Warehouse Wow Factor
When it comes to choosing an interior style for your property, the word “contemporary”embraces a wide range of looks. It could be anything from a crisp, white minimalist theme, to mid-century, to beachy “Hamptons” or something quite classic that allows the furnishings and artworks to be the heroes of the interior.
The important thing is to choose a coordinated look that is carried throughout the property. You certainly don’t want to be transitioning from a casual country-style kitchen into a laboratory-white, ultra-modern living space or it will feel like Alice going down the rabbit hole!
Where possible, especially in open-plan, stick to the same flooring and colours throughout as it will make the space feel bigger and more free-flowing.
One look that works well is the industrial style: think rustic finishes, like timber and metal, and oversized fittings that accentuate the proportions of the space. While warehouse conversions, with their high, valuted ceilings and exposed beams are a particularly good fit for the industrial style, anyone can take their cue from this popular look.
INDUSTRIAL STYLE – HOW TO NAIL THE LOOK
- RAW APPEAL
This is a style that is all about celebrating the imperfect and playing up the raw fabric of the building. Concrete floors, exposed plumping pipes, air conditioning ducts, supporting pillars and rustic brick walls? The more the better, if you’re going for industrial style.
2. MONOCHROME MAGIC
Limit the colour palette to suit the pared-back, utilitarian feel. Earthy browns, white and soft greys all work well in an industrial-style interior, mimicing the tones of common materials you’d find in a typical warehouse or factory: timber, brick, concrete and metal.
3. CLEAR THE CLUTTER
Hoarding instincts and industrial style are definitely not compatible! It’s more about a few carefully chosen pieces of furniture or artwork, preferably oversized if you have the space, than a mishmash of items filling every room. When choosing furnishings, think about texture and function, like practical shelving; a nice, big table in recycled timber; and a signature sofa with clean lines and neutral colours (let the cushions provide the personality).
4. THE LIGHT FANTASTIC
Lighting is where you really have the chance to put your industrial stamp on a property. And the good news is, you don’t need to visit a specialty lighting store or pay big bucks to get some really striking pieces. Places like Bunnings and IKEA have loads of industrial-style lighting at bargain prices, whether it’s a metal pendant light or copper-look floor lamp.
5. EXPRESS YOURSELF
Remember we’re celebrating the imperfect? That means there’s plenty of scope to introduce some original, one-off pieces – maybe even something you’ve knocked up yourself, like a timber coffee table fashioned from an old door, a big garage-sale mirror propped up against a wall, or shelves made from timber offcuts.
Heavy-duty lighting, rustic flooring, a monotone colour palette, and shelves of timber and metal… you don’t have to live in a warehouse to get the industrial look
The vanity fashioned from old sleepers
Exposed ceiling beams, recycled timber floorboards for the walls, flooring that mimics packing crates, industrial-style lighting. The steps and desk made from sleepers.
Wallpaper that looks like rusted tin
Exposed brick splashback
