Industrial style furniture began in old factories but is now popular in homes everywhere. This style uses strong materials like metal and old wood to create simple, sturdy pieces that last a long time. Originally made for factory workers, these no-nonsense designs now bring a special charm to modern homes.
With bare brick walls, concrete floors, and metal details, industrial style home furniture creates an elegant look that works well with many home designs. Would you like to bring this long-lasting style into your own home? Here you'll learn everything about industrial furniture and how you can incorporate it into your home. Read more!
What is Industrial Style Furniture?
Industrial style furniture or industrial chic furniture is a design trend inspired by old factories, warehouses, and industrial spaces of the late 19th and early 20th centuries. This distinctive style became popular when people started turning empty factory buildings into homes while keeping their basic, useful features.
Industrial style interior design is a design trend inspired by the early 20th century
Photo: Freepik
Industrial furniture style usually has:
- Raw materials like metal, reclaimed wood, and concrete
- Visible hardware such as bolts, rivets, and pipes
- Worn or aged finishes that show signs of age
- Simple, useful designs focusing on how things work
- Minimal decorative elements
Common pieces of home decor industrial include beds with metal frames, tables made from old wood with steel legs, lights that look like they belong in a factory, and shelves built from pipes and rough wood. The industrial style color palette tends towards neutral tones like blacks, browns, and grays. Sometimes with small touches of dark green or brick red.
A look of industrial style furniture with an unrefined feel
Credit: Flowyline Design
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This style blends well with modern, rustic, or vintage spaces, making it easy for folks to create their own unique look. It’s practical for open apartments and lofts, where you want to cultivate a strong, genuine space with personality.
People have a fondness for the industrial style because it is honest. Why? Because it showcases structural elements, rather than hiding them away. As you can see, the industrial style home furniture is long-lasting and timeless, which has made it popular in many homes, not just converted industrial spaces.
The Interesting History of Industrial Style Furniture
Industrial style furniture got its name during the Industrial Revolution of the 1760s. It was originally designed for factories, but eventually people began to use it in their homes and offices. This furniture typically combines metal frames with wooden tops.
People around the world admire this style a lot today because of its minimalism and elegance. Uniting metal and wood gives a unique twist to any piece.
Uniting metal and wood gives a unique twist to any piece.
Credit: Lumber Grand
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After World War II, companies focused on economic growth and purchased office furniture that was long-lasting and dependable. At the same time, industrial style office furniture fits exactly what they need.
As years went by, people began using different types of furniture instead of industrial styles. There were still industrial pieces manufactured in the 1970s. During the 2000s, industrial interior made a comeback. This occurred as people preferred to own simple furniture that was useful and built to last.
Even now, people are keen on industrial loft style furniture. It remains one of the most interesting furniture styles ever created. People appreciate it for its beauty, quality craftsmanship, and because it's often better for the environment than other types of furniture.
5 Key Design Elements of Modern Industrial Style Furniture (With Examples)
To fully embrace the right materials and how to decorate industrial spaces, the core industrial design elements should be prioritized. Below are the fundamental highlights that make industrial furniture design stand out:
Raw, Unfinished Look
Industrial style furniture often features raw, unfinished surfaces, such as exposed metal, untreated wood, and visible welds, that contribute to an authentic, solid look. These details showcase the craftsmanship and embrace the imperfect beauty of the original materials.
The rugged wall with exposed bricks will make your room more industrial
Credit: Flowyline Design
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Minimalist & Functional Shapes
The key to gaining the industrial furniture style is simplicity. Let’s find clean lines, practical forms, and geometric shapes you have in your house. These are the main designs for industrial modern furniture items that aim to serve your needs without overly fancy details.
The clean lines of the interior create a minimalist look for your industrial home style
Credit: Flowyline Design
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Bold Metal Accents
Metal is one of the most prominent industrial design elements. In an industrial house, these parts are often the metal table bases, shelves, and structural elements. The blend between wooden surfaces (the floor, tabletop, or doors) and metal material (iron, steel, or aluminum) brings strength and contrast to your furniture, which contributes to the industrial aesthetic.
The combination of metal table bases and wooden tops is perfect for an industrial design style
Credit: Flowyline Design
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Warm Reclaimed & Weathered Wood Contrasting With Metal
Reclaimed or weathered wood is the perfect type usually used for authentic industrial spaces, with the contrast of metal and wooden materials. The natural grain, knots, and imperfections of wood boards contrast beautifully with the chic, rigid nature of metal details.
These organic textures add warmth and character to industrial style furniture. With rustic and simple grain wood, the cherry, oak, and walnut are the recommended types for this style.
Old wood table tops blend stunningly with the sophisticated metal bases
Credit: Flowyline Design
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Neutral, Earthy Color Palette
An industrial color palette is often seen with gray, black, brown, and beige shades that create a solid, plain backdrop to take the raw material into the center stage. Occasional touches of rust, copper, or distressed finishes can also add depth and character to your industrial home space.
