Inspired by the lofts of Brooklyn, New York and the modern conversions of factories and mills in our own Northern cities, the industrial interior style is one that’s become increasingly popular over the last half a decade. With industrial decor for bedrooms now available in most high street stores, it’s a look that’s proven to have lasting appeal. Check out these tips for creating your own industrial style bedroom design in four steps.
1. Get rough and ready
The key to this look is exposure; raw, unfinished surfaces combined with an honest approach to showing how things are made are the key ingredients to pulling the style together. A great place to start is by paring back your existing surfaces. Swapping plush carpet for original floorboards and stripping plaster to expose the brickwork underneath might seem like bold moves, but are the biggest ways to transform your space to create an industrial aesthetic. If you haven’t been blessed with great looking brickwork beneath your plaster, or you live in a modern building, you can recreate the exposed brick effect using brick slips.
2. Reuse and upcycle
As industrial style bedroom design is inspired by days gone by, it’s important to take this approach with your bedroom furniture and decoration. Consider looking on salvage websites and on online auction sites to find interesting, quirky pieces. A fresh coat of spray paint can give most items a new lease of life, and help to complete your industrial look, by avoiding the need for refined, modern furniture.
3. Mix metals
While mirrored surfaces are the lynchpin for a glamorous boudoir, exposed metalwork is the defining detail for industrial bedroom schemes. Start with a wrought iron bed frame and consider using materials originally intended for plumbing as decorative details to pull the look together. Don’t be afraid to mix up the metal finishes either; brass lighting fittings with black cast iron furniture works well together as well as incorporating copper elements.
4. Do details
When deciding on the finishing touches, remember that industrial decor for bedrooms is the antithesis of flamboyant glamour, so wherever possible, keep things simple and original. For lighting, choose industrial style pendant lights that look like they’ve come straight from the factory floor, and don’t forget to opt for vintage filament bulbs to go with them. Even your bedding can be chosen to complement the industrial style; choose linen fabric in moody, muted tones of rust and charcoal for a complete bedroom transformation.
Would you like to give your bedroom an industrial makeover? Let us know on the Reclaimed Brick-Tile Facebook page.