The industrial look is huge right now and it’s showing no signs of diminishing any time soon, so we've come up with a few hints and tips on getting the industrial look just right.

The industrial look is an impactful, bold, interior design trend that if implemented correctly can portray an extreme sense of style, and even classiness to a space that other styles simply struggle to achieve.

But how much is too much? We’ve all been to the latest bars and restaurants to hit the scene to be faced with huge air vents, brick and concrete walls and rusty metal tables and chairs. But when it comes to our homes, can this style really lend itself to a relaxing environment? How much industrial is too much?

Here are our 5 tips to help you achieve your industrial haven.

1. Plants Plants Plants!

(Image credit Pexels.com)

You live in your home, it isn’t a gimmicky bar or cafe designed to capture customer’s imaginations and lure them in with intrigue. It not only has to be comfortable but feel comfortable and adding colour is a great way to warm up your environment. Flowers look great but the burst of colour they bring can sometimes clash with the raw, earthy industrial style you so desire. Plants, therefore, are the answer. Shades of green compliment the silvers and rusty browns of metallic objects and reclaimed woods perfectly.

Don’t forget to complement your ceiling height with the correct size plant. Do you have a tall ceiling? If so don’t be afraid to go oversized and fill the space with a tall Palm or a Yucca. Have a small room? Why not try something smaller and slimmer like cacti or incorporate a selection of species in a small group? From tall and thin, thick and bushy to a simple trailing ivy, find the right one and your space will benefit from a splash of green. 

2. Kitchen shelves

This tip is focusing on the kitchen area. Wall cabinets are practical but their bulkiness often is counter-intuitive when aiming to achieve the industrial look. Here’s a great tip to add serious style points to your kitchen and save a few quid along the way.

5 or 6 vintage shelving brackets, scaffolding boards and a few screws from your local DIY spot are all the materials you’ll need to make an incredibly easy, stylish and most importantly industrial-style shelving unit. 

The key to this look is that it starts taking shape visually when you cram items onto the shelving, meaning it not only looks great but is equally practical. Use plants, glass jars, cups, mugs, tea & coffee pots and whatever else you feel will look great up there. Go experiment!

3. Experiment with colours

Bright colours can counteract the neutral tones of the woods and metals you find in industrial spaces if not implemented correctly. Neutral palettes, off-whites and greys look great on walls and ceilings, however, that doesn’t mean you can’t get that splash of colour in there when you need to warm the place up a little.

Experiment with statement pieces of colour with rugs and paintings. We’d go one step further and say when injecting colour into a mono-tone industrial space, be bold! A single, extreme whack of colour found in a bright painting or rug can really drive home the idea that this is a piece to be looked at, and can add a healthy amount of attitude to a room in order to take it to the next level.

4. Add textiles

Textiles such as rugs and throws are a great way to warm up an environment.

Whilst a reclaimed wooden floor looks stunning and complements the industrial look to a tee, a wooden floor will never be as homely as a good old fashioned carpet. Here’s where an area rug can really shine. Comfier under foot, warmer and supremely stylish, a handwoven kilim rug compliments reclaimed wooden floors and industrial furnishings perfectly. Don’t be afraid to go big, it’s a statement piece remember!

Sofa throws similarly look stylish and can take the edge off that harsh industrial style if you find it's getting a tad overbearing. Like tip 3, both rugs and throws can be a great way to implement a splash of colour to lift a room to a homely level. Experiment with your colours, just dont go too far!

5. Lighting

Lighting is the finishing touch to a room that’s importance is far too often overlooked.

The old-fashioned filament bulbs can not only look far more beautiful than modern bulbs but are often a lot warmer in colour. This warmness is the perfect contrast to the cold aura of metals and bare brick walls. Choice of bulbs is one of the single biggest changes you can make to the feel of a room.

Finally, don’t overlook the importance of shades. Copper lamp shades for example not only compliment the industrial look but greatly assist in warming up a room when the light reflects off them.

For tips on styling your industrial warehouse apartment, click here.

Or click here to see our full selection of urban industrial bar stools.