4 Surefire Ways to Warm Up Your Industrial Interior Design

Industrial style interior design. It’s sleek, sexy, urban sophistication. Its hip, it’s in, it’s now. Done right it’s as cool as an upscale penthouse flat. Done wrong it can leave you feeling as cold as a New York City street! Industrial style is all about structure, clean lines, simplicity and zero clutter.

In effort to maintain the sleek clean design, it’s easy to end up with a room that feels cold and somehow underdone. When you’re working with such a bare bones kind of style, each piece in the room becomes emphasized and important. The pressure is on to choose well. So how do you cozy it up without cluttering it up? How do you make metal and cement feel warm? How do you make industrial spaces feel inviting? It’s easier than you might think!

Texture

The use of texture softens of the cold hard surfaces used in Industrial design. With so many hard surfaces you have few opportunities to add texture. This makes the fabrics in your furniture and area rugs key. Think shag, heavy waffle weave, sisal or even leather! Stay sleek, not Country. Keep it in solid colors or very bold design. Nothing busy or fussy. You can add a single large textural throw pillow or even a couple of bolsters without loosing your look. You may even soften the windows with silky sheers. 

Color

Warm colors have the power to warm virtually any space. Obviously warmth can be added with the color of hardwood floors or the exposed red brick walls as so often seen, but what about in other places? How do you add warm color without straying from the machine made loft feeling? Use it very deliberately. Apply it to an accent wall, the fabric on your furniture, wood accents, or better yet, with art. Large bold canvas paintings or sculptural pieces. Very sheik. Very sophisticated.

Plants

A single plant can add life to a space that may other wise feel rather dead. In keeping with the simple and polished look, choose plants that have strong lines. Stay away from small frilly type plants with tiny leaves. Make it big, bold, deliberate and sculptural.

Light

Light is a simple, beautiful and functional way to warm up a space. We’re not talking about cold cool white florescent light here. We’re talking about a warm wash of yellow light. Don’t use this warm light everywhere, just in a few strategic places. Warm yellow light is like adding instant sunshine to your space. Keep your light fixtures in line with your Industrial style for a seamless blend of warm and cool.

The Industrial look is all about exposure. That is, it’s about allowing the inherent beauty of the structure of things to be seen.  Simplicity in everything from the furniture to the accessories allows the structure of things to be enjoyed without the distraction of too much pattern or ‘stuff’. The trick to adding warmth to Industrial design is well placed moderation. The look is so clean and clutter free, that you have to be careful not to overdo it. You just need to sprinkle a little warmth here and there. A striking plant, a colorful art piece, a splash of warm light, a inviting area rug to draw you in; it all adds up to an ultra cool, ultra sheik urban industrial look that anybody can warm up to!