INDUSTRIAL STYLE

DEFINITION

INDUSTRIAL INTERIOR DESIGN IS ABOUT PROUDLY DISPLAYING THE BUILDING

MATERIALS WHICH ARE OFTEN CONCEALED. THIS STYLE TAKES INSPIRATION FROM
SPACES DURING THE 19TH AND EARLY 20TH CENTURY SUCH AS OLD FACTORIES OR
WAREHOUSES THAT ARE REIMAGINED OR CONVERTED INTO LIVABLE, LOFT-LIKE HOMES.
UNLIKE OTHER STYLES, INDUSTRIAL STYLE EMBRACES THE ELEMENTS OF PIPING,
BRICKS, DUCTWORK, CONCRETE, IRON AND STEEL AS A FOCAL POINT; THIS MAKES THE
DESIGN RAW, ALMOST UNFINISHED WHILE PROVIDING A CASUAL ATMOSPHERE.

HISTORY

THE FIRST INDUSTRIAL BUILDINGS DURING 1700s WERE MEANT TO BE UTILITARIAN

BUT SAFETY CONCERNS BEGAN TO INFLUENCE INDUSTRIAL ARCHITECTURE IN FEAR OF
FIRE INSIDE FACTORIES AND WAREHOUSES. THEREFORE, FLAT ROOFS AND OPEN
FLOOR PLANS WITH ISOLATED STAIRWAYS WERE ENCOURAGED AND CONSIDERED IN
DESIGNING THE BUILDINGS. ORNAMENTAL OBJECTS WERE AVOIDED BECAUSE THEY
MIGHT HINDER FIRE SUPPRESSION WHICH LED TO A PLAIN FACADE AND “UNFINISHED”
LOOK THAT HAS BECOME AN ICONIC ELEMENT OF INDUSTRIAL DESIGN. DURING THE
1900s ALBERT KAHN LED A CHANGE IN INDUSTRIAL DESIGN, HE IS ONE OF THE MOST
INFLUENTIAL ARCHITECTS WORKING IN INDUSTRIAL DESIGN. CONCRETE AND STEEL
ENTERED THE PICTURE AND BROUGHT FACTORIES, WAREHOUSES, AND INDUSTRIAL
SPACES TO LOOK MORE LIKE HOW WE KNOW THEM AT THE PRESENT. IT BECAME
MORE POSSIBLE TO BUILD LARGER AND LONGER STRUCTURE WITH REINFORCED
CONCRETE AND STEEL.

THE ABANDONED BUILDINGS TRANSFORMING INTO BEAUTIFUL LIVING SPACES

PRODUCED AN ENTIRELY NEW INTERIOR DESIGN STYLE, WHICH CONTINUES TO INSPIRE
DESIGNERS TODAY. SINCE THE BUILDINGS THAT TIME WERE MADE OF BRICK, CONCRETE,
IRON, AND STEEL, THEY LASTED FOR YEARS, ALLOWING US TO TRANSFORM AND
CREATE INDUSTRIAL STYLED INTERIOR LOFT HOUSES, CAFES, OFFICES, AND
RESTAURANTS.,
CHARACTERISTICS

AT ITS CORE INDUSTRIAL STYLE RELIES ON INCORPORATING BUILDING

MATERIALS INTO THE ROOM. SINCE THIS STYLE WAS INSPIRED BY FACTORIES AND
WAREHOUSES, THE FOLLOWING CHARACTERISTICS BEST DESCRIBES WHAT YOU SEE IN
AN INDUSTRIAL STYLE BUILDING INTERIOR:

● THE MAIN COLORS USED ARE WARM NEUTRAL TONES, UNLIKE MINIMALIST
DESIGNS, THIS UTILIZES THE SPECTRUM OF WHITE, GRAYS, BLACKS, AND
NEUTRAL TONES OF BROWN.

● OPEN SPACES WITH TALL CEILINGS AND LARGE WINDOWS WITH BLACK PANES
(SOMETIMES IN GRID LINES) ALLOWS THE BUILDING TO EMBRACE NATURAL
LIGHT.

● BARE LIGHT BULBS SUCH AS THE EDISON BULBS, AND VINTAGE FURNITURE ARE
ALSO POPULAR ELEMENTS.

● THIS STYLE HIGHLIGHTS ARCHITECTURAL MATERIALS SUCH AS EXPOSED BRICKS,

CONCRETE FLOORS, INDUSTRIAL PIPES, RECLAIMED WOOD PANELING, EXPOSED
DUCTWORK, AND ARCHITECTURAL BEAMS.

● FIXTURE FINISHES COULD BE IRON, BRASS, CHROME, GLASS, AND COPPER.

● STEEL, IRON, GLASS, WOOD ACCESSORIES, VINTAGE PHOTOGRAPHS, ABSTRACT

ART OR PLANTS COULD ALSO ADD TEXTURE AND COLOR TO THE SPACE.

IMPACT

THE INTRODUCTION OF STEEL WAS A GAME CHANGER IN ARCHITECTURE, IT

GREATLY EXPANDED THE STRUCTURAL CAPABILITIES OF MATERIALS. STEEL ALLOWED
ENGINEERS TO DESIGN BIGGER, LIGHTER AND MORE OPEN SPACES DUE TO ITS
TREMENDOUS STRENGTH. WHILE ABANDONED MILLS AND WAREHOUSES WERE
CONVERTED INTO LIVABLE SPACES, THE FRAMEWORK OF THE BUILDING REMAINED
SPACIOUS PAIRED WITH LARGE WINDOWS AND TALL CEILINGS, WHICH THEN APPEALED
TO THE PEOPLE LOOKING TO ESCAPE CRAMPED CITY LIVING.
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