How to furnish an industrial style living room

How to furnish a living room in industrial style? The industrial style is very trendy today and there are many people who have decided to configure their living spaces in line with this furnishing trend. A living room or hall in industrial style has very precise characteristics: it will be important to pay particular attention when choosing furniture, furnishings and accessories. 

In this article we will provide you with important advice, ideas and rules for creating a modern industrial living room, with inevitable references to vintage.

Industrial style, what is it?

Authentic industrial style furniture was born in New York in the 1950s, thanks to the recovery and reuse of disused premises, previously used as workshops, factories, offices or business centres. Since that historic period, thousands of old work spaces and warehouses have been reclaimed and repurposed for living needs, while reclaiming the old beauty of offices, factories and industrial environments. 

The popularity of the industrial style in Europe and the rest of the world was due to the popularity of American films and the advent of Pop Art - Andy Warhol and his Factory. And so this style of furnishing established itself initially in the large American and European cities, and then also reached the provincial centres. 

But what are the characteristics and peculiarities of this style? Obviously the industrial style starts with lofts and open spaces, converted from working to living spaces. These spaces are certainly the most suitable to be furnished with the criteria of the industrial style. From a stylistic point of view, industrial furniture is characterised by the presence of linear and sober elements and a clear and essential design. In an environment furnished in this way, the furniture should be functional, basic and made with the help of very durable materials. The concept to be expressed is "robust simplicity". For these reasons, furnishing in an industrial style is not a very simple operation.

Creating an industrial chic living room

In order to create an industrial-style living room with personality and identity, there is plenty of room for iron elements, bricks and leather sofas and armchairs. What strikes you about this space is its essential and minimalist character, but at the same time with elegance and a feeling of completeness. 

The industrial style applied to a living room is able to fascinate like no other room in the house. The perfect combination is always represented by the use of light colours and shades, combined with iron columns, metal furniture and raw wood. 

Very important furnishing elements for an industrial style living room are the wall units. Also in this case the categorical imperative is represented by the choice of iron elements, extremely minimal and essential. 

Basic rules for an industrial style living room 

Regardless of the choice of furniture and furnishings that you decide to place in your industrial living room, here are some basic rules that you cannot disregard when creating a space in this style: 

• recovery of objects from old warehouses, sheds or factories: every industrial living room that can truly be defined as such must have some vintage objects in its spaces, which recall mechanics, factories, engines or any type of industrial production: an old sewing machine, an old wrought iron fan, or an old industrial lamp;
• extensive use of metal mixed with warm wood finishes: tables, bookcases, furniture, chairs and any stairs, strictly in thin wrought iron, combined with light wood, as raw and essential as possible;
• use of exposed bricks: a classic industrial living room is recreated in a workspace that is as raw and simple as possible: what could be more essential than walls with exposed bricks, perhaps dated and made even rougher by time. This setting represents the best furnishing context in which to configure a living room conceived according to the dictates of the industrial style.