A dark neutral color tone gives the industrial style design an authentic feel
Credit: ©Navamin studio on Canva.com
How to Make Industrial Style Furniture: 3 DIY Tips You Need
In case you read this far and want to craft your own industrial furniture, here are some practical tips we have considered for you:
- Install an industrial style table: Let’s start with bringing a big wooden table in the middle of the house. You should find a weathered wood board (it can be around your home, but if you are living in an urban area, buy it on e-commerce or from any old wood shop). Then, attach this top with matte black metal table legs to create beautiful modern industrial furniture.
- Add a perfect finish for industrial style: Apply two thin coats of polyurethane to your tabletop to highlight the wood grain and protect it from water. Satin, water-based polyurethane is the perfect choice to achieve a natural look that’s not too shiny and dries quickly.
- Incorporate industrial hardware: Decorate your space with some casters and metal brackets. Also, you can focus on the little details, like exposed bolts and some distressed iron materials, to add authenticity to your designs.
A minimalistic space with industrial furniture design and decorations
Credit: Flowyline Design
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How to Style Industrial Furniture in Any Space
Whether you’re redesigning an entire room or adding a few industrial touches, remember that there are different ways to integrate industrial style furniture into different areas of your home.
Dining Areas
A dining table with metal legs and a solid wood top is the best choice for a rustic industrial decor dining room. Pair it with metal-framed chairs or rustic wooden benches for a stunning finished look.
Industrial dining table setups create a functional eating area
Credit: Flowyline Design
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Living Rooms
In line with the simplicity feature of industrial design style, you should incorporate an industrial coffee table with a steel base and a reclaimed wood top. Consider adding metal shelving units and exposed light fixtures to enhance the industrial vibe.
A perfect industrial interior design style for serving guests
Credit: Flowyline Design
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Home Offices
Opt for a sturdy industrial desk with metal legs and a wooden surface. Also, you can complement the space with open metal shelving and geometric lighting for a productive yet stylish workspace.
An industrial style working area should have a minimalistic look
Credit: Flowyline Design
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Bedroom
Industrial style bedroom furniture uses raw, simple materials with clean decor to make rooms that look basic but beautiful. Another wonderful thing about industrial bedrooms is plenty of open space. You'll notice these rooms are rarely cluttered. This industrial style furniture keeps spaces open without looking too empty.
So, if you want to try this style in your home, you'll need the right items. Look for:
- Raw or vintage pieces (like plain metal and wood furniture)
- A few smoother, more finished items (like nice pillows and bedspreads)
You can arrange these things around your room while keeping plenty of open space in the middle.
One of the wonderful things about industrial bedroom style is plenty of open space
Photo: Freepik
Lofts & Apartments
Recently, industrial style furniture has been ideal for loft style living. Let’s use open concept layouts with metal-framed partitions, distressed wood furniture, and factory-inspired lighting to achieve an urban, airy feel for your industrial home space.
Metal-framed partitions create a great impression for your industrial room
Credit: ©Asbe on Canva.com
Knowledge Base
What Is the Difference Between Modern and Industrial Styles?
Modern and industrial styles both bring a minimalist look and make your home functional, but they still have some different elements to distinguish them from each other.
| Color Palette | Decor Style | Materials | |
|
Industrial Style Furniture |
Neutral, monochromatic color, especially gray | Raw, unfinished materials and a rugged aesthetic | Reclaimed Wood, Iron, Steel |
|
Modern Style Furniture |
Neutral colors and shades of black and white | Elegant, simple look, and functionality focus | Polished metals, stainless steel, glass |
Can You Mix Industrial with Modern Design Elements?
Yes, industrial and modern styles can blend beautifully. You can balance the industrial rawness with modern refinement by mixing polished surfaces with clean lines, exposed metal, and reclaimed wood to enhance the delicateness and character.
What Colors Go with Industrial Furniture?
Earthy, neutral tones such as gray, black, brown, and beige work best in the industrial color palette. The warm wood tones of a coffee table, incorporating metallic accents like brass, copper, or aged steel of shelves and lamps, will bring to your home the simplicity of industrial furniture design.
After this guide, you can successfully bring the industrial aesthetic into your home with confidence and creativity. Whether through DIY projects or carefully curated pieces, industrial furniture offers a timeless, functional, and stylish way to elevate any space.
Don’t worry if you are still not clear about industrial style furniture design. Contact us directly at +1 (323) 990-2487 or visit our website to follow more useful tips in home design.
FAQs
1. What is considered industrial furniture?
Industrial furniture is made with strong materials, primarily metal, wooden pieces that have been reused, and concrete. Most of the time, these parts use exposed hardware (bolts, rivets, pipes), show signs of aging, and are very practical.
Some regular ones include beds with metal frames, tables with wood tops and metal supporting parts, factory-style lighting, and shelves made from pipes and unfinished wood. Most industrial furniture is designed for utility and uses a combination of black, brow, and gray colors.
2. What does industrial style mean?
Industrial style furniture gets its inspiration from the look of old factories and warehouses from the late 1800s to the early 1900s. It rose in popularity when individuals moved into empty factory buildings, leaving their fashionable vintage features intact.
3. What is the difference between furniture design and industrial design?
Furniture design is limited to the design work on household and workplace products (chairs, tables, and beds). Alternatively, industrial design involves creating a wide variety of products, not just furniture.
