates a warm and cosy environment, feeling like an invitation to come in and relax by the fireplace. The beauty of the exposed brick is that it also doesn’t require much maintenance since its meant to look worn and tried, something that it’ll gain over time as well.

Untreated Wood

The type of wood in industrial design is very different from most other styles which incorporate wood into them. For industrial designs there is a greater focus on an unpolished and rugged look. So instead of taking unnaturally light and bleached wood, the furniture in these types of designs make use of darker tones and palettes to blend all the rustic elements together harmoniously. For this, untreated dark wood are the grains of choice, giving the room an edgier look to it as well.  

Flooring Options

The home isn’t complete without the floor, for this choice, you’ll have to look at the rest of your furniture choices and design options before you can decide what fits the floor the best. The two most common options are smooth concrete, and wood flooring.

For smooth concrete, this fits in with more neutral colours, and an almost grayscale palette. The walls of the home can also make use of the smooth concrete finish, and the continuity of the walls to the floor give a congruous finish to the room.

Another option would be to go with lighter wooden floors. This can be done with either vinyl or parquet (depending on your preference and budget).

The lighter wood complements a brighter palette and softens the look of the room.

But if you did choose a red brick wall, a slightly darker wood can better match and balance the colours of the room.