Have you been seeing brick walls more and more lately? It’s as if everyone is hopping on board the brick wall trend and you can’t figure out what you missed. The brick wall trend is part of a bigger trend we call the industrial style. No, that does not mean you live in a construction site, neither does that mean you go for the Jurong Island look. It is all about the juxtaposition of unfinished and finished. It is a work of art that appreciates the state of ‘work in progress’ and sees the beauty in the rock as opposed to the diamond. The depth of whatever we just wrote instantly adds legitimacy to our voice. Cookie points for us! If you’re still wondering what the industrial style encompasses, then you HAVE TO read on.
ONE : Colour Palette
The industrial style takes a closer look into the little things that are not out-rightly beautiful; hence, bright colours are not frequent visitors to an industrial space. Industrial spaces commonly wear monochrome colours – think of raw concrete walls and steel infrastructures. This does not mean solid greys, whites and blacks all around the room though! No way. Pattern and texture play a very important role in industrial style rooms as well. They adds dimension and character to monochromatic surfaces that have the tendency to look dull and boring on its own. Go for textures that are unevenly coloured and unbalanced – break the uniformity in the colour palette with a fun surface.
However, it is no hard and fast rule that only monochrome colours can be used for that industrial look! Neutral and muted colours are also very welcome into the industrial home. In fact, they are recommended for novice industrial designers as monochrome colours can dampen the atmosphere when not balanced well. By sprinkling some colours into the mix, you’re adding little elements of surprise and freshness into different parts of your space. Check out the totally drool-worthy sky motif in muted tones (left), #styleenvy.
Lovin’ the hanging lamp in the left picture? We have a similar one in our store called the LINDA Industrial Hanging Lamp.
TWO :: Walls
Now to the attention grabber of all industrial homes – the brick wall. If this doesn’t scream ‘Industrial’ to you, we really don’t know what will! Normally, we’ll see spaces with a single feature brick wall and the other walls will carry more conservative (plain) colours. That isn’t necessarily a bad thing as the detail-ridden brick wall may become too overwhelming if there is more than one of them – especially in small HDB apartments. Have a single brick wall that screams ‘look at me’, instead of 2 or 3 walls that are competing for your attention. Pair your brick wall with furniture that have little to no patterns to create a contrast that will prevent the outstanding wall from drowning the furnishing out. White bedding and plain wooden tables are top candidates for the brick wall.
Want to recreate this look? You can purchase stylish and cheap track lighting here.
Brick walls aren’t the only walls hanging in the industrial scene though. We have concrete walls and acid-washed walls. Concrete walls give a more polished and whole look as opposed to its more underdeveloped brick wall cousin. This wall is for those that aren’t too big on having a loud, bright red feature wall in their home. They are certainly different from a completely grey wall and much easier to arrange furniture around too. However, coating a wall in concrete may be troublesome and costly, so we’d recommending whipping out a few cans of chalk spray and swallowing your wall in the matte black darkness. The white chalk on black wall will spice things up! Up next is the acid-washed wall that stands in the middle of the concrete and brick wall in terms of colour contrast. The different colours are more pronounced but they blend well with each other. Like the brick wall though, the acid-washed wall is better off with plain furniture.
If you love Edison Bulbs as much as we do, you’ll love the collection we have at Screed.
THREE :: Window
We’ve scoured the internet for a picture of an industrial styled room with curtains but we turned up with nothing (if you’re game enough to prove us wrong, send us a picture of an industrial themed room with curtains!). We reckon it’s because of the dark colour palette and hence, the need for maximum natural lights. Or it can be the bareness of the windows that makes it truly industrial. Whichever the case, we think going bare really opens up the room and the soft natural lighting balances the masculine interiors. We love how the HDB on the right uses roller blinds to retain their privacy but keep their room open at the same time.
FOUR :: Furnishing
Other than bricks and concrete, steel is a must for every industrial themed room as it is the final step to truly bring out the industrial quality in your room. Tell us if you’ve ever seen a legit industrial site without steel – we’re guessing ‘no’. That’s why steel is so important to hit a homerun for industrial rooms! Railings are normally made of black steel, giving it that clean and sleek finish. You can incorporate the steel element into the tables and chairs, bed posts or as storage units – whatever your imagination seeks! Black steel is a safe way to go – add some black into your space if you haven’t found the chance! It is better to have little black objects littered around the space instead of large surfaces coated in black that might potentially dim the room. In terms of the furniture styles, go for minimalist designs without much detailing. Additionally, these metals are durable storage solutions! Cheap and stylish – attractive to all Singaporeans.
You might find this a little Déjà vu as we’ve mentioned this before in the previous essential guide: Wood. If we’re not depending on muted tones to add colour to our room, we can always turn to wood. Do not confuse this with the Scandinavian’s love for wood for their wood is used to add a woodland feel to the space but here, we’re hoping it will give it a raw and rustic look. To do this, go for a darker and more distressed wood. The more imperfect it looks, the better. In fact, the irregular forms an opportunity to inject some shape and form into a room with hard, straight lines.
FIVE :: Lighting
You won’t see too many elaborately designed light fixtures in an industrial space because… it’s an industrial space; everything is in a raw and naked state. Hence, what we can definitely expect is the place to be tinkling with Edison light bulbs. These naked bulbs are simple, classic, and chic making them perfect for the industrial environment. The versatility of the Edison bulb makes it easy to be integrated into the room – or any room for that matter. If you haven’t already, check out our articles on Edison Bulb DIYs to pump in some inspiration, we have a part 1 and a part 2! We love the geometric caged look as it shows off the bulb with a touch of style (left). Here’s an idea for cafe owners: they can line up rod-shaped hanging wall lights with an exposed Edison bulb (middle). There are really countless possibilities when you have an Edison bulb.
I spy! Left: KASPER Polyhedron Abstract Lamp. Middle: DAGNY Angler Rob Lamp.
Other than the Edison Bulb, a rounded, smooth surface shade is another common occurrence. Many make use of a pot-lid pendant light with its simplistic and traditional design. These come in a variety of colours in our store and the most popular colour is – no points for guessing this one because it’s plain obvious – black. Other variants include the extendable lamp that is very fitting for an industrial themed room. Light fixtures with thin, black metal casing are no stranger as well. Check out the clutter of hanging light fixtures on the right, its delicate metal lining makes the design less glaring enabling it to paired with other light fixtures.
Buddies! Similar light fixtures can be found in our store and we promise the prices won’t be outrageous! (L to R) BORGHILD Twin Headed Disk Weighted Hanging Lamp, OSVALD Pendant Lamp, and VIVI Basket Web Cage Single Bulb Hanging Lamp.
Is that all there is to making an industrial space? Well, yes! Hope the essential guide has helped you to understand what the industrial design means and how you can recreate an industrial setting in your own room! We think that the industrial style is an effortless and timeless look for the fickle-minded. In love with this style yet? Check out Screed’s array of industrial light fixtures here.
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