Home decor is like music in that there are many different ‘genres’ available to the modern consumer. Like music, interior design is available to suit any taste or preference. For those of us whose design taste and preferences leans more toward the modern than the classic, and the unpolished over the refined, the ideal decor theme is industrial.

What Is Industrial Decor?

The marriage of wood, metal, and neutral tones punctuated with splashes of color creates the modern industrial motif.
The marriage of wood, metal, and neutral tones punctuated with splashes of color creates the modern industrial motif. Image source: Home Design Lover

Industrial decor is typified by the use of woods and metals in their unfinished states while combining upcycled (or seemingly upcycled) materials and “warehouse style” themes into one cohesive theme. While this may sound like a tall order, it really isn’t: industrial decor is basically a license to upcycle. This means that industrial decor actually provides the decorator with a lot of freedom not associated with other styles. For a great and very in depth examination of industrial themes, check out this article from Decoist.

Small items like this repurposed pipe shelving unit add a hint of industrial style without any sort of in-depth home remodel.
Small items like this repurposed pipe shelving unit add a hint of industrial style without any sort of in-depth home remodel. Image source: Icon Home Design

Can I Get the Industrial Look Without a Total Remodel?

If you don't want to pay to have your walls torn down to expose the brick under it or pay to have new brick walls installed, simply grab some paint and create the effect of faux exposed brick walls.
If you don't want to pay to have new brick walls installed, simply use some paint to create the effect of faux exposed brick walls. Image source: Impressive Interior Design

The answer to this question is absolutely. Achieving an industrial look doesn’t require you have any architectural changes, and most likely you won’t even have to change much of your furniture. The industrial style is all about using found materials and other items and combining them to create a sense of old meets new, or dark meets light. You can do this in many, many ways, but here are some of the easiest ones we’ve found:

  • Hit The Yard Sales: Yard sales are an amazing place to score vintage industrial finds. Not every yard sale will have industrial style stuff, so focus on those that seem heavy on tools, piping, or vintage decor.
  • Mix Warm and Cold: Use cool neutral colors for your walls and decor, but add splashes of color with accent pieces. If your flooring is a warm wood tone, consider using cooler chrome or steel tones for your fixtures. This contrast typifies the industrial style and it’s tendency to blend unlike things into a cohesive unit.
  • Scour Going Out of Business Sales: These are thankfully becoming less common, but you can score some great deals at “going out of business sales”. This is especially true of bars and restaurants, where you may be able to buy some of the fixtures (like lights) for a deep discount.
  • Upcycle and Be Creative: If you can’t afford to use real steel or copper pipes in your decor, you can easily paint PVC pipes to look like steel and copper.
Use unique and colorful dining room table options.
Raw, unfinished lighting fixtures are a wonderful way to bring a hint of industrial design into your home. Image source: Arcadian Home

If industrial decor is something you’d be interested in doing for your space, let your imagination run wild. Give an old thing a new purpose. Use an object in a new and creative way. Accept some rust and pair it with the clean brightness of hardwood. Be fearless in your combining of unlike colors and textures. With some time, patience, and creativity, your dream industrial themed home is just few small upcycles away.

Join the conversation